National Consultation on Quality of Homelessness Services

The Australian Government today released a Discussion Paper setting out options for a National Quality Framework for services to homeless people.

The Discussion Paper sets out options for setting up a National Quality Framework and is seeking the views of homeless services and people who are homeless.

The Australian Government will hold 17 public consultations around the country on a new national quality framework with the first consultation beginning on 19 February in Canberra.

All three levels of Government are working together to improve the quality of services for people who are homeless.

The workshops are for people who are homeless, service providers, community groups and others with an interest in improving the quality of services for people who are homeless.

It is particularly important to involve mainstream services – hospitals, mental health facilities, employment services and schools – as well as specialist homelessness services in these workshops, because people experiencing homelessness often require a range of different services.

The workshops will provide a forum for people to engage in a conversation about what we need to deliver a high quality service to people experiencing homelessness.

In addition to public workshops, we will hold focus groups and interviews with people experiencing homelessness on what quality services means to them.

We’ll also arrange in-depth interviews with hard-to-reach stakeholders including rural, remote and small service providers.

Establishing a national quality framework will occur in two stages.

The government will hold workshops with stakeholders, service providers and homeless people during March and April 2010. This will be based on a Discussion Paper from all Housing Ministers which will frame the discussion on quality service provision.

The second stage of consultation will take place in mid-2010 and will be based on concrete options for a national quality framework identified from feedback received from first stage consultations.

More information and a copy of the discussion paper.