Now a permanent service, Community Partnerships puts specialist Services Australia staff in non-government organisations (NGOs) in their community.
Our staff, known as Community Partnership Specialist Officers (CPSOs), work closely with their NGO to support people experiencing vulnerabilities access our payments and services. In particular, their focus is supporting people experiencing homelessness.
Community Partnerships can be found in NGOs around Australia, including all capital cities and many regional locations. CPSOs work closely with other Services Australia specialists in the community.
Meet Phonethip, our CPSO based at CORE Community Services in Sydney. She has worked with people with highly complex needs and seen firsthand the positive impact our CPSOs have had on communities across the country.
“Working with people in a familiar environment makes them feel safe. I’ve become a familiar face now too, so it’s really helped build trust in government services and is a powerful example of the system accommodating and supporting people with multiple barriers to accessing our services.”
Watch our video to hear more about Phonethip's story and the impact CPSO’s have in communities.
Read more about our Community Partnership Specialist Officers.