Homeless Service Integration: What makes a difference?

Sue Cripps

Director Homelessness, Mental Health & Disability

Catholic Community Services NSW/ACT

Homelessness strategies as drivers of integration England:

The Government committed to tackling and preventing homelessness, working in partnership with voluntary sector partners, local authorities and housing associations.

Scotland: Scotland adopted ambitious strategy to combat homelessness to

give every unintentionally homeless person the right to settled accommodation.

United States of America: Three strategies with strong mandated ability to influence and drive

changed service responses across a broad range of government programs, with mechanisms to report back to cabinet and government executive on implementation progress

Building a culture of integration Leadership by Government Executive High level sponsorship within government agencies Building an evidence base through research and trialling new

models Requires a supply of affordable housing to support policy

implementation Utilising local expertise to drive strategic reform Invest in and develop emerging leaders in the non

government sector

Building the evidence base Need for robust data about the numbers affected by

homelessness so that investment and resources could be targeted affectively

Data on the service utilisation patterns of persons who experience homelessness has potential to inform design of policies and programs that affect the incidence and duration of homelessness

Evidence of the use of multiple service systems may identify how mainstream systems may be contributing to homelessness

Critiquing three service models identified for co-ordinated service provision

Single agency providing housing and support services

Two agency (housing provider and support provider)

Partnership (managing agency and a number of housing and service providers)

Lessons Learnt For effective systemic change to occur regarding how

services are delivered, leadership at the highest level of government (Prime Minister or President) is vital.

To create models of service integration, investment must occur to assist the change management process across government and the non-government sector.

Investing in the development of emerging leaders in the homelessness field to build a strong group of leaders operating within contemporary management and social policy frameworks is crucial.

Lessons Learnt cont … Sound policy development and investment of tax payers’

dollars requires solid data to inform modeling. Strong data regarding the services used by homeless people

highlight opportunities for integration and collaboration as a means of responding to and preventing homelessness as effectively as possible.

Mechanisms to support integrated planning at the regional level are crucial to building a culture of integration and change management.

Maintaining momentum Engage the broader community in ending homelessness Maintain investment – change is not cheap Support a culture of change management - establish a

training program with emerging leaders within the homelessness and housing fields

Maintain investment in homelessness research within Australia

Final Thought"The truth is there are no silver bullets, only struggle moving forward for a just and better way. I often feel we are hampered by those who propose cure-alls and are better served by those willing to wrestle complexity."