SUPPORT PARTNERSHIPS
Southern Cross Housing provides temporary and permanent accommodation to some of the most vulnerable people in our community. By working collaboratively with external support providers, our applicants and tenants experience better outcomes and an increase in life satisfaction.
Our core competency is the delivery of housing-related services, as well as sector coordination and support. Our care and support model builds on this strength, along with those of our partners.
OUR MODEL OF CARE AND SUPPORT
RECOGNISE
We will all need help at one point in our lives, and you should never feel ashamed asking for it. Our staff encourage applicants and tenants to reach out and connect with us if they are experiencing a difficult time in their life, so we can link them to the support services that will help them get back on their feet.
Our staff are trained to identify subtle changes in a tenant’s behaviour that could indicate the need for assistance from our support partners. These signs may include a change in a person’s behaviour, their property condition, or their finances. Remember, you don’t have to wait for us to offer assistance, you can reach out to us at any moment to have a chat about anything you think is a barrier for you living your best life.
RESPOND
Whether we identify a need for assistance, or you reach out to us for support, our response will be appropriate and tailored to your needs. For an urgent or crisis situation, this may mean providing an emergency response plan by the team to keep you and/or your family safe. For non-urgent situations, this may mean requesting further information relating to your circumstance, so we can identify the most appropriate service/s for you. During these conversations, we will discuss our privacy and confidentiality policies and ensure we have your informed consent to exchange information with the agreed support agency.
* In certain urgent and crisis situations (such as someone’s life being in danger) we may not ask for consent, however will act quickly and confidentially to respond to the situation in an appropriate and professional matter.
REFER
While SCH specialises in social and affordable housing, we understand the relationship between structural factors (such as unemployment and poverty) and personal circumstances (such as poor mental health, intellectual disability, addiction issues and family breakdown), and how these influence someone’s risk of becoming homeless. That’s why we have developed a strong support service network with other service providers in the Illawarra, South Coast and Snowy Monaro areas. There are two ways to make a referral, you can ask for us to make a referral on your behalf, this involves SCH providing the information you have shared with us to the support service, or we can provide the contact information of the support service to allow you to self-refer. If you would like more information regarding the support services available to you, contact us via phone or email.
REVIEW
After some time following the initial referral, our team will contact you to ensure the support service offered to you meet your expectations and improved your situation. Where appropriate, we may continue to work with you and the support service to help sustain your tenancy. You can withdraw your consent at any time, meaning you’re in control of your information and who has access to it.
* In some cases, withdrawing your consent can negatively impact your tenancy, however this will be explained to you prior, allowing you to make an informed decision.
REFLECT
Each referral outcome is de-identified and recorded to allow SCH to monitor the success of the services we refer our applicants and tenants to, and enables SCH to enhance its referral practices. If you have feedback regarding the way we provided support, or the quality of service from the support agency we referred you to, we encourage you to email feedback@scch.org.au detailing your experience. Your feedback will contribute to SCH’s improvement plans and enhance our service provision for future applicants and tenants.