Why join Launch Housing

Launch Housing is an independent Melbourne based community organisation passionately committed to ending homelessness. From providing high quality housing and an innovative range of support, education and employment services, we bring solutions to homelessness under one roof for thousands at risk of, or experiencing the crisis and trauma of homelessness. With over 400 staff working across 16 locations in metropolitan Melbourne, we combine direct action with advocacy, research and innovation to drive widespread change.

Our people are the backbone of our organisation and supporting their wellbeing and professional development is critical to our ability to help our clients and the community. We value lived experience and diversity in our staff, and provide high-quality training & supervision, wellbeing days, access to an Employee Assistance Program and much much more to ensure your career with us is fulfilling.

Don’t just walk past homelessness. Join the solution.

Our permanent and fixed-term employee benefits include:

• Contributing to useful and rewarding work and giving something back to the community
• Wellbeing days, ceremonial leave, carers leave and study leave
• Flexible working arrangements
• Purchased leave
• 17.5% leave loading
• 8 weeks’ gender neutral paid parental leave after 12 months of service for both the primary and secondary carer
• Training and career growth opportunities across Launch Housing
• A portion of your income can be tax-free by salary packaging your personal expenses
• Additional tax-free salary packaging on dining and accommodation expenses
• Positive, supportive and progressive work environment

About the opportunity

The Private Assistance Rental Program Plus (PRAP Plus) is an exciting initiative to provide support to households accessing private rental properties that require additional practical support to establish or maintain their housing. Launch Housing has been funded to deliver the PRAP Plus program in the North-Eastern, Bayside and Southern Melbourne areas.

PRAP Plus provides case management support to private rental tenants and residents to achieve positive client outcomes and prevent homelessness. PRAP Plus operates with a strong focus on sustaining tenancies in consideration of a vulnerable and disadvantaged client group and works to address needs and risk factors that make tenancies vulnerable.

The role of PRAP Plus is to ensure clients maintain safe, appropriate and sustainable accommodation by providing support to achieve identified goals and address issues that are impacting negatively on a tenancy. Case Managers work within an outreach-based support model of service delivery and provide a case management approach that includes assessment, case planning, case co-ordination and liaison.

At Launch Housing, we believe that leadership is not defined by position or title – but by the mindset you bring and the actions you take. We also believe that leadership is learnable – that there is a body of knowledge, skills and dispositions associated with leadership that can be learned.

The Launch Housing Leadership Framework outlines the key expectations and behaviours required for effective leadership at every level. This role is aligned to the Leading Self proficiency level within the framework, reflecting the responsibility to demonstrate professionalism, personal accountability, self-awareness, and continuous development.

This is a permanent part-time (30.4 hours per week) role based in Collingwood.

What you'll be doing

• Effective delivery of outcome focussed client services.
• Providing case management and support to private rental tenants and residents who are vulnerable to housing breakdown, including new tenants or those at risk of homelessness.
• Engaging with clients to determine eligibility for the organisation's services and/or referring clients to other more relevant services if required
• Providing specialist tenancy support and advocacy to sustain tenancies, in relation to; VCAT hearings, rent arrears, hoarding, antisocial behaviour and other relevant tenancy matters.
• Developing time sensitive case plans in conjunction with clients with multiple and complex needs, and implementing strategies that enable clients to achieve their goals by building on their strengths and focusing on solutions.
• Initiating and maintaining contact with vulnerable clients using flexible engagement strategies to achieve case plan goals.
• Advocating on behalf of clients with other agencies to ensure access and delivery of services.

What we're looking for (key selection criteria)

• Demonstrated experience in client facing human services, social work or other relevant discipline, with a preference for an understanding of housing and homelessness policy, context and systems highly desirable.
• Tertiary qualifications in Social Work, Psychology or a related discipline highly desirable.
• Working knowledge of the Residential Tenancies Act, VCAT, Homelessness Service System and Launch Housing policies and procedures highly desirable.
• Understanding of trauma-informed practice and both the individual and structural causes which lead to addiction and dependence.
• High degree of initiative and analytical skills, including well-developed organisational and time-management skills.
• Demonstrated capability in verbal and written communication.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated capacity to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Demonstrated capacity to complete tasks and effective time management.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other organisations to achieve client outcomes.
• Valid Victorian Driver’s Licence (Mandatory).
• Demonstrated commitment to the values of Launch Housing and our mission to end homelessness .

If you have any questions about this role, please contact Joanna West on [email protected] 

How to Apply

To apply for this opportunity, please click on "Apply Now" button. Please submit a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria and your CV.

Launch Housing offers a wide range of career opportunities and employs a diverse range of talent. We strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons to apply! We acknowledge, respect and celebrate Aboriginal cultures, languages, connections to Country and heritage, customs and practices. We're committed to support Aboriginal peoples to obtain genuine and fulfilling career with us!

Launch Housing is a dog-friendly organisation, which allows dog owners to bring them in some of our sites, please contact the relevant Hiring Manager if you have any questions or concerns prior to your interview.

If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know at [email protected] using the subject line: Case Manager - Private Rental Assistance Program enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Launch Housing is committed to being a child safe organisation and has zero tolerance to child abuse. Our hiring process involves rigorous screening of applicants. All of our people including students, contractors and volunteers must hold a valid Working with Children Check and satisfactory criminal history record check.

Launch Housing is an Equal Opportunity employer and supports accessible working arrangements for all. This includes people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse people, young people, older people, women, and people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex or queer. We acknowledge Lived Experience as a unique expertise and encourage people with a Lived Experience of Homelessness to apply. All applicants must have the right to work in Australia.

Launch Housing is working to become more trauma informed and as a leading employer in the homelessness sector, it is important to let you know that you will hear stories of distress, hardship, trauma, or violence when working with us. We encourage you to reflect on how this may impact you when considering applying for the role.

A position description is attached.