• 1 Full Time Fixed term until June 2021
• 1 Full Time Fixed term until September 2021

Enjoy the benefits of working with a growing organisation offering career development, flexibility and an attractive annual salary package (including leave loading and superannuation).

The Role:

VincentCare Victoria is seeking an appropriately-qualified person to take on the position of Private Rental Access Support Worker.

The Private Rental Assistance Program (PRAP) Worker provides opportunities for the community to access and maintain private rental market in the Hume and Moreland area of Melbourne.

PRAP is intended to prevent or end homelessness and housing crisis by:

• Rapidly rehousing people capable of sustaining private rental after initial support.
• Supporting at risk households to sustain affordable and appropriate housing in the private rental market.
• Assisting people who currently live in crisis, transitional or social housing to become independent in the private rental market.

The PRAP initiative will:

• Build links with other legal, health, education and community services to support clients
• Build strong relationships with the real estate industry and landlords to leverage opportunities
• Understand local private rental housing market dynamics and identify access opportunities for at risk households
• Facilitate and improve people’s capacity to access and sustain private rental tenancies.
• Provide time-limited outreach intervention to support tenancies.
• Address issues which are contributing to the risk of tenancy breakdown.
• Achieve outcomes that lead to successful, sustainable private rental tenancies.
• Reduce preventable exits from private rental.
• Prevent homelessness, or intervene early to resolve homelessness.

VincentCare Victoria:

VincentCare Victoria is an award winning organisation established to provide a range of accommodation and support services to people that are facing disadvantage throughout metropolitan and regional Victoria. 

Our aspiration is to be the leader in providing care, hope and advocacy for those facing disadvantage. Our purpose is to create opportunities and lasting change for the most marginalised. VincentCare is well equipped to provide a continuum of services that effectively meet the needs of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Northern Community Hub provides integrated services in the community housing sector, along with family violence services, case management services and youth outreach services.

Working with VincentCare:

A key strategic priority is attracting and retaining skilled and committed employees aligned to our values. VincentCare has over three hundred dedicated, talented and enthusiastic staff working across a range of programs and services and offers a number of benefits including:

• Career Development opportunities
• Employee Assistance Program
• Salary Packaging
• Choice of Superannuation fund
• Family friendly and flexibility
• Study leave
• The Ozanam Scholar Bursary

Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to the principles of social justice and aim to ensure every individual is treated with dignity and respect regardless of their cultural background, ability, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or religion.

Selection Criteria:

Qualifications

• Appropriate tertiary qualification and experience in social work, community services, social housing and/or private rental brokerage programs

Experience - Essential

• Experience in working with people experiencing disadvantage;
• Knowledge of the private rental sector
• Demonstrated commitment to Social Justice, Community Development principles and practice;
• Ability to engage clients and develop a Case Plan.

Skills and Personal Attributes          

Knowledge of housing and homelessness   

• An understanding of the issues facing families and individuals experiencing homelessness and its impacts;
• Knowledge of housing systems, rental legislation and rental agreements;
• Knowledge of the homelessness service system and private rental brokerage programs. 

Direct service delivery          

• Demonstrated ability to liaise with a range of housing providers including real estate agents, community housing providers, community housing associations and residential aged care providers to develop housing pathways for clients;
• Work collaboratively with clients to access and maintain accommodation options;
• Demonstrated ability to relate effectively and sensitively to people who are at risk of homelessness, residing in low cost accommodation or homeless;
• Experience and desire to work collaboratively and in partnership with a range of diverse stakeholders including partner organisations and accommodation providers;
• Monitor and coordinate client assistance as required;
• Budget and Case Planning

Teamwork      

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with team members to support clients to achieve identified goals;
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to a positive team culture and that promotes social justice and a human rights based approach;

Communication skills

• Highly developed written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills;

Time management and administration          

• Strong administrative and computer skills;
• Advanced time management and organisational skills
• Experience in working with client brokerage 

Applicants must submit their CV together with a detailed and seperate response to each of the key selection criteria in the position description which is available below.

Phone enquiries may be made to Grace Hyde-Manager Engagement and Coordination; 0409 548 498 / Simon Vella- Senior Worker IAP & Launch Sites; 0400 934 356.

VincentCare welcomes applications from people from diverse cultural & linguistic backgrounds including people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex, Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander.

All appointments within VincentCare Victoria are subject to satisfactory completion of a police check and character/performance reference checks.  Police checks will be undertaken for the selected candidate prior to any job offer being confirmed. Police checks are also undertaken on a periodic basis during the period of employment.

All appointments are subject to disclosure of any relevant employment history of formal disciplinary action for improper or unprofessional conduct taken by current or previous employers or any other integrity body within or outside Australia.

The incumbent for this position must have and maintain a current Victorian Working with Children Check or equivalent.