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 Senior Children’s Worker is a part of Launch Housing’s Children’s Team and is responsible for the provision of trauma-informed, culturally safe, and child-centred support responses for children and families experiencing homelessness and/or family violence.

The Children’s Team is part of Launch Housing’s Specialist Child & Family Services area within the broader Families & New Beginnings function, based at the Launch Housing South Melbourne Families Crisis Accommodation site. The Children’s Team supports children, young people, and their families who are accessing the homelessness service system. The Children’s Team provides a range of services for children affected by homelessness including individual and group-based child and family focused support where the child or young person is the primary client.

The Senior Children’s Worker is responsible for operationalising the Children’s Team program, which consists of Stream 1 (a supported assessment and case planning response), Stream 2 (an enhanced case management support response), and Stream 3 (a group work program). Within the Stream 1 program, Senior Children’s Workers undertake assessment of a child and family’s needs to inform case management and referral goals, provide flexible, outreach-based support to children and families in crisis and assist families to navigate and be connected within the Specialist Homelessness Sector.

Within the Stream 2 program, Senior Children’s Workers work directly with child and their family using a variety of approaches including therapeutic direct work, child-focused systems work, enhanced case management, and the provision of parenting support to address the complex needs of children and families with a lived experience of homelessness, family violence and/or trauma, thereby decreasing the impact of trauma on both their immediate and long term emotional and physical wellbeing.

Within the Stream 3 program, Senior Children’s Workers lead and co-facilitate groupwork programs for children and families experiencing homelessness and/or family violence, including children’s groups, parenting programs, and school holiday activities. Additionally, together with the Coordinator – Child Wellbeing & Practice, Senior Children’s Workers advocate for a child-centred and child-focused response by providing secondary consultation, guidance and education to staff members & volunteers within Launch Housing and more broadly within the Specialist Homelessness and Child and Family Services sector to amplify the needs and voices of children experiencing homelessness and/or family violence.

This is a great opportunity for someone who has experience working with children, a sound understanding and commitment to Child Centred and Trauma Informed practice to further develop specialised practice skills and knowledge across the three programs delivered by the Children’s Team.

This is an exciting role that provides plenty of variety through delivering direct work to children and families residing predominantly in emergency accommodation and transitional housing, as well as co-facilitating children’s activities and parenting programs. The Children’s Team comprises of 3 x Senior Children’s Workers and has a strong focus on collaboration and continuous learning and development, in a supportive team environment.

This is a permanent, part-time role based in South Melbourne.

53.2 hours per fortnight.

What you'll be doing:

• Engaging with children and their families to determine eligibility for relevant Children’s Team programs, and/or facilitating referrals to other internal and external services or programs as required.
• Providing a high-level, child-centred assessment and complex case management response to children, young people, and their families who are experiencing homelessness and/or family violence, in line with the Launch Housing Practice Framework.
• Provision of a range of trauma-informed and culturally safe child-focused responses, including (but not limited to) engaging children in art/craft/play based activities, provision of parenting support, case management and coordination tasks, and advocacy with a focus on enhancing safety, stability, and supporting children’s developmental and wellbeing needs.
• Providing outreach support to children and families with complex needs who are accessing the homelessness support system in crisis, transitional or emergency accommodation.
• Assessing and collaboratively planning around risk pertaining to family violence, drug and/or alcohol misuse, neglect, and abuse.
• Facilitating and/or participating in case conferences as required and working proactively with children, their families, and other supports to achieve case plan goals.
• Developing and lead or co-facilitating specialist Group Work programs for children who have experienced homelessness, including children’s activities, school holiday activities, and parenting programs – some of this work may occur after-hours by prior agreement.
• Working within a collaborative, strengths-based model with a strong child-focused, family systems perspective in the development of case plans and flexible service response delivery.

What we're looking for (key selection criteria):

• A relevant tertiary qualification – social work or related discipline (desirable).
• Experience working effectively with children, young people, and/or families within the homelessness and/or family violence service systems.
• Experience engaging children and families through therapeutic play based, group work, and/or family systems and evidence-based trauma approaches.
• Demonstrated understanding of the impact of homelessness on children and families, child development, attachment theory, and child safe practices.
• High level of experience in undertaking risk assessments and safety planning.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and previous experience mentoring and/or coaching staff (desired).
• Demonstrated ability to build positive relationships and communicate with people of diverse backgrounds and abilities
• A valid Victorian Driver’s Licence (mandatory).
• Demonstrated commitment to the values of Launch Housing and our mission to end homelessness.

For more information, please contact Rani Higgins on [email protected], using the subject line: Senior Children's Worker enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.

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.

For a copy of the position description please contact us at [email protected], using the subject line: Senior Children's Worker enquiry via EthicalJobs. 

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].

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 below.