Pride in Place provides comprehensive, safe and inclusive recovery pathways for LGBTQIA+ people who are experiencing homelessness.

• DURATION: 1EFT until June 30th 2024.
• First Nations People and people from Culturally Diverse Communities, LGBTIQ+ people and people with disability are encouraged to apply.
• Applicants who have a lived experience of homelessness are encouraged to apply.
• Drummond Street Services is committed to prioritising child safety and adhere to the Reportable Conduct Scheme for organisations.

 About the role

Drummond Street Services (ds) delivers responsive, intentional and evidence-based prevention, early intervention and treatment programs, within a public health framework for a range of communities, including a range of programs for LGBTIQA+ individuals, families and communities. We strive to build and enhance the innate resilience of children, young people, adults, their families and communities and to increase protective factors.

Pride in Place provides comprehensive, safe and inclusive recovery pathways for LGBTQIA+ people who are experiencing homelessness. Pride in Place identifies and intervenes early to direct LGBTQIA+ people who are at risk of homelessness towards a pathway and place of safety. Pride in Place consortium partners include Drummond Street Services Queerspace, VincentCare Victoria, Uniting, and Family Access Network (FAN). This is a pilot project, funded until June 2024 and services LGBTQIA+ people in the Hume Moreland, Inner Western Metro, Outer Eastern Metro and Central Highlands Regions. 

Drummond Street Services (incorporating queerspace and the Centre for Family Research and Evaluation (CFRE) will deliver capacity building activities, led by the LGBTIQA+ Homelessness and Housing Principal Practitioner to support the implementation and continuous improvement of Pride in Place.

The Principal Practitioner will be supported by our Evidence Based Management Framework, in which data collection tools will be shared and implemented to ensure the best possible evidence is collated and used to inform practice model development and refinement throughout the life of the program. Evidence from multiple data sources will inform program development and delivery, strategic planning, business processes and advocacy efforts and include:

• Program delivery.
• Practitioner expertise.
• Client experiences and outcomes.
• Best practice innovation literature.

The model takes into consideration the context within which our services take place, acknowledging the impact of broader local and global determinants of health and wellbeing. Further capacity building will be achieved through training and structured reflective practice, led by the Principal Practitioner, that will form part of the action research loops that further develop the program.

The Principal Practitioner will also supervise the Service Navigator and two Peer Navigators, employed by Drummond Street Services.

A highly competitive salary package plus salary sacrifice opportunities will see you well remunerated.

Your responsibilities

• Contribute to Pride in Place Planning to assist in achieving individual, team and program outcomes, targets and KPIs as per contractual agreements with funders and those determined by Drummond Street.
• Supervise the Pride In Place Service and Peer Navigators.
• Lead and provide the Pride In Place team with specialist training, based on collaborative design between partner organisations.
• Informed by the latest research, co-produce training with people with a lived experience and extensive practice experience in LGBTIQ+ service provision and deliver training/sector capacity building activities to the consortia and broader sector.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of housing providers aligned with the LGBTQIA+ community as well as other housing providers.  
• Provide secondary consultation to Pride in Place staff across the consortia and other services in the areas of housing information and referral as well specifically within the LGBTQIA+ portfolio.
• Work from a person centred, strengths-based approach that enshrines and respects diversity, equality, choice and client participation.  
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with clients to support and maintain change through a case management process.  
• Regularly liaise with clients to obtain feedback. 

 About you 

• Highly skilled and experienced senior practitioner in queer sensitive and affirmative practice.
• High level skills in leadership, capacity building and training.
• Sound knowledge of public health approaches to LGBTIQ+ people with disabilities, mental health and well-being and the social determinants of health.
• A values-based and client focused approach to service delivery informed by a demonstrated commitment to social justice issues. 

 Selection Criteria

All of the following must be addressed in your application to be considered.

• Tertiary qualification in Social Work or equivalent.
• Full Victorian Driver’s Licence.
• Demonstrated experience supervising and developing multidisciplinary staff.
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in working with and supporting LGBTQIA+ people who are experiencing homelessness and presenting with multiple needs, including alcohol and other drugs, mental and/or physical illness, psychosocial, behavioural issues. 
• Demonstrated understanding of the needs, issues and sensitivities of people from diverse backgrounds including Aboriginal, LGBTIQ and culturally and linguistically diverse people and communities.
• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering training to community members, partners, staff and the broader sector.
• Demonstrated capacity to work collaboratively with others to identify and address service and client needs.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively build, engage and maintain professional working relationships with people experiencing homelessness from the LGBTQIA+ community. 
• The successful candidate will be a member of the LGBTIQA+ community.

Application process

• All applicants must include a resume and with a cover letter addressing all the key selection criteria for the position.  

Please contact Jemma Mead on 03 9663 6733 or [email protected] using the subject line: LGBTIQA+ Homelessness and Housing Principal Practitioner enquiry via EthicalJobs to discuss your application.

A position description is attached.