CORE Community Services Ltd. is a not for profit organisation serving South West Sydney for over 40 years. We provide a wide range of services, activities and programs across 5 Services – Children's Services, Youth Services, Multicultural Communities, Aged and Disability Care (ADC) and Community Engagement.. Our mission is to provide tailored diverse client centric services and opportunities that support and empower vulnerable communities to thrive, resulting in the best outcomes for all individuals.

This role is focused on supporting refugees, migrants and humanitarian entrants settling in Fairfield LGA and requires the applicant to have a thorough understanding of the challenges affecting their settlement process and identify services available for to support them.

The delivery of this position is holistic, culturally appropriate, and supportive through individualised needs assessment, referral pathways, group work and community engagement and capacity building to address the needs of clients from refugee and migrant background in the areas of employment, education, housing, finance, wellbeing and safety, social and civic participation.

Responsibilities Include:

• Undertake Initial client’s Needs Assessment (INA) that clearly identifies and prioritise their needs, barriers, and best course of action.
• Deliver high quality and culturally appropriate settlement work and active community development, using both need-based and strength-based approaches.
• Deliver a holistic service through the documentation of case plans that supports all clients using a strength-based approach with the focus to increase the clients capacity and encourage independence.
• In collaboration with line manager, identify and develop work priorities and projects to meet settlement, capacity building and community engagement needs of the target client group.
• Enable small and emerging ethno-specific community organisations to maintain viability and independence through sourcing funding and capacity building to ensure that they are sustainable and well represented.
• Develop strategies to identify and address the needs newly arrived refugees, migrants and humanitarian entrants through building partnerships with relevant services, inter-agency networks, community leaders and ethno-specific community organisations.
• Develop the capacity of target cohort to address challenges through group work to improve social support networks, reduce isolation, and promote integration.
• Identify key issues affecting individuals and families and work together to address them through advocacy, referral process and active participation at local inter-agency networks.
• Thorough understanding of cultural awareness from a variety of cultural backgrounds
• Maintain high levels of confidentiality and sensitivity as applied at each interaction when supporting clients.
• Undertake necessary promotional activities to increase the awareness of the Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) Program.
• Ensure ethical data collection and reporting to meet Departmental grant requirements.
• Contribute to Local, Regional, State and National government planning/policy frameworks.
• Perform other relevant duties as directed by the line manager.

Selection Criteria:

• Formal qualifications with at least a Diploma in Community Services, Social Science, Social Work, or a related field.
• Proven experience in designing and delivering high-quality casework services and community development activities focused on outcomes for refugees, humanitarian entrants and migrants.
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of the needs and priorities of refugees, humanitarian entrants and migrants and the challenges they face during their settlement journey.
• Strong cultural awareness and understanding of diversity, social cohesion, and social dynamics within the refugee, humanitarian entrant and migrant communities in South West Sydney.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a proven ability to build trust-based relationships with clients, community leaders and ethno-specific community organisations.
• Proven ability to conduct client needs assessments and a comprehensive understanding of settlement services and community development referral networks and resources.
• Strong administrative, organisational, time management, presentation, and group facilitation skills.
• Ability to establish objectives and manage conflicting work priorities to ensure efficient and effective outcomes to a high standard.
• Well-developed advocacy and decision-making skills and the ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Highly developed written and verbal communication skills in English, computer literacy and knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Proficiency in a community language relevant to the South West Sydney area is highly desirable.
• Current driver’s licence.

Please note - applicants must attach a cover letter addressing the selection criteria (maximum 2 pages).