Workforce Development
The ongoing development of a skilled and experienced workforce to deliver youth homelessness services is key to building capacity generally in the homelessness workforce and “in specialist homelessness services to achieve sustainable outcomes for people with high and complex needs” (Australian Government, The Road Home, 2008;42). Commitment to the development of the homelessness workforce is also required to allow services to meet accreditation and standards requirements.
In this section you will find information, resources and links on workforce issues as they relate to such topics as developing a workforce strategy and organisational support for youth homelessness workers. You will also find information, resources and links in relation to practice issues such as supervision.
Workforce Development Strategy
As part of the Youth Homelessness Action Plan Stage 2, 2006-2010: Creating Connections, the Office of Housing has undertaken a commitment to the development of a workforce strategy for the youth homelessness service sector, as part of a broader workforce strategy for the community-managed housing, homelessness and family violence sectors. As part of this commitment, the Office of Housing commissioned KPMG to survey the workforce and to produce a report to assist with planning the workforce strategy.
Click to view the:
Workforce Survey Final Report 2007 (PDF, 408.91 KB)
Workforce Strategy Information Sheet No. 2 (DOC, 65.5 KB)
Supervision and HAS Standards
All SAAP services are required to be accredited by the end of 2009. For more information on the Homelessness Assistance Services (Industry) Standards, go to www.chp.org.au
Supervision is considered a key element of best practice approaches to youth homelessness and case management work. While supervision strictly resides within a suite of human resources policies, it also relates to practice across all the HAS Standards in relation to supporting, ensuring and monitoring quality practice.
Supervision in contained in the HASS Standards in Section 3. The following are some examples of supervision policies:
