A Bridge to Work
Sharpening our capacity to work with the most highly disadvantaged and deliver
tailored one-on-one support to help social housing tenants find the right job sooner.
This program supports the successful transition to employment for tenants in social housing who are struggling to sustain their tenancies and elevating themselves from their current circumstances to achieve greater independence and social inclusion.
A partnership solution
CoAct in partnership with Bridge Housing – an award-winning Community Housing Provider housing 3,135 residents in 1,873 households across metropolitan Sydney, is providing greater opportunity to tenants who currently live in social housing on very low incomes.
Residents come from very diverse backgrounds with large representations of CALD, refugees and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with over half not currently in work.
- Age group: 17 to 60
- Social housing residents in age group: 1,659
- Number not in work: 59%
Helping vulnerable and disadvantaged communities
In 2017, the Department of Social Services as part of Strong and Resilient Communities Activities released Inclusive Communities Grants to improve the social and economic participation of vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and families within their communities.
CoAct and Bridge Housing were successful with their proposal to integrate Intensive Case Management (ICM) services over a three-year period into the Bridge Housing Specialist Support Services team to assist resident’s engagement with employment.
The funding supports the employment of a dedicated case manager employed by CoAct, working within Bridge Housing premises.
High impact solutions
In July 2018 an initial 15-month pilot was rolled-out, which will be followed by an independent evaluation to inform relevant enhancements for the remaining 21 months of service delivery.
- Bridge to Work Phase 1: Program will support residents in inner-Sydney
- Bridge to Work Phase 2: Expanded into social housing communities in Western Sydney
Support to find the right job sooner
Bridge to Work is available to social housing tenants who want to find a job or improve their work situation. CoAct Case Manager, Samira Belhajji, works within Bridge’s specialist support team to provide a convenient way for residents to access a range of employment services.
Tailored one-on-one support is available to help residents reach their employment goals including:
- Help looking for suitable jobs
- Access to job search tools and training
- Support with any personal or health issues that impact a person’s ability to find work
- Work-ready skills and training
Over the next year, we aim to connect with over 100 residents and secure employment for at least 40 residents by July 2019.
Social inclusion and community activation
Bridge to Work brings together the resources and strengths of two organisations committed to implementing a successful program that:
- Helps tenants successfully transition to employment
- Supports people struggling to sustain tenancies
- Elevates individuals to a position of greater independence and social inclusion
What success means
Over the three years that this program runs, CoAct will develop further expertise in providing high impact solutions for the social housing sector. By developing a successful, prescriptive and replicable model of service delivery, CoAct Service Partners will be able to roll-out similar programs for disadvantage communities across Australia.