About the role The ASRC is seeking volunteers to work at our Food & Aid Desk within our Response and Support Team. The Food & Aid Desk supports clients to access material aid through direct provision or external referral. The main function of the role is to assess client eligibility to our ASRC Foodbank. Volunteers will also complete psychosocial assessments or welfare reviews for clients to confirm their current Food and Aid needs. Engagements with clients will include expectation management, goal setting, risk assessment and helping clients achieve independence from our service.

This role would suit students or individuals who want to enhance their skills in assessment and short intervention client work.

About the Program The Response and Support Team (RST) is a rapid service delivery team, providing direct and immediate service delivery, assistance, support, assessment (where identified as a priority client) and, where needed, referrals for service users to other support service areas internally and externally. The RST will deliver consistently excellent, timely, seamless and integrated service delivery to the people we serve.

The approach will see all of the ASRC’s core, client-facing services at our Footscray location having a presence together, at the same time, within an integrated services hub that will be open for drop-in and phone inquiries, as well as service delivery by appointment, in a welcoming physical space. This response will be grounded in a Human Rights Based Approach, which is currently being operationalised at the ASRC.

The physical layout of the Response and Support Team environment will feature a number of Response and Support Help Desks that directly reflect the key service priorities of people seeking asylum;

• Housing
• Food, Aid & Empowerment
• Legal
• Health
• Vocational (including Education and employment)
• General Access and Support

Success on the ground will mean that people seeking asylum (both new and existing clients) can present to the ASRC and be empowered to curate their own individualised service journey in keeping with the ASRC’s rights-based approach.

Key Responsibilities

• Delivering services from a trauma informed, human rights based and strength driven approach
• Ensuring accurate and timely case notes are recorded
• Assisting with the distribution of material aid to people seeking asylum
• Assessing eligibility and need for material aid items
• Referrals and information provision for external food and material aid services
• Public Transport Victoria (PTV) MYKI and concession card support
• Working with some clients utilising an interpreting service
• Some lifting and sorting of goods
• Other duties as requested

What we’re looking for

• Excellent customer service skills and practical problem-solving skills
• Passionate about working with people seeking asylum
• Ability to work effectively with people from culturally diverse backgrounds
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, assertively and with initiative
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong administrative and organisational skills, including familiarity with Google Workplace and Microsoft office Suite

Desirable

• Undertaking/qualified in Social Work, Welfare Work, Youth Work, Community Development or related fields
• An understanding of the needs and political context of people seeking asylum and the challenges and barriers they may face