Social Housing & Homelessness Concept Paper Foyer Model Youth Foyer Proposed Model Paper
Yüklə 0,5 Mb.
|
- Bu səhifədəki naviqasiya:
- Establishment and operation
- Chapter 7 Funding Model Funding
- Costs of refurbishment of an existing structure
- Chapter 8 Foyer Operations Client Agreements
- Foyer Practices and Processes Steps Chart Initial Interviews Eligibility; Life Goals; Skills required; Needs; Agreement Moving IN
- Review Achievements; Training; Employment; Establish links; Peer Support Initial Review
- Chart outlining cyclic process for individual needs analysis and support plan development.
- Services provided by Foyers
| Partnerships
Partnerships with other service providers and local businesses are central to the success of Foyers in terms of implementing successful programs for young people to achieve their goals. Foyers provide safe and stable accommodation and support, but as the core goal is to promote independence, the aim is to support engagement of young people with mainstream opportunities. Foyers therefore form partnerships with other service providers in the wider community such as education and training providers. In some cases fairly close partnerships are formed with the Foyer and may result in providers being located in rental space in the actual Foyer building. Foyers typically develop partnerships in the following areas:
In the ACT, local Rotary clubs of the ACT have already indicated their strong support for the establishment of a Foyer model in the ACT. To this end, Rotary contributed $5,000 to the Foyer Foundation to facilitate a meeting with David Chesterton and Jane Slowey from Foyer, and to assist the ACT Government in obtaining intellectual property regarding the Foyer model. Rotary have also met with representatives from the ACT to discuss the potential for Rotary to have primary involvement in the establishment of the Foyer, and have provided preliminary information. At this stage, Rotary are keen to have the primary management role of the Foyer project, utilising their significant volunteer base as a way to provide support to the residents. Rotary have also indicated that working with other groups to deliver the program would be appropriate, drawing on the partnership and stakeholder potential mentioned above. The potential role for community organisations such as Rotary needs to be explored further, particularly taking into account the expertise available to community organisation and potential community contacts. Most foyers have established strong community contacts and linkages with a number of community organisations to support the operation of the foyer and to support the participants in foyer programs. There are issues in relation to partnerships and the procurement processes for different services that need to be considered in this context. Establishment and operation In establishing a model similar to a Foyer in the ACT, a comprehensive operations structure would need to be established. The following issues would need to be addressed: • Board structure / governance • Reporting to Government • Funding model • Accreditation • Communications strategy • Strategy for internal management within ACT Government A short term and long term strategy may be developed to allow for initial setup of the program, and planning for expansion or improvement in the future. Although the basic structure needs to be in place prior to any tendering or procurement of services.
Most Foyers in the UK had access to capital funding to develop the building and infrastructure to set up and support the operation of the Foyer. Experience has indicated that Foyer projects are challenging to fund because they involve a mixture of uses, and potentially expensive because of the relatively large scale of most Foyers in the UK. Some of these issues are: • Higher land costs (for prime central location) • Buildings purpose built (or high cost restoration of old building) • Constructed with quality materials/ low maintenance design • Wholly funded through grants, donations or in kind support In the UK, costs have been reduced through tapping into various grants programs and thus avoiding any recurring loan expenses. This keeps overall costs down as interest is not being paid on monies borrowed. These costs can be substantial for example, the Ladder Youth Foyer in Melbourne has to repay approx $100 per week for each tenant/participant to cover repayments of a loan obtained by Yarra Community Housing for capital funding for the Youth Foyer building. This means there is virtually no rental income from tenants to support the Foyer. Most of the above issues may not be relevant in the ACT context if approval is given to use existing public housing stock or proposed new public housing stock being built. Unfortunately, if existing public housing stock is utilised there would need to be monies allocated to some form of refurbishment to meet the standards of most foyers. A suitable building(s) is therefore required to be sourced from existing public housing stock to cover at least the 20 places agreed under the NPAH. The following funding issues therefore need to be considered in developing a suitable model for the ACT context: • Costs of refurbishment of an existing structure. • Costs of facilities to be included in the building. • Service Provider engagement in building and maintenance. • Rental model adopted and whether cost of utilities included. • Cost of support programs such as personal and financial skills development. • Whether community facilities can be included or accessed. • Funding from other sources - potential for linkages with other government programs such as youth exiting out of home care The funding available under the NPAH is as follows: YOUTH FOYER FUNDING
The above funding for the project is available under the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH) and commences on 1 July 2010 and continues until 30 June 2013. There are no guaranties this funding will be available after this date. This means an alternate source of funding may be required after this date to continue to sustain the foyer in the long term. The existing Youth Homelessness sector is presently being reviewed and may identify programs and resources that could be restructured or reallocated. These resources could provide enhanced opportunities for youth to learn or earn and thus help break their cycle of homelessness.
The proposed main Youth Foyer building at Block 1 Section 13 Braddon will not require any changes to the existing plans except for locks on bedrooms in the 2 bedroom apartments to provide for privacy and security of personal belongings etc. of participants. The ACT proposal for the Youth Foyer is to provide accommodation in satellite or mini foyers outside the Main hub. This accommodation for approximately 12 – 18 participants is likely to need refurbishment. The properties considered suitable to house the satellite or mini foyers could be refurbished from NPAH funding as part of the set up costs for the Youth Foyer or be prioritised on the existing maintenance program.
Most homeless youth face issues which need to be addressed and a support agreement can assist working through these matters in the Foyer environment. It could mean developing skills for independence, encouraging greater resilience to overcome barriers and starting over again with past education or training failures. On the personal side it could mean rebuilding family relationships, developing stronger confidence and self belief, overcoming mental health issues or drug and alcohol dependence. Central to the foyer model is an agreement that covers the above matters and outlines the participant’s commitments. The Agreement is a formal document signed by the participant stating that they are prepared to undertake employment, training or education and to comply with tenancy arrangements etc. The success of the model depends on this commitment of the young person and is akin to a reciprocal obligation between the two parties. The service provider undertakes to provide accommodation and services to the young person provided they honour their agreement to undertake employment, education or training and respect tenancy requirements. The agreement between the Service Provider and the participant must:
The participant agreement is necessary to ensure participants Placing young people at the heart of this flexible ‘deal’, which in the case of Foyers is expressed through a formal contract (the ‘dynamic formal agreement’ of the three tests), gives them the tools they need to take responsibility for their future and helps secure lasting personal and social change. The assessment and referral processes are very important in this process to ensure youth referred to the Foyer are willing and able to participate in Foyer programs and meet the “living in community” requirements necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the Foyer. Programs also need to be tailored for the individual to ensure the best outcomes for youth participants are achieved. This means the practices and processes for Foyer admission and review need to be broken down into a number of steps outlined hereunder. Step 1. Initial Interview:
Step 2. Moving In and Induction:
Step 3. Commencing programs:
Step 4. Initial Review:
Step 5. Review:
Step 6. Moving out:
The above steps our shown in the Chart hereunder. Foyer Practices and Processes Steps Chart Initial Interviews Eligibility; Life Goals; Skills required; Needs; Agreement Moving IN Admission; Induction; Allocation; Rules; Responsibilities Commencing Programs Learning; Training; Support plan; Mentor Moving ON Independence; Housing; Employment; Education; Links; Follow up; Mentor role Review Achievements; Training; Employment; Establish links; Peer Support Initial Review Experience; Living skills; Tenancy; Participation; Mentoring Individual Needs Analysis Most homeless young persons present with a range of support needs when first admitted to Foyers such has various skills development, social issues, emotional problems or substance abuse etc. To effectively address these matters so that the young person is given the best opportunity to transform their lives and gain employment and maintain a housing option in the future it is necessary to assess the individual needs of a young person. To ascertain the individual requirements for young persons a needs analysis assessment and individual tailored program should be worked out at the initial interview and subsequently reviewed on a cyclic basis (see chart below) to ensure those needs are continuing to be addressed. An individual Support Plan needs to be developed taking into account the young persons goals and personal development requirements. The individual Support Plan is a document the young persons needs to be committed to and willing to actively implement with the support of Foyer staff and any mentor. The goals of the plan need to be realistic and achievable and reviewed with the assistance of the young person and any mentor. It is likely that any skills development, counselling or support program put in place for the young person will need to fit around the main training, education and employment activities of the young person. To this end the support programs will need to be flexible and possibly run out of normal work hours.
Particular importance will be placed on case management in the Youth foyer model in the ACT as effective case management is critical to achieving successful outcomes for participants. Most youth foyers do case management but not all have effective case management. For the purpose of the ACT Youth Foyer an integrated approach will be taken with a Primary Case Manager being appointed at an initial Case Conference with the participant or as soon as practicable after the formal acceptance into the Foyer. There may be one service provider or several undertaking case management functions for the Youth Foyer. The Primary Case Manager (PCM) will be decided at the initial case conference taking into account the following:
The most appropriate PCM will be identified on a case by case basis and will be responsible for calling case conferences and keeping other support agencies/workers informed of issues / progress. The role of each participating support agency will be identified on a case by case basis and other stakeholders and reporting mechanisms identified. The PCM will support the participants’ right to make their own choices about responses to their needs, and will ensure that clients are well-informed about the choices available to them. Participants will be provided with appropriate information about available options, and the approach to providing support. Support will be offered in accessing any options offered and be provided as long as needed or as long as the participant will engage. A common consent process will be agreed on by participants to ensure that clients’ rights, confidentiality and privacy are protected. A consent form will be required from participants to indicate agreement to participating in the integrated case management approach and agreed support model. Information will be shared based on consent among agencies working with participants. Participants will be offered the opportunity to participate fully in case conferences, and have a support person accompany them if they so desire. Where appropriate and possible, joint case planning will be utilised at the Youth Foyer. A case plan will be developed by the agreed PCM / Key Worker in consultation with other stakeholders for all participants referred. Realistic goals will be set and time frames for support and possible change will be realistic The PCM will be committed to providing requested support in a timely, responsive and flexible way and to participating effectively in case conferences, case planning and the provision of support services that are agreed through the above mechanisms. Mentoring A successful adjunct too many Foyers has been a mentoring process for young persons. In families a mentoring role is usually carried out by parents or uncles and aunts etc but is absent with homeless youths. To overcome this situation and to provide a role model for young persons mentoring programs have been introduced. There are different types of mentoring programs run by various organisations and groups that could carry out this function. For example, in the proposed SA Foyer ‘Ladder” AFL or former AFL players will undertake this role. Mentoring is one of many strategies that, when linked to and delivered in the context of other youth development services at the local level, can contribute to young people developing new skills and knowledge, making decisions to participate in community life, and encouraging and empowering them to make positive contributions to community building and strengthening. Planned or formal mentoring can take several forms including: • traditional mentoring (one adult to one young person); • group mentoring (one adult working with a small number of young people); • team mentoring (several adults working with small groups of young people); • peer mentoring (caring youth mentoring other youth); and • e-mentoring (mentoring via email and the internet). Mentoring can be confused with role modelling or coaching. A mentor may be a role model, but a role model is not necessarily a mentor. A role model is a person who serves as a representative in a particular behavioural or social role which another person may choose to emulate. Role models can exist outside a formal relationship. In fact, a person may be a role model without even knowing the person who looks to them for examples of how to behave in a particular social or more formal context. Similarly, mentoring is not the same as coaching although sometimes coaching programs are labelled as 'mentoring' and sometimes a mentoring relationship can include aspects of coaching. The key differences relate to the focus and objectives of mentoring compared with those of coaching. Coaching has a clear set of objectives and goals which once achieved bring about a 'natural ending' to the relationship/agreement between the coach and the person being coached. Programs focused on a specific outcome such as employment placement, academic achievement, or sporting performance are more akin to coaching. Mentoring is much broader and relates to the whole person and their life. Goals and objectives evolve over time and the focus is the relationship between the mentor and mentee. While some specific goals may be agreed between the mentor and mentee, the building of the relationship is the key aim. The major differences between mentoring and coaching relate to focus, role, relationship, source of influence, personal returns and the arena in which mentoring takes place. Unlike coaching and role modelling, mentoring describes programs and/or relationships, whether formal or informal, which aim to build the skills or wellbeing of a person (generally young) through the input and/or assistance of another person who has more skills, experience and knowledge. Mentoring is one of many strategies that, when linked to and delivered in the context of other youth development services at the local level, can contribute to young people developing new skills and knowledge, making decisions to participate in community life, and encouraging and empowering them to make positive contributions to community engagement and strengthening. In the Youth Foyer for the ACT it may be possible to have a mentoring function as well as some role model engagement similar to the Ladder program in Victoria and SA. Youth without parental guidance would benefit from both forms of assistance to guide their life choices. Services provided by Foyers Many Foyers provide a range of services to support the young persons experience in the Foyer and include health checks, sport and recreation activities, community outreach and volunteering. These are usually run by the Foyer or in partnership with a community organisation. There will be 20 youth at anytime in the ACT Foyer who may be undertaking full-time employment or training it may therefore be difficult to run other services specifically for the youth in the Foyer during normal working hours. A partnership arrangement with other organisations is likely to be required to run services for Foyer residents outside these hours or on week-ends. Move On / Exiting Move On/ Exiting strategies are necessary to ensure successful outcomes for Youth Foyer residents. Research indicates that ‘Partnership” working is essential, with different partners offering different services and resources for the young person. For many young people moving-on usually means moving to rented accommodation though for some moving-on may mean moving into university accommodation or back with family. Key features of successful ‘move on” strategies are:
Move on processes and practices work best when there is a range of move on options available to the young person. This enables the service provider of the proposed model to cater for young people with different needs and levels of skills acquired during there stay in the Youth Foyer. Move on accommodation solutions are also needed to maintain a flow through of Youth Foyer participants. The solutions can range from local short term options to more long term ones such as private rental or social housing. Ideally long term solutions are best for the young person and should be one of the aims of the ACT Youth Foyer. Young people (especially those under 18) face some real barriers to accessing move on accommodation. These may be legal, socio-economic, issues of perception, related to cultural background or to a shortage of affordable or acceptable housing. Creative approaches need to be developed by the service provider (and their partners) to enable young people to access the housing markets when they are ready to live independently. In this way, young people will have more successful outcomes in the long term and break the cycle of homelessness. The central strategy should be to maintain a full range of accommodation options for young people that includes social housing, affordable housing and private rental etc. Yüklə 0,5 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
|
