‘Cared for Enough to be Involved’ Client Participation in the Homelessness Service System Bethany Johnson, Community Programs – Housing North West Metropolitan Region

Jeremy ‘Empowerment and participation make sense for consumers, because when you’ve experienced rejection you can see it. You’re sensitive to it. It reminds you of stuff in the past. I’m not liked or loved, but I need to know that I’m cared for, cared for enough to be involved.’

LASN Client Participation Project A working group was established in 2010 in order to Research and model best practice relating to client participation and feedback in homelessness services Develop mechanisms to channel client perspectives into NWMR homelessness service system (HSS) strategic planning Evaluate client experiences of HSS, especially in light of recent reforms Working group is a partnership between 6 homelessness services Community Programs – Housing

Client Participation in the Homelessness Context Client-centric service system Great diversity amongst clients Protracted states of crisis Experiences of social exclusion Feelings of vulnerability to homelessness assistance services ‘If you have any negative comments on the service it’s like, “There’s the door.” ’

Key Learnings A range of client participation strategies are in place across the region, but these aren’t visible to clients ‘We don’t have the opportunity to be involved.’ Clients are eager to offer insights, especially on structural issues ‘Case management meetings are about how I’m going. I want to look at the bigger picture.’ The particular participation strategy is of lesser importance than the availability and accessibility of opportunities for client involvement Meaningful client participation has a range of benefits ‘I really enjoy interviewing peers as it’s inspirational to me to know that I’m not alone in what I’ve been through.’ Individual client-worker relationships are of utmost importance in facilitating meaningful client involvement ‘I have a new worker. She doesn’t really know me. She sorta talks about one thing too far that I don’t need to know about. I wouldn’t talk to her.’ Barriers to meaningful client involvement currently exist

Approach to Enhanced Client Involvement Encouraging a more client-inclusive culture Implementation of a strategy that is Multifaceted Able to collect informal feedback Highly visible Regular and ongoing Cyclical ‘It would be good if you fed back to management, then management fed back to you.’

Potential Expansions Embedding a client-inclusive practice approach Client participation as everyday practice rather than an adjunct to service delivery Delivering client-driven services Enhanced responsiveness and effectiveness Broadening the scope of client involvement Skills acquisition, social inclusion, empowerment