Standards and Guidelines
Creating Connections Education and Employment Pathways Guidelines
The Creating Connections Education and Employment Pathways (CEEP) guidelines provide homelessness assistance services a guide to accessing brokerage to support and sustain pathways into Education Employment and Training for 15 - 25 year olds experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The
Creating Connections Education and Employment Pathways (CEEP) guidelines (PDF Size 246KB, Pages 33) are effective from January 2008 to June 2009.
Homelessness Assistance Service Standards
The Homelessness Assistance Service Standards (HASS) were developed through extensive consultations with service providers, consumers and sector experts. In 2005 a formal trial of the standards was conducted with four organisations. As an outcome of that trial, the standards were revised to incorporate feedback from trial sites and to better reflect current Office of Housing directions and initiatives.
Five sections of HASS relating to client service delivery standards have been retained and the sections covering organisational management standards were deleted.
Section 1: Upholding and promoting rights (Word Size 116KB, Pages 12)
Section 2: Access to support for people experiencing homelessness (Word Size 117KB, Pages 13)
Section 3: Direct service delivery and case management (Word Size 160KB, Pages 19)
Section 4: Direct service delivery to specific groups (Word Size 216KB, Pages 31)
Section 5: Working with the community (Word Size 60KB, Pages 6)
Homelessness Assistance Programs Guidelines 2006 - 2009
Since the introduction of the Victorian Homelessness Strategy (VHS) in 2000, significant work has been done at local, regional and statewide levels to improve assistance to people who are homeless.
Guidelines documents are designed to assist funded agencies to deliver services and manage business in accordance with program objectives and funding conditions.
Previously, homelessness assistance services have been required to work with three sets of program guidelines. These have been integrated into one set of program guidelines to be used by all homelessness assistance program funded services. It is designed to:
- further streamline homelessness program management and operational practice
- eliminate duplication in former Housing Establishment Fund, Supported Accommodation Assistance Program and Transitional Housing Management guidelines
- introduce new tools and frameworks as homelessness program operational requirements
- establish common definitions across homelessness program functions
- introduce a user friendly format that is easily updated and distributed
All registered community housing agencies are required to comply with Registered Agency Performance Standards (RAPS) in their ongoing operations in order to achieve and to retain registration. RAPS were published in the Victorian Government Gazette on August 2005.
Homelessness Assistance Program Guidelines (PDF Size 661KB, Pages 111)
National Community Housing Standards (NCHS)
The National Community Housing Standards (NCHS) were first published in 1998 and a revised version published in 2003. These standards guide the operations of community housing providers. The manual outlines the principles of community housing and is a useful source of information for managers, staff, board members, tenants and Department of Human Services personnel regarding ideas for continuously improving service delivery.
The NCHS Manual sets out standards of good practice in service delivery for the community-housing sector throughout Australia.
Public Housing Infrastructure Program
The Public Housing Infrastructure Program (PHIP) guidelines provide information for community service organisations about the operation of Social Housing Advocacy Support Program (SHASP) services and other PHIP-funded activities.
Public Housing Infrastructure Program (PHIP) guidelines (Word Size 328KB, Pages 24)
The program guidelines detail the program framework, funded activities and funding guidelines, while the appendices detail:
- SHASP data collection requirements (Appendix 1)
SHASP Data Collection (Word Size 460KB, Pages 31)
- The service delivery framework for advocacy and assistance to early housing applicants (Appendix 2)
Delivery framework (Word Size 232KB, Pages 18)
- The referral process framework and caseloads for establishing successful tenancies and intervening when tenancies are at risk (Appendix 3)
Referral process framework case loads (Word Size 303KB, Pages 16)
- Tenant participation reimbursement and support
Tenant reimbursement policy (Word Size 84KB, Pages 6)
