Western

Homelessness Network

Workplan 2016/17

ReviewDate:June2017

1.Introduction

The Victorian Homelessness Network has enacted four key strategic priorities and asked that each LASN shape its 2016/17 Strategic Plan against these priorities:

  • Working together to end homelessness.
  • To promote and support innovation, knowledge and expertise in the best interest of consumers.
  • To foster relationships and collaboration between service providers to ensure timely, co-ordinated and effective responses.
  • To act as a conduit between (DHS) Department of Human Services Victoria and the regional service sector, on homelessness related data, issues and trends to inform policy.

The LASN identified a range of activities against these strategic priorities at the joint North and West LASN meeting on 24 June 2016 and prioritised these activities through an online survey.

These strategic priorities sit within the context of the funded role for the Network, which is to “to represent homelessness and family violence organisations in discussion with the Department and provide advice to the Department and providers on addressing homelessness and family violence through activities such as:

  • Training and community education sessions,
  • Forums and consultations,
  • Discussion papers and newsletters,
  • Systemic advocacy.[1]

The Network is funded to achieve these objectives through achievement of the following deliverables[2]:

  • TwoSubmission responseseachyearonspecific issues
  • Fortnightly EditionsofWebsite News
  • SixSteering Group/Reference Committee meetings
  • FourquarterlyForums or specialevents related to the strategic plan activities
  • Progressingtwo sectorconcerns perannum

NB: Priority 1 activities are in red

Priority 2 activities are in blue; and

Priority 3 activities are in green.

Objectives / Key Activities / Proposed activities / Specific activities and timelines
To act as a conduit between DHHS and the Regional service sector on issues and inform policy / Active involvement in Homelessness & Housing Sector Reform /
  • Participate in DHHS Homelessness Sector Reform activities
  • Develop an evidence base to inform the reform
/
  • Ensure LASN member participation in DHHS reform forums
  • Convene a joint LASN forum in August 16 to identify existing evidence for good practice and identify evidence to be collected
  • Provide DHHS with a copy of the report of the joint LASN forum
  • Develop a reform log of issues for consideration
  • Complete the LASN mapping by end October 2016.
  • Rita Lawrence to represent the LASN on the Leadership Group

Data integrity /
  • LASN to continue to work on the integrity and use of homelessness data.
  • LASN to purchase regional SHIP data report.
/
  • Purchase of regional SHIP data by January 2017, as proposed by the VHN
  • Networker to act as a conduit between LASN and SHIP Champions
  • Collate prioritisation list data six monthly

Respond to the outcomes of the Royal Commission in to Family Violence /
  • Work with the family violence sector, DPC and DHHS to implement the Royal Commission recommendations
/
  • Keep the WLASN informed on the implementation of the Royal Commission recommendations/produce information sheets

Objectives / Key Activities / Proposed activities / Specific activities and timelines
Working together to end homelessness / Developing responses to lack of resources / Undertake advocacy on behalf of consumers by:
  • Providing advice to the Minister on the need for emergency accommodation in the catchment
  • Collecting and collating homelessness data and improving data collection
  • Provide advice to the Minister on HEF use and need in the catchment
  • Develop a demand strategy
/
  • Prepare a media release in August 2016 highlighting lack of emergency accommodation
  • Undertake the Census homelessness count in the West in August 2016.
  • Convene a working group on HEF/emergency accommodation issues to feed in to reform and to the Minister

Resource consumer driven advocacy /
  • Undertake an Annual Consumer Survey, develop a strategy in response to feedbackand feed the findings in to relevant stakeholders including: consumers, DHHS and the relevant Ministers
/
  • LASN to identify strategies in response to 2015 consumer feedback by September 2016
  • All LASN members to participate in Annual LASN consumer survey in September 2016.
  • Collate LASN consumer survey by November 2016 and hold a forum to interpret survey in November 2016
  • LASN to identify responses to survey feedback by February 2016
  • LASN to feedback outcomes of survey to consumers by August 2017
  • L

Objectives / Key Activities / Proposed activities / Specific activities and timelines
Working together to end homelessness / Resource consumer driven advocacy /
  • Consumer Participation Working Group to meet to promote opportunities for consumer participation in HSS development
  • Continue to develop and promote the ‘more houses for people’ campaign
/
  • Participate in the ‘coalition’ campaign for inclusionary zoning
  • Re-launch ‘more houses for people’ in November 2016 with a social media campaign and MP visits

Undertake a mapping of the HSS in the two catchments /
  • Network Coordinators work with a student to prepare a mapping of the LGAs in the north and west
/
  • All LASN members to complete program mapping template by end August 2016
  • Network Coordinator to collate program mapping by end October 2016

Objectives / Key Activities / Proposed activities / Specific activities and timelines
Foster relationships and collaboration between service providers to ensure timely, co-ordinated and effective responses / Progress opportunities for earlier intervention /
  • Assist people in private rental with opportunities for earlier intervention
  • Finalise the evaluation of Interim Response 2 and refine IR 2 model in response to evaluation findings
  • Adapt IR 2 response in line with the Evaluation findings
/
  • LASN to feed private rental brokerage learnings in to reform
  • Networker to prepare a summary of the IR 2 evaluation and seek DHHS funding for a full report by September 2016
  • LASN to adapt IR 2 response in line with the Evaluation findings in 2017

Ongoing practice development /
  • PAG to update Network documents and progress Improvement Log items
/
  • PAG to meet bi-monthly to progress improvement log items and make recommendation to the LASN about practice/system improvements.
  • PAG to update LASN documents and submit to the LASN for sign off.

  • Undertake the Frequent Service Users Project (if funding is forthcoming or form a working group to progress if funding is not available)
/
  • Convene three think tanks with AOD and mental health sectors in 2016 to devise a cross sector response to frequent service users

  • Convene practice forums as identified by the LASN
  • Undertake an annual training survey
  • Ensure HSS staff are aware of LASN practice framework
/
  • Hold a practice forum in Children’s Week
  • Undertake a training survey in early 2016/17 to inform LASN training priorities
  • Provide two orientations to the HSS per year and maintain resources on the website

Share innovation and systems development across like services /
  • LASN to meet regularly to monitor and develop the HSS
/
  • LASN to meet bi-monthly.
  • Steering Group to guide the activities of the LASN

  • Convene AP/THM meetings
/
  • AP/THM services to meet bi-monthly and report to LASN

  • LASN Youth Network to identify and respond to issues of common concern to LASN youth services
/
  • LASN Youth Network to meet bi-monthly and report to LASN

Objectives / Key Activities / Proposed activities / Specific activities and timelines
Foster relationships and collaboration between service providers to ensure timely, co-ordinated and effective responses / Improve consumer input into the development of the HSS /
  • Consumer Participation Working Group continues to meet and to make recommendations about the Annual Consumer Survey and other consumer participation activities.
  • Pursue opportunities for consumer input in to sector reform and development
/
  • Identify opportunities to survey rough sleepers about their experience of the HSS
  • LASN to advocate for consumer consultation and participation in sector reform

Support SHASP expansion in to community housing /
  • Lobby for resinstatement of SHASP funding
/
  • Liaise with the SHASP managers groups to support their advocacy and gather information for LASN advocacy.

Support creation of a SHASP like model for those referred in to private rental
Objectives / Key Activities / Update / Specific activities and timelines
To promote and support innovation, knowledge and expertise in the best interest of consumers / Cross sector work with the Integrated Family Violence Services /
  • Participate in WIFVS meetings as appropriate.
  • Improve cross sector collaboration for shared clients by updating Access Point/Family Violence Entry Point Protocols in 2016
  • Ensure ongoing mechanisms for sharing information with the family violence sector, for the benefit of shared clients.
/
  • Networker to provide LASN updates each WIFVS meeting
  • Finalise updating of the Family Violence Entry Point/Homelessness Access Point Protocols by end October 2016
  • Wait to see what is most productive
  • Try to fill FV position on Reference Group
  • Meet with key FV services in catchment

Monitor the IAPs and Integrated Community Care system /
  • Invite a speaker from DHHS to present on the Integrated Community Care system
/
  • MCM/VincentCare running forum on IAPs

Cross sector work with the Mental Health and AOD sectors in order to improve responses to shared clients / Improve responses to shared clients with the AOD, mental health and northern family violence sectors through:
  • participation in the Making Links Steering group and undertaking follow up work from the “Making Links” project
  • a practice survey in late 2016
  • a forum in December 2017
  • cross sector orientations
  • developing cross sector capacity to support frequent service users across the sectors
/
  • Prepare a homelessness orientation document by September 2016
  • Undertake a practice survey in October/November 2016
  • Convene a Making Links Forum on 2 December 2016
  • Hold three frequent service user think tanks by November 2016

Promote an understanding of homelessness in the west /
  • Continue to circulate updated information about homelessness in Melbourne’s west to MPs and allied providers
/
  • Maintain a website
  • Circulate ebulletins to a wide range of stakeholders fortnightly
  • Provide local MPs with information about consumer issues
  • Maintain a relationship with media in the West

Objectives / Key Activities / Update / Specific activities and timelines
To promote and support innovation, knowledge and expertise in the best interest of consumers / Monitor NDIS and represent the needs of people who are homeless /
  • Identify opportunities to advocate for the needs of people who are homeless in the rollout of the NDIS.
/
  • Consider a forum in 2017
  • Keep the WLASN informed on the rollout of the NDIS in the North East

1

[1]DHS Policy and Funding Plan, 2012 – 15, published July 2013

[2]NB Steering Group to determine with DHHS whether these are the deliverable for the WHN and NHN, which previously operated as one Network.