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Practice resources

Useful guidance for specialist homelessness sector workers

This suite of resources has been developed by Council to Homeless Persons to help inform and guide practitioners working within Victoria’s homelessness sector and beyond.

Good practice guides to housing-focused support

Build your knowledge of activities and interventions that help people to gain and sustain a home with this series of practice guides.

Each guide breaks down a core component of housing-focused support, to assist workers supporting people who are experiencing or at risk of being without a home.

The guides were developed by Council to Homeless Persons in consultation with the homelessness sector and people who have experienced being without a home, and are based on local and international evidence. They were made possible with the generous support of The Mercy Foundation.

If you would like to be involved in the evaluation of these guides, please get in touch with the Director of Services.

Engaging young people experiencing homelessness

Learn how to improve the experiences of young people navigating homelessness and housing services, with this resource on engaging young people without a home.

The practice guidance included in this resource is informed by insights into adolescent brain development and trauma, and their effect on the behaviour and needs of young people without a home.

This resource draws on literature, research, and consultations with Specialist Homelessness Sector practitioners and consumers. It was designed to complement and inform the creation of an integrated, comprehensive youth homelessness prevention and response framework for Victoria.

Assertive outreach resource

Gain an introduction to assertive outreach practice, and benefit from practice tips for workers and links to key resources. The resource is designed to enhance understanding of the key elements of assertive outreach, and address concerns with practical tips and responses.

This resource was developed by Council to Homeless Persons, and draws on the experience of workers and people with lived experience. Their words highlight principles and good practice.

Recording Unassisted Persons

Did you know almost 16,000 Unassisted Person records in Victoria were excluded from homelessness data last year due to incomplete fields?

CHP has developed resources, in partnership with the sector, to support SHS workers to accurately record Unassisted Persons — so that every person counts. These are designed for workers who collect data for the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (primarily IAP and intake teams). Strong data strengthens our advocacy.

Watch this video to help make every person count. It will show you:

  • when to create an Unassisted Person record
  • why it matters for measuring unmet demand
  • the essential fields required when collecting data.

    We also have a slide deck available as a downloadable PDF and a poster that can be displayed in workplaces to help workers recall the three key fields required to complete a record.

Want more information?

Find a range of local data that can help to inform your understand of homelessness in your area – includes financial stress mapping, and Local Area Service Network reports.

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