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Extend our asylum seeker homestay program to Melbourne's South-East

Refugees Welcome Australia
Logo for Refugees Welcome Australia

About Refugees Welcome Australia Founded in 2014 by a group of people in Berlin who wanted to do something practical to help refugees and asylum seekers. Now a global volunteer movement that is active in more than 14 countries across Europe, North America and Asia. A simple but powerful concept. People with a spare room, that they can offer rent-free for a few months, are matched with people who have sought asylum and need a few months to find their feet. Homestay hosts gain satisfaction from helping someone in a personal and practical way. Homestay guests gains access to local knowledge and some breathing space.

The movement comes to a city when someone local makes it happen. In Australia it started in Brisbane in 2016 and is now operational in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

In Melbourne...

  • Homestay placements are for 3 months, and
  • Guests must have lodged a protection claim, have work rights, be over 18 years old and be on their own (ie no families or couples).
  • At the end of the placement the guest moves out to private rental or another homestay if appropriate. The host can offer an additional 3 months if they like.

It’s now time to bring the homestay program to Melbourne’s South-East and I need someone with social work experience and good knowledge of the area to be that person. This role will suit someone who is on maternity leave/working part time/transitioning into retirement.

Responsibilities The South Eastern Region volunteer will:

  • Recruit, screen and induct homestay hosts (using RWA's processes)
  • Arrange and moderate the matching meeting between host and proposed homestay guest.
  • Conduct scheduled check-ins to identify any concerns or supports needed.
  • Work closely with the Victorian State Coordinator to ensure a consistency of approach and a quality program.

The volunteer shall NOT:

  • Provide casework advice to the homestay guest
  • Provide housing assistance to the homestay guest beyond their placement. RWA and the host are not responsible for finding long-term tenancy for the homestay guest at the conclusion of their placement. This responsibility is the homestay guests , in liaison with their caseworker.
  • Provide any material support to the guest.

Reporting The South Eastern Region volunteer reports to the Victorian State Coordinator, Trudy Hairs, who is a volunteer.

Commitment As this role is about relationship-building and rolling out a program, a minimum commitment of 10-12 months is required. The person will need to be able to work flexible hours because many hosts are only available after hours. The hours are very variable, some weeks you won't have anything to do, other weeks you may put in around 6hrs. When it gets busier you'll recruit another volunteer to share the load in your region, so that it always stays manageable.

Skills, Attributes and Compliance Requirements

  • Skills and experience in social work, casework or community development are required. As this role requires an assessment of the suitability of homestay offers and an ability to maintain firm boundaries, it is only suitable for those with community sector experience.
  • Knowledge of the South Eastern region.
  • Flexibility, particularly as home visits and neighbourhood network meetings often occur in evenings or on weekends.
  • A car, phone, computer and willingness to cover all expenses. This program has no budget.
  • The candidate who is offered the role will need to have a valid Working With Children Check (free as a volunteer) and add RWA to their card.

Application If you’re interested in this opportunity please send your CV and a short paragraph to Trudy Hairs at the email below.

For more information about Refugees Welcome Australia search for us on the internet or find us on Facebook.

If you have questions that were not answered above, give me a call on 0432 900 894.

You can not apply for this role as it is no longer available.