Project Officer – Lived Experience

Join us in working together to end homelessness in Victoria

This is an exciting new fixed term role at CHP which is designed to strengthen engagement with stakeholders, and to identify opportunities to increase the organisation’s influence and impact. Applicants with lived experience will be looked on favourably.

Reporting to the Manager, Lived Experience, the Project Officer – Lived Experience at Council to Homeless Persons (CHP), you will be instrumental in advancing the voice and agency of those with lived experience of homelessness.

This role is centered on challenging the myths and stigma surrounding homelessness, promoting self-determination, and advocating for systemic change. You will support the Manager in service design, policy development, and advocacy to ensure that lived experience perspectives shape the delivery of services and inform decision-making at all levels.

This a full-time, maximum-term role until 30 June 2025, with potential for extension or ongoing employment beyond this date.

$97,000 per annum + salary packaging.

Organisational context

Vision

An end to homelessness in Victoria.

Purpose

To work with, for, and alongside the specialist homelessness sector to co-create, support, and deliver on the solutions to end homelessness in Victoria.

We believe…

• homelessness should be rare, brief, and non-recurring.
• self-determination is the pathway to ending Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander homelessness.
• ending homelessness is possible.
• homelessness is the outcome of structural inequity and inequality.
• in diversity, equity, and inclusion for every Victorian
• a collective voice for the sector will build more power and have more influence than any single voice alone.
• people with living and lived experience are crucial experts in ending homelessness.
• an equipped and resourced specialist homelessness sector can help us end homelessness.

Key responsibilities

The key responsibilities of the position include:

• Elevate Lived Experience Voices: Empower individuals with lived experience to share their stories, influence change, and build their agency in advocacy efforts.

• Service Design and Innovation: Provide advice around the design and co-design of services that are responsive to the needs of people experiencing homelessness, incorporating lived experience insights to improve service delivery and outcomes.

• Policy Development: Collaborate with consumers and the homelessness sector to develop innovative, evidence-based policy solutions aimed at ending homelessness.

• Advocacy Strategy: Work closely with the policy and advocacy team to develop and implement advocacy strategies that promote the adoption of policy solutions across government and other key decision-making bodies.
• Embedding Lived Experience Workforce: Drive initiatives to embed the lived experience workforce into Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS), ensuring that lived experience perspectives are integrated into service delivery and organisational culture.

• Research: Conduct research into effective policy solutions and service delivery models, particularly for women and children experiencing family violence, and share findings with the specialist homelessness sector.

• Sector Collaboration: Work closely with member organisations and consumers of homelessness programs to develop policy positions, build coalitions of support, and drive change.
• Profile Building: Enhance the profile of lived and living expertise, raising awareness of their role and impact within government and at key discussion forums.

Selection criteria

Qualifications

• Tertiary or postgraduate qualification in Social Sciences, Social Research, Social Work, Youth Work, Community Development, or equivalent experience. 

• Satisfactory Police Check.
• Current Working with Children Check.

How to Apply

How To Apply

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