Young People
Young People and Homelessness
The latest ABS data counted 28, 000 young Australians (12-24yr old) as homeless on Census night in 2016. In most instances, they do not have a home because they are escaping conflict and violence. Previous research found that 70% of young people who became homeless left home to escape family violence, child abuse or family breakdown (Rosenthal, 2006).
National Youth Coalition for Housing (NYCH) states that young people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness need access to supportive and well-resourced services which work with them in establishing foundations on which they can build a stable future. These services can be tasked with the provision of ensuring health and wellbeing, safety and stability, re-engagement and participation with education and employment services.
Sector News
Staff from Opening Doors, Women’s Refuges, Family Violence Support agencies, Family Support Services, Police FV Liaison and other agencies who work with families experiencing homelessness and family violence are invited to attend. We love to see familiar faces and new faces are welcome as well so please feel free to invite people you feel may benefit from this meeting.
This network will provide a forum for agency updates, sharing of resource information and practice challenges, discussions around regional themes, opportunities for case discussions and the potential to invite guest speakers as well as possibilities for interagency collaboration and capacity building.
Training
Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) Training
Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) is the new provider of the SHS Funded Training (taking over from Wodonga TAFE in 2019)
The SHS Learning Program is a central portal for training and educational resources for workers in the Victorian Specialist Homelessness Sector (SHS). The program contains a mix of live training sessions, self-directed eLearning courses and other useful resources.
Client Supports and Activities
Uniting deliver youth support programs for young people aged 15‐25 in the Eastern Metro Region who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness and family breakdown. To access support, young people can contact us or drop into our Ringwood entry point, with youth workers available to triage calls and
presentations.
Research and Reports
In late 2021, The Salvation Army did a nationwide Social Justice Stocktake to get to the heart of what people were seeing in their local communities. From there, they built a map of social justice priorities across Australia.
Practitioner Resources
CEEP funding supports young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to develop and sustain pathways into Education Employment and Training (EET). Brokerage funds assist young people to purchase uniforms, books and school materials, tools, education fees, work clothes, computers, public transport and other EET related expenses.
Uniting are the administrators for the Eastern Metro.