Settlement Program Coordinator

The settlement program does not begin until somebody takes this on. It is the role the whole thing rests on, and it is mostly phone calls.

What’s involved

• Speaking to each new arrival and each prospective host, and writing down what they need
• Making the match — by suburb first, then background and family situation
• Introducing the pair in person, once, so the first meeting is not two strangers texting
• Checking in with both sides at one month and three months
• Rematching quietly when a pairing is not working, which will happen and is not a failure
• Referring anything that needs a professional into the help directory rather than leaving a host to handle it

Who this suits

Somebody who knows the community and the suburbs people are actually settling in, and who is comfortable ringing people they have not met. Being able to speak Tigrinya or Arabic helps a great deal here — much of this happens on the phone with people whose English is new.

You do not need a background in settlement or social work, and you do not need to have run a program before. You do need to be organised enough to keep track of a few dozen households without letting anyone fall off the list.

What we provide

• A committee member working alongside you, especially through the first round of matching
• Reimbursement for travel and phone costs
• A reference, and an introduction to the settlement services we work with

Worth being straight about

The program is still an idea. Taking this on means shaping it, not inheriting it — you would be deciding how the matching actually works in practice, not following somebody else’s manual. For the right person that is the appeal. If you would rather join something already running, say so and we will point you at something else.