By Tayla – Recruitment Consultant, Housing & Homelessness | Be Recruitment Group
In my work recruiting across homelessness and housing services, one thing is clear: trauma-informed practice isn’t optional—it’s essential.
Every day, I speak with incredible workers supporting clients who have faced long-term homelessness, domestic and family violence, childhood trauma, and systemic disadvantage. These experiences don’t just shape a person’s journey into homelessness—they affect how they engage with services, what they need to feel safe, and what kind of support is most effective in helping them maintain stable housing.
Understanding Trauma-Informed Practice
Trauma-informed practice means recognising the impact of trauma on a person’s life and responding in ways that foster safety, choice, and empowerment. It’s about creating environments where people feel respected and understood, and where services are built around client needs—not just policies.
In housing and homelessness roles, trauma-informed care shows up in:
Consistent, compassionate communication
Flexibility when someone disengages or struggles to meet tenancy obligations
Collaborative approaches that give clients agency in their own support plans
Being culturally responsive, particularly when working with First Nations communities
It also means looking after our staff through reflective supervision, manageable caseloads, and creating workplaces where vicarious trauma is recognised and supported.
Recruiting with a Trauma-Informed Lens
When I’m recruiting roles like Tenancy Workers, Outreach Case Managers/CRSWs, Intake, Pathways, or Housing Coordinators, I look beyond the resume. I want to know:
How does this person respond to someone in distress?
Can they maintain boundaries while still showing empathy?
Do they understand the structural barriers clients face, not just the behaviours they see?
We also partner closely with organisations to ensure they’re offering trauma-informed workplaces—not just expecting trauma-informed workers. That includes training, debriefing processes, clear escalation pathways, safety planning and inclusive leadership.
What Workers Want
The workers I speak to aren’t just looking for a job—they’re looking for purpose. But they also want support, recognition, and workplaces that don’t burn them out.
Some of the most common things candidates tell me they want include:
Access to clinical or reflective supervision
Reasonable caseloads
Teams that are values-led and culturally safe
Opportunities to develop their skills, especially around trauma-informed practice
When these elements are missing, services struggle to retain staff—and the quality of client support can suffer as a result.
We can’t end homelessness without understanding trauma. And we can’t deliver trauma-informed care without the right people.
That’s where recruitment comes in.
If you’re building a team that prioritises safety, connection, and recovery—or if you’re a practitioner looking for a role where your values and impact align—I’d love to support you.
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.berecruitment.com.au
🧡 Be Recruitment | Connecting People with Purpose
Jobs in Housing | Jobs in Community Housing | Jobs in Homelessness
