Daryl from PIAC’s consumer advisory committee on homelessness, StreetCare, recently delivered a workshop for Centrelink staff at the Darlinghurst Service Centre. Daryl slept rough on and off for about 20 years and was permanently homeless for four years before securing housing 14 months ago.
The workshop was an opportunity for Daryl to provide front line staff with an insight into the experience of life on the streets, and how a bit of understanding and empathy can make a big difference.
‘It’s really important that any staff who deals with homeless people take the time to listen, really listen, to the person so they can understand what life on the streets is like and how they can help that person. For a homeless person, if someone doesn’t care about them, then they won’t care about anything,’ said Daryl.
Find out more about StreetCare
Photo by Hang McGuire, from left: Daryl from StreetCare and HPLS Senior Policy Officer, Lou Schetzer.