Employment Details
- Position Type: Initial 12-month appointment with potential for renewal (30 – 35 hours per week)
- Location: The Cocoon, St Kilda, Melbourne
- Remuneration: Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 – Level 4.1-4.4 (depending on experience)
About Bridge It
Bridge It was founded in June 2021 with the dream of creating a high-impact, supportive housing program for young women who have been impacted by the out-of-home care system or homelessness. Our youth supportive housing program, The Cocoon, launched in St Kilda in 2022.
We provide residents with high-quality, affordable self-contained homes for 12-18 months at The Cocoon. We also provide a comprehensive range of supports, including lived-experience mentoring, life and living skills development, therapies, and community-building activities. The Cocoon is staffed Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 am to 5 pm (excluding public holidays.)
Our programs are transformative—not only in keeping young women housed but also in empowering them to thrive in areas such as education, employment, and building positive relationships.
Our core organisational values are Fun, Community, Aspiration, Connection, and Safety.
Our Mission: To end youth homelessness by providing homes, community, and high-quality support.
Micro Vision: There is a Cocoon in every state of Australia.
Macro Vision: We inspire new ways of thinking, so homelessness support is life-changing and long-lasting.
Mega Vision: We play a role in ending youth homelessness in Australia.
Position Overview
We are seeking a passionate Cocoon Coordinator to play a vital role in facilitating the smooth running of The Cocoon. The ideal candidate will be proactive, organized, and have a strong commitment to providing holistic, trauma-informed, person-centred, and rights-based support to young women.
This role is essential in empowering residents to thrive in all areas of life, such as education, employment, and relationships. It is central to ensuring engagement and community at The Cocoon. It’s a fun and exciting role perfect for someone highly motivated to have a real impact in the lives of amazing young women and to be part of a disruptive organisation that is testing and trialling high-impact approaches to addressing youth homelessness to make the solution lasting.
Bridge It is innovative; we listen to the perspectives of our residents. We need someone who is highly adaptable, creative, positive, has a diverse skill set, possesses a can-do attitude, and enjoys finding solutions.
Key Responsibilities
Resident Support:
- Assist residents in booking into the Bridge It groups and therapies program.
- Provide daily incidental support to residents with their immediate needs, such as planning their day, debriefing about neighbour dynamics, mood regulation, and attending appointments.
- Build positive relationships with residents by fostering a friendly and approachable community environment.
- Promote resident engagement in Cocoon programs by actively communicating upcoming group activities and assisting with bookings.
- Co-facilitate groups and community events such as the resident’s BBQ.
Coordination and Meetings:
- Attend resident’s care team meetings as required to collaborate on resident support plans.
- Have a strong understanding of the needs of the residents and provide a care coordination role alongside their existing supports where required.
Operational Duties:
- Conduct daily Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)-related walkthroughs of communal areas, ensuring spaces are clean, welcoming, and well-stocked.
- Report maintenance issues to our partner organisation and keep the maintenance tracking spreadsheet updated.
- Manage communal spaces by restocking supplies, emptying bins, watering plants, and ensuring security procedures are followed before leaving.
Risk Management:
- Identify and appropriately respond to risks during interactions with residents, escalating concerns to senior staff as needed.
- Comply with Bridge It’s policies and procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of residents and staff.
Social Media / Comms:
- Support Bridge It’s communications and social media efforts through capturing photo and video content of what’s happening at The Cocoon.
Other Duties:
- In addition to the duties listed above, the Cocoon Coordinator may be required to perform other duties as assigned by the broader team, provided such duties are reasonable and consistent with the overall scope of this position.
Qualifications
Experience:
- Experience working with young people, particularly those impacted by homelessness or the care system.
- Knowledge of trauma-informed care and person-centred approaches.
- Candidates with relevant lived experience would be highly regarded.
Education:
- Qualifications in Social Work, Social Sciences, Community Development, Youth Work, or a related field are desirable.
- Recent graduates are welcome to apply.
Skills:
- Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong relationships.
- Excellent organisational and time management skills.
- Proficiency in computer applications and record-keeping.
- Detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple tasks effectively.
- Commitment to personal growth and development.
Other Requirements:
- Current Australian Driver’s License.
- Valid Police Check and Working with Children Check (Bridge It will cover the cost of these checks for successful applicants).
Why Join Bridge It?
- Be part of a dynamic team dedicated to making a real difference in the lives of young women.
- Opportunity to provide meaningful support through holistic, trauma-informed practices.
- Enjoy 5 additional wellbeing days per year (pro-rata) to support your personal health and happiness.
- Benefit from internal and external supervision every six weeks, with an external supervisor of your choice, to support your professional development.
- Participate in regular team-building activities, fostering a supportive and collaborative work environment.
- Commitment to your personal and professional growth, with opportunities for training and development.
- Work alongside the founding team who have big dreams to end youth homelessness.
- Flexible hours and days by negotiation.
A position description is attached.