• Organisation: The Haven - Nepean Women’s Shelter
• Location: Penrith
• Reporting to: Executive Officer Client Services
• Work type: Permanent Part-Time – 12 month contract Pilot Program.
• Hours: 15 hours per week across 2-3 days.
• Award classification: Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (SCHADS) Social and Community Services Employee Level 3 (depending on experience) plus superannuation.

Who we are

Women’s Community Shelters is a network of nine shelters for homeless women accompanied by children across NSW. We are recruiting for Case Workers to work in our shelter in the Penrith LGA. The Haven - Nepean Women’s Shelter is a crisis accommodation service for up to 17 women with or without dependent children, who are experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence or family violence.

The shelter is staffed 7 days a week (reporting to the EO Client Services during office hours)

Women’s Community Shelters are dedicated to supporting and empowering women to take control and move on with their lives. Our clients are supported with client- centred and trauma-informed case management and are supported to secure more permanent housing options and pursue other support goals.

About this role

The Haven is delivering a 12 month pilot program “Haven Horizon’s” developed to address the lack of access to affordable mainstream and specialist services for trauma recovery experienced by children aged 0-13. The program will include speech pathology, occupational therapy and other specialist children’s therapies. This program is aimed at reducing the impact of developmental delays, and improving self-confidence and confidence engaging with peers and lead to a reduction of incidences of homelessness and intergenerational trauma.

The Program Support Worker will coordinate the program term and therapists, integrate therapeutic learnings with the parents in the residential setting at Shelter or Residences and integrate therapeutic learnings through school/childcare liaison and school learning support plans.

Essential Skills

• Program Coordinator, Teachers Aid, Teaching or Early Childhood Education field with a least 2 years’ experience in a related role.
• Demonstrated understanding of client-centred and trauma-informed practice.
• A demonstrated understanding of the varying needs of children who come from diverse backgrounds and present with multiple and complex needs.
• Experience coordinating programs and supporting transfer of learning between an educative and care setting.
• Strong administrative skills, including excellent written and oral skills and confidence with the MS Office applications.
• High-level organisational skills, the ability to set priorities and ensure adherence to service standards in a fast paced and changing environment.
• Ability to think innovatively and creatively to develop tailored client solutions.
• Ability to work autonomously and as a part of a multidisciplinary team.

Essential Requirements

• Current first aid certificate or capacity to acquire one before commencement.
• Current NSW driver’s License.
• The right to live and work in Australia with Ability to provide proof of Eligibility to Work in Australia
• National Police Check
• Working With Children Check
• COVID-19 Vaccination

Desired Skills

• Experience in Not For Profit sector.
• Understanding of current issues in women’s homelessness, including current practices of responses to domestic and family violence and homelessness.

What’s on Offer

• Purpose with a mission to help shape and lead a positive impact contributing to homeless women and children.
• A flexible workplace.
• Salary Sacrifice Fringe Benefit available
• Feminist organisation embedded in strong foundational practice frameworks.
• Supportive learning culture with career development and training opportunities.
• An inclusive organisation, member of ACON’s Welcome Here Project
• Disability inclusion, in part through our Disability Inclusion Action Plan
• Access to free counselling through our Employee Assistance Program.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] using the subject line: Haven Horizon's Program Support Worker enquiry via EthicalJobs if you require a copy of the position description.