Volume 3: Human Services Policy and Funding Plan 2015-19, update 2017-18
Chapter 4: Activity descriptions
Contents
Activity information 1
Service delivery tracking 1
Output group 1
Output 1
Objective 1
Description of the service 2
Client group 2
Service delivery 2
Service redevelopment 2
Monitoring and review 3
Service Agreement 3
Human Services Standards 3
Monitoring performance 3
Performance measures 3
Key performance measure 1: Number of new tenancies 3
Data collection information 4
Key documents 5
Mandatory 5
Volume 3: Chapter 4: Activity descriptions 5
Activity information
Service delivery tracking
Service delivery tracking activity? Yes
Output group
Housing assistance
Output
Housing support and homelessness assistance
Objective
Tenancy administration transitional aims to provide short-term housing assistance to people in crisis as a result of homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
Description of the service
Tenancy administration transitional provides Director of Housing owned and leased properties to transitional housing management (THM) services to manage. THMs are required to ensure that all properties are maintained to an appropriate standard by:
• furnishing new properties
• arranging minor responsive maintenance and refurnishing vacant properties using the property allowance component of the funding
• report major maintenance requirements to the department.
The tenancy management functions undertaken by THMs include:
• ensuring that those most in need have access to transitional housing properties
• negotiating and monitoring tenancy/occupancy agreements
• collecting rent from tenants
• ensuring properties are maintained to Director of Housing Standards contained in the Public Housing Policy and Practice Manuals
• assisting people in transitional properties to sustain tenancies for periods from three months up to 12 months, and 18 months for young people.
• assisting people to sustain tenancies in line with the provisions of the Residential Tenancy Act 1997
• working collaboratively with support services assisting people to sustain their tenancies.
Client group
The target group for tenancy administration transitional is people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness including:
• single people, couples and families
• women and children experiencing family violence
• young people between 16 and 25 years old.
Service delivery
Community service organisations that are registered housing agencies are the providers of THM services. Each THM has delegated powers of the Director of Housing to administer a transitional housing portfolio of between 40 to 300 properties.
Service redevelopment
The department will continue to monitor service provision, and where necessary, may amend or streamline service activities and specifications or funding allocations based on community needs or in response to government policy, priorities and innovations.
Victoria is currently negotiating the terms of the proposed National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness 2017-18 with the Commonwealth. The Victorian Government has committed its share of funding under this agreement to 2017-18. Services will be advised of any changes to funding and service arrangements as information becomes available.
The Royal Commission into Family Violence reported its findings and recommendations on 29 March 2016. The Victorian Government has committed to implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission. This will impact on the delivery health and human services, including homelessness and family violence services during the agreement period. Services will be advised of any changes to funding and service arrangements as information becomes available.
Monitoring and review
Service Agreement
The Department of Health and Human Services monitors and reviews the organisation’s compliance with the Service Agreement’s requirements set out in the terms and conditions and schedules including the Applicable Departmental Policies. The Service Agreement is used to manage funding provided through the department for services delivered by community service organisations and local government authorities.
The Service Agreement includes two Applicable Departmental Policies:
1. Department of Health and Human Services Policy and Funding Guidelines
2. Service Agreement Information Kit <http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/facs/bdb/fmu/service-agreement/contents>.
The Service Agreement Information Kit provides information on the Service Agreement terms and conditions (chapter 3) and Applicable Departmental Policies (chapter 4). The Service Agreement Information Kit must be read in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services Policy and Funding Guidelines.
Human Services Standards
Organisations funded to provide services to clients are required through the Service Agreement to meet the gazetted Department of Health and Human Services Standards (Human Services Standards) and can be monitored in relation to their compliance with these standards.
Organisations funded through this activity are subject to independent review and accreditation requirements under the Human Services Standards, except where exempted by the department.
Monitoring performance
Funding is subject to the delivery of specified targets. Where actual performance is less than 100 per cent of target, the funded organisation should provide the Department of Health and Human Services with a justification for retaining full funding.
Performance measures
Key performance measure 1: Number of new tenancies
Definition / The number of new tenancies (by households) provided to address and prevent homelessness.Aim/objective / The aim of this performance measure is to monitor the number of new tenancies by household in the THM program.
Target / Provided in Service Agreement.
Type of count / Cumulative
Counting rule / Count the number of new tenancies (by households) during the reporting period.
New tenancies are determined using commencement dates of support.
If a household exits accommodation and presents again after seven nights, this will be counted as a new tenancy.
Annual targets provided to service providers are divided by 12 to translate to monthly targets.
Counting rule example:
Monthly reporting: A family of four moves into a transitional property during the reporting month and stays for 18 months. They are only counted once, as one new tenancy, during the month that they moved into the property. They are not counted as new tenancies in subsequent months.
Monitoring frequency / Monthly / quarterly
Data source(s) collection / Tenancy data collection IT platform (for example, PAMS, Kipera, Specialist homeless services etc.)
Service delivery tracking system
Definition of terms / A tenancy is defined as the provision of a period of accommodation to a household.
A household is defined as a person or people who present a single application for assistance. An application may include more than one person being assisted (e.g. children and couples presenting a single application for assistance are not counted separately, but are counted as one household).
A new tenancy is defined as a tenancy which commenced during the reporting period. A tenancy commences on the day on which the client/s move into the property.
An existing tenancy is defined as a tenancy which was already in place at the beginning of the reporting period. It does not include any tenancy which commenced during the reporting period.
Data collection information
Data collection name / Data management system / Data set / Reporting cycle /Service delivery tracking (SDT) / SAMS2/FAC / Service delivery tracking (SDT) / Monthly
THM rental remittance report / Property management IT platform (PAMS and other property management packages). / Transitional housing management data collection
/ Monthly
Specialist homelessness services collection / Specialist Homelessness Information Platform (SHIP) / Specialist homelessness services collection provided to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. / Monthly
THM property reconciliation / Property management IT platforms used by organisations / Transitional housing management property data / Quarterly
Key documents
Mandatory
Homeless with Support Segment
http://www.providers.dhhs.vic.gov.au/homeless-support-segment
National Community Housing Standards
http://communitydoor.org.au/standards-and-accreditation
Victorian Gazetted Performance Standards for Registered Housing Providers
http://www.housingregistrar.vic.gov.au/Publications-and-guides/Performance-standards
Homelessness Services Guidelines and Conditions of Funding
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/201705/Homelessness-Services-Guidelines-and-Conditions-of-Funding-May-2014.pdf
Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework and Practice Guides 1-3 (2012)
http://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/publications/family-violence-risk-assessment-risk-management-framework-manual
To receive this publication in an accessible format, email Service Agreement Communications <>Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.
© State of Victoria, Department of Health and Human Services, 1 July 2017.
Where the term ‘Aboriginal’ is used it refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Indigenous is retained when it is part of the title of a report, program or quotation.
ISSN 2207-8347 (online)
Available on the department’s website <https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/policy-and-funding-guidelines
Volume 3: Chapter 4: Activity descriptions 5