2019-Wesley-Mission-Annual-Report - Flipbook - Page 29
More than a roof:
a pathway to
independence
Whether it’s supporting people
experiencing homelessness to
have somewhere safe to sleep,
ensuring that people with disability
access the right group home and
flatmates or finding permanent
homes for children in care… so
many of our services support
people to find a safe home
because it’s a vitally important
step in the journey to a stronger,
brighter future. But it’s only the
beginning.
Supporting people on their journey to a
stronger, independent future
If a client doesn’t have safe and secure
accommodation, the first step in the housing
journey is crisis accommodation. Here, a person
can stabilise their situation and after approximately
three months they can move to transitional housing.
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Transitional housing offers the next level of support
with people staying for up to 18 months, during
which time they’re able to receive a variety of
Wesley Mission and other support services to
address the underlying issues that lead to
homelessness. From transitional housing, people
can move into longer term housing options, either in
the private rental market with rent assistance, in
public housing, or general social housing operated
by Wesley Community Housing or another provider.
When a tenant occupies a Wesley Community
Housing property, they receive more than a roof
over their heads. Tenants are assisted to improve
their overall wellbeing through accessing
wraparound support including care from medical
health professionals and opportunities for
employment, training, social inclusion and financial
stability. In the last year Wesley Community Housing
tenants had new opportunities including the Career
Pathways pilot program and the opportunity to
complete training courses through Wesley
Vocational Institute.
Making houses homes. And homes,
communities
Wesley Community Housing manages over 300
tenancies throughout New South Wales (NSW) in
Sydney, the Central Coast and Newcastle, providing
support to individuals, families, young people, older
people and people with disability. The goal is to find
housing for clients who are generally on very low to
moderate incomes and are either homeless or at
risk of becoming homeless.
In 2017/18, significant work was undertaken to make
more homes available to more people by
refurbishing over 80 properties. The Land and
Housing Corporation, working with Wesley Mission,
invested in the refurbishment of the first of three
complexes in Hamilton South in Newcastle.
In December 2017, tenants were welcomed into their
refreshed spaces and we’ve already seen some
encouraging early signs of community engagement,
with seven out of 11 tenants attending the first
tenant meeting.
Being connected in community and investing into a
shared life together brings a richness to a tenant’s
everyday experience and supports people to leave
homelessness behind for good. In the coming year,
tenants, partners and volunteers will further add to
communal spaces with gardens and outdoor areas
for residents in Newcastle and Sydney West. A
comfortable, welcoming home environment can
have a significant positive impact on an individual’s
attitude and motivation and on the ability to foster
healthy relationships. It’s an impact that shouldn’t
be underestimated.
Finding children and young people safe,
permanent homes
Wesley Mission has long been considered a lead
organisation in out of home care in NSW. The focus
of our dedicated teams and carers has always been
to find children and young people safe, permanent
homes, with the first priority being family restoration
wherever it’s possible.
As a leader in the sector, the latest research informs
our processes and models, showing that the earlier
a child has a permanent home and support
structure, the better the outcome will be. As a result,
Wesley Mission was well placed to meet the new
contracting arrangements implemented by the
NSW Department of Family and Community
Services (FACS).
Over the past 12 months, we’ve successfully
transitioned our broad out of home care offering to
be ready for the full implementation of the FACS
Permanency Support Program. This process was
assisted by the Wesley Mission Project Governance
Group, which ensured the project met the timelines
and that all planned deliverables were achieved.
Filling a gap in disability accommodation for
young people
This year, we responded quickly to an urgent need
from two young people with disability sharing a
house in the Sydney suburb of Hunters Hill.
With just two days to make the necessary
arrangements, Wesley Mission was approached by
FACS to take on responsibility for managing the
house and delivering services to the clients.
After we met with the clients and their families to
discuss their needs and how Wesley Mission would
provide the support and services they needed, the
families agreed to transfer the services to Wesley
Mission. This put our organisational agility to the
test with mere hours to organise and implement the
transfer of services from the previous organisation.
To make the transition smoother and less stressful
for the young boys both aged 13 years and with
significant intellectual disabilities, the existing staff
were retained and became Wesley Mission
employees. As group homes are generally designed
to house people over 18 years, this is an example of
voluntary out of home care. With expertise in the
area of out of home care, Wesley Mission was
uniquely positioned to support these complex
needs through our Wesley Foster Care teams
and resources.
In a similar position, almost two years ago, we met
Elena, a mother in crisis because she could no
longer support her son’s complex needs in her own
home. With a property available, in a very short time
the space was transformed into a home for Elena’s
son Jack, aged 17, and another young man aged 16
with staff to deliver their support services.
These are both examples of how Wesley Mission
identifies, and addresses needs not being met by
the majority of the sector, demonstrating that every
life matters.
Newcastle Oasis
Wesley Oasis Centre Newcastle is a venue used to
provide structured support programs for people
who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Activities include mentoring, craft, living skills etc.
Participants are referred to the centre’s
programs from local specialist homelessness
service providers.
Local corporate support is provided via a generous
gift of $75,000 to continue this service for another
12 months and employ a support worker and
program resources.
In 2017/18, 22 per cent of the mothers had been
either homeless or at risk of homelessness when
they entered the program. When they completed the
program and exited residential accommodation,
100 per cent of the women were living in safe,
stable housing.
The assistance that Mums and Kids Matter offers
women (and their children) when they leave the
program goes beyond finding a place to live. Wesley
Mission staff assist the mothers and their children
with many components of settling into a new home
so that they can make a fresh start with their young
children. This can include obtaining birth certificates,
furniture, toys and other essentials, and practical
assistance such as with removalist fees.
Mums and Kids Matter helps vulnerable
women find safe, stable homes
Wesley Mission’s Mums and Kids Matter is a
state-wide program for mothers who have children
up to five years of age and are experiencing severe
and persistent mental health challenges.
This service is delivered in people’s homes where
possible, but many of the eligible mothers we work
with don’t have a home–or don’t have a safe
home–when they enter the program or they need
additional ‘Step-Down’ support to prevent
hospitalisation. These mothers can access our
residential units located in south-western Sydney
where they receive 24/7 support including mental
health nursing, psychological and therapeutic
support, general health care and family coaching to
implement recovery based strategies, assistance
with daily living activities and build on parenting,
independent living and coping skills.
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