Interim Response & Referrals Officer

Haven; Home, Safe; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Haven Home Safe (HHS) seeks an Allocations & Interim Response Officer to support timely referral management and allocations across HHS programs in Victoria. The role involves interim client responses, referral processing, and collaboration with Case Managers to ensure smooth service delivery.

You will assist clients awaiting case management, maintain referral/waitlist information, and communicate clearly with referrers about process timelines and available interim support, while upholding

Qualifications

• Experience in homelessness or housing services is essential.
• Ability to communicate sensitively and trauma-informed with clients.
• Strong verbal and written communication and organisational skills.
• Ability to assess information, prioritise competing demands and maintain records.

Responsibilities

• Engage respectfully with clients, referrers, services providers and internal stakeholders.
• Receive, review and process referrals, and maintain accurate referral and allocation registers.
• Communicate with referrers and obtain information; maintain contact with clients awaiting case management.

Skills

Strong communication

Organisation & record-keeping

Assessment & prioritisation

Collaborative work & confidentiality

Homelessness housing awareness

Education

Relevant community services experience or qualification

Job description

Haven Home Safe (HHS) is a purpose-driven, for-purpose, community housing provider committed to ending housing insecurity and advancing housing justice across Victoria. We centre the voices and lived experience of the people we support, working alongside our clients to deliver services that are respectful, inclusive, and responsive.

We deliver homelessness intake and referral services, integrated housing and support services encompassing Social and Affordable housing, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), Transitional Housing Management (THM), and property services.

We have five (5) main office locations – Bendigo (registered Head Office), Preston, Epping, Mildura and Geelong.

Role Purpose

The Allocations & Interim Response Officer supports the timely and effective management of case management referrals and allocations across HHS programs.

The position provides an interim response to clients awaiting case management, maintains referral and waitlist information, supports assessment and prioritisation of referrals, and coordinates allocation to available Case Managers.

Interim response refers to short-term information, practical assistance, service navigation and referral support provided to clients awaiting case management, within established procedures.

This is a Part-time position at 0.2 FTE and 8 hours per week.

Primary Responsibilities

• Engage respectfully and professionally with a wide range of clients, refers, services providers and internal stakeholders.
• Receive, review and process referrals, in accordance with established program eligibility criteria, procedures and prioritisation processes, maintaining accurate referral and allocation registers.
• Communicate with referrers and obtain further information required to assess and process referrals.
• Maintain contact with clients awaiting case management in accordance with established service procedures and contact schedules, providing clear information about program processes, expected timeframes and available interim response support.

Key Selection Criteria

Alignment with HHS’s Vision, Values, and Impact principles.

• Understanding of contributors to homelessness and housing instability and the ability to communicate in a sensitive, culturally appropriate, and trauma informed way.
• Strong communication, organisation and record-keeping skills.
• Ability to assess information, prioritise competing demands
• Ability to work collaboratively and maintain confidentiality.
• Relevant community services experience or qualification.
• Experience working with people experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
• Understanding of complex client needs and community service pathways

Safety Screening Requirements

• Victorian Driver’s Licence.
• National Police Check.
• Working with Children Check.

Travel Requirements

• This position may require occasional travel.

This role involves direct client and community-based work, including outreach and lone working in unfamiliar environments. Employees may support individuals experiencing trauma, mental health issues, family violence, or significant psychosocial stressors, and may be exposed to emotionally challenging situations and, on occasion, distressed, agitated, aggressive, or violent behaviours. The role requires emotional resilience, sound judgement, and the consistent application of trauma informed and self-care practices. The organisation actively manages psychosocial and safety risks through risk assessment and planning, supervision, workload monitoring, safety protocols, check in procedures, training, managerial support, and access to employee wellbeing supports.

31st October 2026and are received via: Seek.

If you have any questions about the role, please reach out to People Experience Team via:**@hhs.org.au.

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