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Telephone Support Worker Training

Our Telephone Support Worker Volunteers are trained to give callers the space to explore their issues and form plans of action. This ensures that we continue to provide women, nonbinary and gender-diverse people with high quality support, information and referrals.

WIRE embraces diversity in its training program. We welcome women, nonbinary and gender-diverse people from all backgrounds and experiences, including people who are from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, First Nations people, people with disabilities, sex workers, and older people.

WIRE runs this program three times a year. WIRE’s next Telephone Support Worker Training Program starts in February 2020. We invite interested trainees to register to attend our volunteer information sessions. All interested trainees must attend orientation and group interview sessions.

Scroll down for Scholarship information for:

  • First Nations women or trans, non-binary or gender diverse people
  • Trans, non-binary and gender diverse people
  • People who are seeking asylum, newly-arrived or seeking refugee status
  • People over 50
  • Community workers

Telephone Support Worker Training information sessions   

By training and working with volunteers, we:

  • Stay in touch with issues affecting the community of people we serve
  • Remain approachable and accessible to WIRE service users
  • Recognise and celebrate volunteering as an important pathway to paid work

Our volunteers say working at WIRE is an immensely satisfying, stimulating and enriching experience. Many also find that their experience with us leads them to employment and sought-after places in higher education courses.

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Program content

WIRE uses our own well-developed feminist model for training women, non-binary and gender diverse people in the skills of listening, supporting and empowering women and gender-diverse people. We also explore issues that our service users commonly call us about, such as family violence and family law, and place them into a broader social context.

We encourage our trainees to examine their own beliefs about gender equality and to consider how gender inequality impacts on the problems our service users face in our society.

Training process

Training is very interactive and involves workshops and simulated practice exercises, as well as readings and some written exercises. As part of WIRE’s course, trainees are also required to complete on-the-job training on the Telephone Support Line.

Trainees are supported by the team using reflective practice and debriefed by experienced team leaders who help our volunteers continuously improve their knowledge, skills and confidence.

Commitments

Trainees must complete:

  • 8 days group training (usually one full day per week)
  • 2 x two-hour observation shifts on the Telephone Support Line
  • 2 x three-hour evaluated shifts on the Telephone Support Line
  • 5 x four-hour probationary shifts
  • a one-hour mid-training interview
  • a one-hour end of probation interview*

and commit to one volunteer shift a fortnight over a minimum of 12 months.

* Not everyone who completes the training will become WIRE support workers.

Costs

  • $515 — full price
  • $380 — full-time students
  • $270 — concession
  • For professionals, please get in touch with Judit Brown on jbrown@wire.org.au to obtain a quote.

Scholarships

WIRE offers three scholarships for each intake to Support Worker training. These are available to the following groups:

First Nations women, non-binary and gender diverse people 

One free place is available in each training course for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander woman, non-binary or gender-diverse person.

Trans, non-binary and gender diverse people

One free place is available in each training course for a trans, non-binary or gender-diverse person.

Women seeking asylum/newly arrived women or refugee women

One free place is available in each training course for a woman, non-binary or gender diverse person who is seeking asylum, newly-arrived or a refugee. Women, non-binary or gender diverse people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds with strong spoken English language skills are encouraged to apply.

Women, non-binary and gender-diverse people over 50

In recognition of the inspirational work of the women who founded WIRE in 1984, we created the Founding Mothers’ Scholarship. One free place will be available in each training course for a woman, non-binary or gender-diverse person over 50 who is currently seeking work or wanting to return to work.

For more information on scholarships, please email our Education and Training Coordinator Monique Hameed at training@wire.org.au

Professional development

WIRE allocates up to three positions in each program for people working in the community sector who would like to develop their women-sensitive practice skills but do not have the time to be WIRE  volunteers.

Taking up a non-volunteer position involves going through the normal selection and training process, plus the successful completion of five probationary shifts to complete the training program.

The professional training fee is $655. For more information please email our Training Coordinator at training@wire.org.au

Police record checks

WIRE is required by the DHHS to perform a National Police Record Check on all trainees; if you have lived outside of Australia for more than 12 months in the last 10 years, you will be required to get an International Police Record Check at your own cost. However, having a police record does not automatically exclude you from volunteering with us.

Working with children check

You will also be required to get a Working With Children Check. This Check is free and WIRE will provide you with information on how to obtain it.

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