Address
Form of workSince 1964, Wayside Chapel (Wayside) in Kings Cross has been a source of unconditional love, care, and support for those in need. Operating under the Love Over Hate banner, our programs and services aim to provide essential health, welfare, social, and recreational support to the most marginalized members of our community. Every year, thousands of individuals seek assistance at our Kings Cross and Bondi centres to access these vital services. Our mission is to foster an inclusive community, eliminating the divide between 'us and them,' and offering a safe haven for people from all walks of life.
About this Position
The Community Services Worker, part of our dedicated frontline team, is the first point of contact for members of our community accessing Wayside services, with the primary duty of the role to maintain a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for our visitors. The Community Services Worker provides practical assistance alongside providing crisis support and responding to immediate needs such as as lack of housing, mental health crises and other health emergencies. Wayside is recognised for our model of service delivery and the Community Services Workers are responsible for providing direct care to support our diverse and vulnerable community, in line with the Wayside mission and values.
- Wayside operates 7 days per week, shifts are varied between 8:30am – 10pm.
- Evening programs and services, includes our Outreach service, providing outreach in and around Kings Cross and operate between 3pm – 9:30pm.
Key Responsibilities
- Greet visitors, build rapport, conduct basic assessment of needs and direct visitor flow through the service
- Assess visitors in line with Wayside criteria to ensure suitability to access services
- Provide visitors with information on Wayside services and other local services;
- Manage the provision of practical assistance including allocation of showers, toiletries, emergency clothes and emergency meals;
- Provide crisis support and respond to immediate visitor issues
- Develop and deliver various activities to assist with visitor engagement
- Participate in interagency meetings when required and ensure Wayside offers a consistent and professional presence. Explore opportunities to expand relationships and collaborative work with local service providers;
- Maintain a safe environment through monitoring visitor behaviour and managing incidents as they arise, including dealing with aggression, challenging behavioural issues, substance use, overdose, suicidal ideation, complex and co-occurring mental health presentations
- Record accurate and timely data and information and effectively use available systems; This includes internal systems to record program statistics, check-in, visitor flags, CIMS and other systems utilised in interagency meetings;
- Ensure a safe and inclusive space is maintained by responding to behaviours of concern through appropriate management and de-escalation strategies
About you
- TAFE level qualifications in Community Services Work, Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs or other relevant area, and/or extensive experience in the areas of addressing the needs of disadvantaged populations;
- Experience working with at-risk populations and understanding of related issues, both practical and systematic (including but not limited to Juvenile Justice, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, CALD, trauma, homelessness, mental health, alcohol and other drugs);
- Knowledge of and ability to operate with regard to trauma informed principles;
- Initiative, flexibility and the ability to work in a demanding environment;
- Ability to work as part of a team with a commitment to sharing knowledge and expertise and supporting Wayside culture;
- Understanding of community-based model of care and commitment to the mission, vision and values of Wayside.
What’s in it for you?
- Five week’s Annual Leave accrued on a pro-rata basis
- 3 additional days of Flex Leave
- 17.5% annual leave loading
- $15,900 of your annual salary tax free through generous NFP salary packaging
- Paid Cultural and Ceremonial Leave
- Comprehensive Employee Assistance Program access
- Access to external clinical supervision
To apply, please follow the link. Include your CV and a cover letter detailing your motivations and relevant experience. For more information, please reach out to Lyndon Yeung, Talent Coordinator ************@thewaysidechapel.com.
The successful applicant will require two COVID-19 vaccinations and a booster. An offer will be subject to a police clearance and Working with Children check clearance.
