Note: Commercially sensitive information and service provider details have been removed from this ProjectPlan by agreement of the Commonwealth and Western Australia.

Western Australia

Project Plan

National Partnership agreement on Homelessness: Schedule a

Preliminaries

  1. This Project Plan is a schedule to the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness(the Agreement) and should be read in conjunction with that Agreement.

Terms of this Project Plan

  1. This Project Plan will commence on 1 July 2015 or when it is agreed between the Commonwealth of Australia, represented by the Minister for Social Services, and Western Australia, represented by the Hon Minister Helen Morton MLC, Minister for Child Protection, whichever is the later, and will cease on completion or termination of the Agreement.
  2. As a schedule to the Agreement, the purpose of this Project Plan is to provide the public with an indication of how frontline homelessness services are intended to be delivered and demonstrate Western Australia’s capacityto achieve the outcomes of the Agreement.
  3. This Project Plan will cover the two-year period of 2015-16 to 2016-17.
  4. This Project Plan may be varied in accordance with clauses 19, 45, 46 and 48 of the Agreement.

part one: strategic overview of implementation strategy

Table 1: Strategic overview of implementation

1.What is the relevant context for Western Australia, including any reform directions being taken to improve homelessness outcomes?

The Western Australian State Government together with not-for-profit community service sector organisations is committed to responding in new and sustainable ways to give people at risk of, or experiencing homelessness, the opportunity to move beyond the immediate crisis and into long term sustainable housing.
Critical safety net services provide essential accommodation, support, and outreach services,that aim to help vulnerable Western Australian's from falling through the gaps. Early intervention and prevention services aim to provide a range of support and accommodation services to help break the cycle of homelessness. These services are provided by an integrated team from key government agencies and the community services sector.
The Western Australian initiatives to respond to homelessness have had a significant impact on the lives of people experiencing homelessness, and those at risk of homelessness. The Department for Child Protection and Family Support provides funding for homelessness services through the National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) and the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH). In 2013-14, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reported that more than 21,000 Western Australians have accessed specialist homelessness services. Unpublished AIHW data indicates that of these, approximately 6,100 clients were assisted by NPAH services. An estimated 12,600 of the 21,000 clients needed accommodation. Of those who needed accommodation 74 per cent were provided with accommodation and 10 per cent referred to other services for accommodation. These are significant successes. Assisting people to remain housed, or helping them to access housing, creates stability in their lives. It also minimises the social disadvantage and the negative physical and mental health impacts of repeated, or prolonged periods of homelessness.
Evaluations of the Western Australian NPAH programs to date have also highlighted the success and effectiveness of the programs. The National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness Evaluation of Western Australian Programs, Final Report (Evaluation), released June 2013, was a two year evaluation on the implementation of 14 different NPAH programs. Both this Evaluation and an audit undertaken by the Western Australian Auditor General indicated that the 14 programs were delivered in accordance with the NPAH Implementation Plan. The Evaluation found that for many clients, the NPAH programs meant a restoration of dignity, self-respect, confidence and independence. The Evaluation noted that the combination of housing clients in affordable and adequate accommodation whilst delivering sustained and intensive support for a period of up to 12 months after the person has been housed has been successful in preventing and reducing homelessness. Addressing the practical needs of clients through brokerage funds and supporting clients to access mainstream services was also highly valued and successful.
The Department for Child Protection and Family Support is the lead agency responsible for the coordination and implementation of homelessness funding in Western Australia. The Department for Child Protection and Family Support continues to work closely with the Department of Housing to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, to obtain and / or maintain affordable and safe accommodation.
The Department of Housing Affordable Housing Strategy 2010-2020: Opening Doors to Affordable Housing has delivered more than 18,000 affordable homes since 2010.The Strategy has delivered affordable housing options to Western Australians through a range of strategies including:
  • a strong transition orientated social housing system;
  • affordable land and housing supply;
  • affordable rental opportunities;
  • affordable home ownership opportunities; and
  • partnerships and reforms across government and industry.
On 10 May 2015, the Western Australian Minister for Housing, the Honourable Colin Holt MLC, announced that a $560 million investment in social housing will halve the number of seniors and families currently on the priority waitlist. The investment aims to deliver 1,000 additional homes, which will be built, purchased or leased over the next two years to benefit the most vulnerable people on the priority waitlist for social housing.The focus is on constructing new homes, augmented by spot-purchasing or pre-purchasing competitively priced dwellings, leasing private rental stock and renewal of existing public housing sites.
Continuation of NPAH programs and strategies such as the Affordable Housing Strategy 2010-20 are essential. Access to safe, secure, affordable housing underpins the economic and social well-being of Western Australian households and their communities. In recent years, favourable living conditions and the resources sector boom have had an impact on the Western Australian economy. This has resulted in rapid growth in our State’s population. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Western Australia’s population increased by 3per cent in 2013 (71,000 people), and 2.2 per cent in 2014 (54,383 people). This was the fastest growth of all the states and territories, and well above the national growth rate of 1.7 percent[1]. The flow on effect has been a significant demand for housing, pushing up prices and placing pressure on low to moderate income households. This increasing demand for housing has also seen growing numbers of people seeking assistance from homelessness service providers. Western Australia is now facing a decline in the mining resources boom and with this an anticipated increase in unemployment and financial stress for many individuals and families.
Western Australia provides a range of homelessness programs and services, including preventative, crisis relief and accommodation programs, given the range of people who experience homelessness. This includes those who need permanent housing with ongoing access to services and case management, including those who may require short term support to address issues currently impacting on their ability to achieve housing stability (for example substance abuse/mental health), and those who require limited support and purely access to affordable housing.
Existing Projects and Reforms in Western Australia
During 2015-17 there will be continued reform and commitment to addressing family and domestic violence as part of the Western Australia’s Family and Domestic Violence Prevention Strategy to 2022. Since July 2013, the Department for Child Protection and Family Support has been working in partnership with the Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Service (WA) Incto progress reforms for a family and domestic violence service system that aims to improve the safety of women and children impacted by family and domestic violence. An important component of this approach is that three specialist 24/7 emergency response services will take a lead coordination and facilitation role across the Perth metropolitan area. The services will be the key referral points for the Western Australian Police Service, the Department for Child Protection and Family Support’s Crisis Care Unit and the Entrypoint Perth homeless referral service.
An integrated service system remains a key priority for Western Australia. The Family and Domestic Violence Coordinated Response Services (CRS) are part of an interagency approach focussing on early intervention. The Family and Domestic Violence Response Teams include the CRS (non-government organisation), Western Australia Police and the Department for Child Protection and Family Support. These teams undertake joint assessment, triage and coordinated responses between the partnering agencies to enable improved safety for child and adult victims of family and domestic violence.
Similarly, the Street to Home Program involves a partnership approach which streamlines service delivery and enables improved client outcomes. Street to Home service providers also participate in Registry Week,which is a survey of rough sleepers in the City of Perth. The survey is used to identify the most vulnerable rough sleepers for housing and support services. In May 2014, funding was provided for the coordination of the survey, and a further one off grant was provided in July 2014 to build on existing collaboration, and work with vulnerable people identified through Registry week.Work is continuing with the Street to Home Management Group and other key stakeholders, participating in workshops to consider current issues in the key areas of housing, health / mental health and support for rough sleepers and how positive outcomes for those who are most vulnerable in the inner city homelessness population can be delivered and sustained over time, though greater collaborative efforts.
In Western Australia (based on Specialist Homelessness Services Collection Data 2013-14), Aboriginal people represent 38 per cent of those accessing specialist homelessness services. Providing support to Aboriginal people experiencing homelessness remains on the reform agenda for Western Australia. This includes but is not limited to:
  • provision of funding for Aboriginal Short Stay Accommodation Services in regional areas designed for Aboriginal people who are visiting from remote communities, who may otherwise sleep rough in public places or, in overcrowded households;
  • the re-development of the Wooree Miya Women’s Refuge, which is the only refuge in the metropolitan area primarily for Aboriginal women and children who are homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness due to family and domestic violence. The new refuge will have significantly greater capacity to accommodate more families including larger families with older children; and
  • a project regarding coordination between inner city service providers to ensure integrated service provision for Aboriginal people, many whomaybe visiting Perth from regional areas for medical treatment, and do not have suitable accommodation.
A Sustainable Future for the NPAH and Quality Services
Notwithstanding the success of NPAH to date, there have also been learnings of what could be done differently. The Department for Child Protection and Family Support continues to work in partnership with the not for profit community sector services to improve practices where required, and create better outcomes for clients. Review of NPAH programs through contract management and regular consultation through working groups such as the Senior Officers Group (comprised of representatives from relevant government agencies) and program specific groups (such as the Street to Home Managers Group) facilitate positive partnerships and avenues for change.
A review of Western Australia Specialist Homelessness Services Standards (the Standards) was finalised and the implementation of the Standards commenced in July 2014. The revised Standards are consistent with contemporary specialist homelessness service practice, in line with the reform directions to support the provision of quality services. The Standards enable services to adopt best practice to improve long term outcomes for people who are homeless. The Standards are monitored through the contract management process.
Western Australia is committed to funding services at a sustainable level and support organisations to meet the increased salary costs associated with the Fair Work Australia (FWA) final Equal Remuneration Order made 22 June 2012 and the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission (WAIRC) decision on 29 August 2013. With the lack of increase in funding for the
2015-17 NPAH, Western Australia was required to make adjustments to programs to manage the funding shortfall and enable organisations to meet their obligations related to the FWA and WAIRC decisions. Further adjustments will be required for 2016-17 to again ensure services receive an increase in their core funding level. This will involve consultation with the sector and adjustments to Part 2 of the Project Plan will be made prior to 1 July 2016.

2.What frontline services or programmes willWestern Australia deliver in 2015-16 to 2016-17 to meet the outcomes of the Agreement?

Joint State and Commonwealth Funding will be allocated to the following programs, as part of the 2015-17 NPAH:
Street to Home
  • The Street to Home program represents a comprehensive multiagency response towards addressing the needs of rough sleepers. Overall the Street to Home model comprises four integrated elements: acute homeless night shelters, assertive outreach, mobile clinical outreach and housing support.
  • The Street to Homeprogram operates in the inner city areas of both Perth and Fremantle.
  • This program adopts a partnership approach that involves service managers, the Mobile Clinical Outreach Team, Department of Housing, night shelters and the Assertive Outreach Teams and Housing Support Workers meeting on a regular basis to monitor and improve client outcomes, streamline service delivery, discuss and develop client management techniques. The partnerships required are critical to the success of the program.
Accommodation and Support for Single Adults experiencing homelessness
  • The Interim Night Shelter for Tom Fisher House is a joint partnership between the State Government and the St Vincent de Paul Society. It provides overnight accommodation for up to eight chronically homeless men over the age of 18 years. Referrals are received from Street to Home Assertive Outreach workers.
  • Construction of a new purpose built premises (to be known as Tom Fisher House) has commenced. The new premises will have 10 rooms and is due to open in 2015-16. Tom Fisher House is to be named after one of the St Vincent de Paul Society’s longest serving volunteers. Tom Fisher has volunteered for the Society for over 50 years providing food, clothing, shelter, friendship and support to many people in the Western Australian community.
Remote Rough Sleepers – Assertive Outreach
  • Remote Rough Sleeper Assertive Outreach provides support and assertive outreach primarily for Aboriginal rough sleepers in and around two remote regional centres in Western Australia.
  • Assertive Outreach Workers provide outreach and intensive case management with wrap-around support services tailored to address rough sleepers’ basic needs. The program aims to address health, mental health, child care, education, employment, housing and welfare issues for rough sleepers. Rough sleepers are assisted to access training and education programs.
Remote Rough Sleepers – Accommodation
  • Short term accommodation and support is provided, primarily for Aboriginal people, visiting from remote communities surrounding Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Derby.
Safe at Home
  • The Safe at Home initiative was undertaken as a partnership between the Department for Child Protection and Family Support, the Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services (WA) Inc and the Western Australia Police.
  • The program has resulted in a major shift from the traditional model of safety for victims of domestic violence, by enabling women and children to remain in their own home when safe to do so. This recognises that remaining in the safety of their own home can enable greater stability for women and children. The option of having to flee and possibly reside in a refuge is very destabilising for victims and removes them from their community supports and children’s education.
  • In this program women and their children receive an integrated, intensive service. Safety audits are undertaken on the women’s homes and modifications are made to the homes where necessary to address safety issues.
Domestic Violence Outreach
  • The Domestic Violence Outreach program supports women and children experiencing family and domestic violence to stay in their present housing when it is safe to do so.
  • Referrals to the program are made by the Western Australia Police at the time of issuing a Police Order for the removal of the perpetrator, with the consent of the victim to release their details to a support service. The Domestic Violence Outreach program takes referrals from other services as well and includes a ‘Safe at Home’ element to assist women and children to remain in their home when it is safe to do so to prevent homelessness.
Family and Domestic Violence Coordinated Response Services