We have consulted with DHHS, Haven, Launch and Neami, and we considered their views when reaching our audit conclusions. As required by the Audit Act 1994, we gave a draft copy of this report, or relevant extracts, to those agencies and asked for their submissions and comments. We also provided a copy of the report to the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Responsibility for the accuracy, fairness and balance of the comments submitted by audited agencies rests solely with the agency head.

Conclusion

Despite the stated HRSAP objective being to reduce homelessness, DHHS has no baseline from which to measure performance. Therefore, from the outset DHHS had no way to measure the achievement of the objective. 

The two performance measures in DHHS’s entity service agreements do not enable it to measure whether contracted entities are reducing the incidence and impacts of rough sleeping.

Conclusion

Delays in the establishment of modular units by DHHS, followed by delays by Neami in tenanting the units, meant that some HRSAP clients remained homeless for a period of time when accommodation should have been available.

While the audited entities have housed some people, their ability to do so is limited by issues beyond their control, including the rate of welfare payments, housing affordability and social housing availability.

Conclusion

DHHS's poor planning and implementation are limiting the potential of HRSAP to reduce the incidence and impacts of rough sleeping. 

DHHS did not set clear expectations and define roles and responsibilities. This meant audited entities did not have clarity about the services they should provide, and DHHS has not been able to meaningfully monitor and drive performance. 

In 2018–19, the Victorian Government spent $344.1 million addressing homelessness. In the four years prior, it averaged $265.3 million each year. Yet the number of people sleeping rough in Victoria has continued to rise, along with demand for homelessness services.

In January 2018, after extensive research and community consultation, the government launched HRSAP. This plan committed to reduce the incidence and impacts of rough sleeping by:

We have consulted with DHHS and FSV, and we considered their views when reaching our audit conclusions. As required by the Audit Act 1994, we gave a draft copy of this report, or relevant extracts, to those agencies and asked for their submissions and comments.

Responsibility for the accuracy, fairness and balance of those comments rests solely with the agency head.

Responses were received as follows:

• DHHS

RESPONSE provided by the Associate Secretary, DHHS

Effective performance monitoring is necessary to allow FSV to understand how hubs are supporting clients and to make changes when needed. A key task for FSV is to develop an approach which reflects the purpose of hubs and their partnership model of service delivery.

This Part discusses:

FSV has a key role to play in supporting hubs, such as by increasing coordination between services. Services working together is pivotal to support families and achieve the intent of the Royal Commission’s recommendations and the government’s policy commitments to implementing them. Hubs must also manage increasing demand for family violence services and make use of new powers to share information about client risks.

This Part discusses:

Opening the first hubs was a significant undertaking. FSV had to design a new service model, locate and fit out premises and develop new IT infrastructure. It also had to recruit FSV staff for its central office and hubs. This work was essential to ensure the new hubs were ready to support clients when they opened.

This Part discusses:

In response to the Royal Commission, FSV is setting up 17 hubs to make it easier for people who experience or perpetrate family violence, or families and children needing support, to get help. To do so, FSV must bring together different service providers into a new model of service delivery.

This audit examines whether DHHS and, in particular, FSV are supporting hubs to effectively and efficiently coordinate services for families.