Position Details

The Housing Older Women’s Support Services (HOWSS) is specialised Housing and Support Hub for Older Women funded by the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy (DCHDE). This Footprints Community service offers a Brisbane-based Hub, regional spokes, and a Queensland wide online navigation and support service that is inclusive of all older women experiencing housing distress or homelessness.

The Housing Older Women’s Support Service is responsible for ensuring older women who are at risk of homelessness are provided support to access appropriate and sustainable housing as well as community care and other support services, specifically targeted at avoiding homelessness or reducing the impact of homelessness.

Footprints Community, as part of its values, is committed to recognizing the voice of our clients through centered and inclusive practice. Footprints Community supports the choices of individuals and promotes access to resources individuals might need to live safely and securely in their community.

Responsiblities

Key Responsibilites

- Availability to offer voluntary support at least once per fortnight for at least sixty minutes duration.
- Be willing to meet with women at the Brisbane Hub based in West End with the potential to travel to the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast or Toowoomba as needed. This could include meeting women in our Brisbane based Hub in West End or in your local community.
- Work alongside the Community Engagement worker to co-facilitate community education sessions to women and services across the region.
- Provide 1 to 1 support to women through sharing your personal story of lived experience to inspire hope. Volunteers have full control over what parts of their story they share and how they share it.

- Work alongside the Lived Experience Worker as support for drop in mornings at the Brisbane Hub.
- Participating in and attending community events and expos to help raise awareness about HOWSS and the issue of homelessness for Older Women in the community.
- Assisting HOWSS staff in providing information to individuals and organizations about HOWSS services to encourage older women to seek help earlier.
- Assisting HOWSS staff to provide information and linkages to other human service support agencies.
- Assist with filling out forms and basic technical support to Older Women attending the hub or in community space in your local community as directed by HOWSS staff.
- Coordinate with intake workers to book appointment times as needed.
- Conduct themselves in a manner consistent with Footprints Vision, Mission and Values.
- Maintain confidentiality of information regarding Footprints as an organisation, clients, carers,



employees and other volunteers
- Seek guidance from employees if unclear about or unable to perform duties for any reason.
- Adhere to Footprints Community organisational policies and procedures, particularly the code of conduct which outlines what is expected of staff representing Footprints Community.

General

- Follow all organisational policies and procedures.
- Participate in monthly supervision sessions and ongoing learning and development opportunities.
- Promote and maintain a secure and health workplace, ensuring adherence to WHS policies and procedures.
- Work within the mission, vision, and values of Footprints.

Provision of training

Volunteers in this role will be provided with an induction to Footprints as well as training in peer education. At Footprints Community we want volunteers to feel supported. Training in peer education will assist volunteers on how they can use their personal stories to help others at risk of homelessness.

Terms of Volunteering

Footprints Community recognises the valuable contribution volunteers make to our organisation and that volunteers do so of their own free time and choice. Volunteers can end their volunteer commitments at any time, however, given the training provided for this role, it is hoped those selected are able to commit to volunteering for at least 12 months. Volunteers also need to be willing to attend two days of training.

Training will be provided in half-day sessions, about 3-4 hours in length. After this, volunteers will be asked to help as needed, with volunteers being able to decide whether they help or not. Peer Volunteers are also not expected to volunteer more than 2 hours of their time, over any given week once their training has finished.

Reimbursements

Volunteers may be eligible for reimbursement of pre-approved, out-of-pocket expenses incurred while engaging in volunteer service (e.g. postage, phone calls, stationery, reimbursement for costs incurred from travelling whilst undertaking volunteering activities).

Supervision and Accountability

Peer Volunteers will be supported in their role by all staff at HOWSS but will report directly to the Community Engagement Worker and Coordinator. Aside from training to support volunteers in this role, volunteers can talk to the Coordinator of Community Engagement Worker if they want more help,



need emotional support or if they have any concerns or questions.

Footprints Community also has systems in place for providing feedback and complaints. Should any volunteer wish to do so whilst volunteering at Footprints Community, these can be provided directly to the Coordinator or via the feedback form.

Footprints Community will also make sure that volunteers are aware of their rights and their responsibilities whilst volunteering. As part of this, we ask that volunteers read through and follow the guidelines of any relevant policies.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

- Volunteers for this role should now be in stable housing, however they have a lived experience of homelessness or housing stress.
- Volunteers for this role need to be willing to share parts of their personal stories in small groups or one on one. Support and training will be provided to help with this. Volunteers have full control in deciding what parts of their personal story they are comfortable to share.
- Peer Volunteers may also be asked to participate in local community events and help to raise awareness of HOWSS and the issue of homelessness in older women within their communities.
- As part of a team, volunteers need to be willing to collaborate with other volunteers and people with lived experience, staff at Footprints community and any other relevant parties in ways that align with the Footprints Mission, Vision and Values
- Volunteers for this role will ideally have the following personal attributes: a passion for using their experience to help others, integrity, compassion, effective listening skills, a non-judgemental attitude, a willingness to receive feedback, and respect for boundaries.
- Volunteers must be able to maintain the privacy of others at Footprints Community, by avoiding gossip or sharing personal information, especially information about other Peer Educators or potential / current / existing service users of HOWSS.
- National NDIS Workers Screening check or current Yellow Card.

Desirable

- Current First AId & CPR certificate

Footprints encourages applications from all people. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees no matter their sex, race, culture, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity. Demonstrating our commitment to reconciliation and building long-term employment opportunities for First Nations peoples, Footprints strongly encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants for this position.

Footprints Community acknowledges the traditional owners of the land and pays respect to Elders past and present and thank them for their wisdom and guidance.

📌 Peer Volunteer - Housing Older Womens Support Service (Bli Bli)
🏢 Footprints Community
📍 Bli Bli