Volunteer - Lead Tenant

About the program:

The Lead Tenant program is a supported accommodation program that is part of the Community Integration Accommodation and Options (CIAO) team at Melbourne City Mission (MCM).

The aim of the program is to provide young people, aged 16-18 years old and unable to live with family or friends, the opportunity to develop essential independent living skills in a safe, stable and supported environment.

Benefits of being a live-in lead tenant volunteer:

• To be a positive role model to young people living with you in an MCM house
• A chance to gain practical experiences in the youth community service sector that may contribute towards future job applications and relevant education study units
• Ongoing supervision and professional development training
• Every young person referred to the lead tenant program has designated case workers who provide support with accommodation, advocacy, education and training
• Lead Tenants are not required to pay rent or utilities
• Lead Tenants are encouraged to be studying or working and to have a social life outside of the house.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• To reside in a household with young people who may present with challenging behaviours and complex issues.
• To assist in developing interpersonal skills, healthier relationships and lifestyle choices through positive reinforcement of acceptable and pro-social behaviours.
• To model proper management of daily routines and commitments including the sharing of household tasks to develop their skill sets and sense of responsibility in household maintenance.
• To be a responsible and supportive adult rather than an authority or parental figure.
• To liaise regularly with the CIAO staff on issues affecting the residents or household, including reporting maintenance issues to the Senior Worker.
• To contact the On-Call worker in the case of emergency after regular business hours.
• To act in the best interests of the young people.
• The Lead Tenant position is not a paid position. The opportunity to contribute to a young person’s life and financial incentive scan make the role of Lead Tenant appealing and rewarding. It is important that prospective Lead Tenants be motivated by the desire to work with young people rather than, primarily, by access to subsidised housing.

Selection Criteria:

• A basic understanding of adolescent safety, stages of development, and patterns of behaviour.
• The ability to build a strong rapport with the young people and engage with them consistently utilizing strength-based approaches.
• Respect and maintain the confidentiality and privacy of the young people and other Lead Tenants.
• Communicate effectively with allocated Case Workers, Senior Worker, Team Leader, and young people in a timely and appropriate manner.
• We recruit lead tenant volunteers from all walks of life ranging from working professionals to tertiary students with the requirement that they are eager to make a difference in young people’s lives.
• Highly desirable: Driver’s license and First Aid certification
• Highly desirable: Knowledge and experience working with people with family violence, trauma histories, mental health symptoms, disabilities, and other complexities.

How to apply

Applications should include a current resume and cover letter outlining your motivation to apply for this position. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ identifying people, and people with lived experienced encouraged to apply.

For more details or if you have any issues with the application, please email: recruitment@mcm.org.au

All Lead Tenant volunteers must have a current Working with Children Check, National Police Check, and International Police Check (if required) prior to the undertaking of the role.