Client Support Officer (Peer Support)

Thorne Harbour Health; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Above award rates

Salary packaging benefits up to $15,9k

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Thorne Harbour Health in Melbourne seeks a Client Support Officer (Peer Support) to deliver HIV peer support, coordinate volunteers and link clients to services. You will train volunteers and advocate for clients within a supportive, culturally sensitive framework.

The role involves liaising with HIV clinical teams and providing confidential, person-centered support across hospital and community settings.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in community development, social work, counselling or related discipline.
• Experience working with volunteers.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriate boundaries.
• Strong communication skills including active listening, conflict resolution and problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Assess clients referred for support and link them to services.
• Provide HIV peer support to clients.
• Advocate for clients in a culturally appropriate way.
• Supervise and support volunteers in line with Thorne Harbour policies.
• Maintain strong relationships with internal and external service providers.

Skills

Peer support

Volunteer coordination

Confidentiality

Active listening

Communication skills

Education

Tertiary qualification in community development, social work, counselling

Job description

• Community Support program | SCHADS Level 4 with above award rates

About the role

Our Community Support Program has supported people in Victoria most affected by HIV since 1984. Its staff and volunteers provide social support, transport to medical appointments, home care and peer support, working in partnership with the HIV nursing team at Bolton Clarke.

As Client Support Officer (Peer Support), you’ll be part of a small team delivering these services. You’ll provide peer support to people living with HIV, including at major hospitals and HIV clinics, coordinate volunteer support, and train HIV-positive volunteers to deliver peer support.

You will:

• Assess clients referred for support and link them to services
• Provide HIV peer support to clients
• Give advice and referral options to clients with needs outside the Support program
• Advocate for clients in a culturally appropriate way
• Supervise and support volunteers in line with Thorne Harbour policies and procedures
• Maintain strong working relationships with internal and external service providers, particularly the HIV clinical nurse consultants at Bolton Clarke

What’s on offer

In addition to a SCHADS/SACS Level 4 salary (pro-rata), Thorne Harbour Health pays above award rates. You will also be able to increase your take-home pay by accessing up to $15,900 in salary packaging benefits as well as accessing professional and career development.

About you

You will have a tertiary qualification in community development, social work, counselling or a related discipline. You will also bring:

• Demonstrated understanding and experience of the implications of living with HIV and the broad range of issues facing people living with HIV
• The ability to work sensitively with clients from a wide range of cultural backgrounds
• Experience working with volunteers
• The ability to keep the confidentiality of clients, volunteers and staff, and to maintain appropriate boundaries
• Highly developed communication skills, including active listening, conflict resolution, problem solving, support planning and accurate case notes
• The ability to take direction and feedback, work well in a team and contribute to planning and reviewing support services

About us

Thorne Harbour Health is an LGBTQI+ community-controlled health organisation, governed by our members and working for our sex, sexuality and gender diverse communities. For over 40 years - since our beginnings as the Victorian AIDS Action Committee in 1983 - we've led the community response to HIV and AIDS in Victoria, and since 2015 have extended that work into South Australia.

We're working toward a future where our communities are healthy and live safely, with dignity and wellbeing - free of HIV, stigma and discrimination.

Inclusion Matters

We strongly encourage applications from people who are:

• Part of the LGBTQI+ community
• Living with HIV
• From culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• People with disability

For further enquiries about the role, please contact Campbell Smith - Manager, Community Support on 03 9863 0*** or via email - **************@thorneharbour.org

Applications close on Thursday 12 November 2026

Important: it is essential that applicants specifically address the selection criteria. Where selection criteria have not been addressed, applications will not be considered.

Thorne Harbour Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to child safety. We have zero tolerance of child abuse. Our robust human resources, recruitment and vetting practices are strictly adhered to during the application and interviewing process. Applicants should be aware that we carry out working with children, police records and reference checks for all roles.