Youth Initiative

Youth Initiative (YI) is a support service for young people leaving statutory out-of-home care (OOHC). It is for young people who are identified as being vulnerable to experiencing homelessness on exit from care. The program aims to:

• build the long-term capacity and resilience of young people
• permanently divert them from the homelessness service system.

Resources for case workers and service providers:

Who benefits?

All young people who meet the following criteria are screened to see if they're eligible for YI:

• They are in out-of-home care in YI delivery locations.
• They are between 16 and 18 years old.

Young Aboriginal people leaving OOHC have a greater risk of homelessness than non-Aboriginal young people. So all Aboriginal young people between 16 and 18 years old in OOHC are eligible for YI.

We provide eligibility lists to YI services. These services then manage the process of offering help to eligible young people.

YI also accepts Community Referrals. Young people can be referred by:

• medical professionals
• educational institutions, or
• other service providers

as long as the young person is

• between 16 and 21 years old
• has a history of OOHC.

To receive YI via a community referral, a young person must be able to live independently after up to 3 years of support. The program must also have a vacancy. YI service providers will consult with a caseworker when assessing a young person's suitability for the program.

What are the benefits for young people participating in the Youth Initiative?

YI provides young people leaving OOHC with a combination of:

• personal advice
• mentoring
• transitional support
• accommodation.

Young people entering YI have access to:

1. A personal advisor

The personal advisor acts as central contact for all YI services. They act as mentors on how to live independently. The Personal Advisor will:

• support the young person to identify and work toward their personal and leaving care plan goals
• connect them to positive personal support networks
• help the young person access any support services they need.

2. Education and Employment Mentoring

All young people entering YI will have access to education and employment mentoring. This will help them understand their interests and aptitude. This then helps them identify and find suitable:

• education
• training, or
• employment options.

3. Transitional Support Worker

Some young people in the program will need extra help to manage a tenancy. These young people will have a Transitional Support Worker (TSW). The TSW will help them develop their skills and knowledge to manage their own accommodation, both currently and in the future.

4. Accommodation

Some young people in the program will be offered subsidised accommodation.

YI participants receiving accommodation in the program may have the chance to take over the tenancy when they are ready to exit the program.

Where is the Youth Initiative available?

YI is available in the following DCJ districts:

• Hunter Central Coast
• Illawarra Shoalhaven and Southern NSW
• Mid North Coast and Northern NSW
• Nepean Blue Mountains
• New England
• South West Sydney
• Western NSW 

Evaluation of the Youth Initiative

In 2016 the Department of Communities and Justice engaged:

• the Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI)
• its partners Monash University and the Behavioural Insights Team.

They were asked to deliver an evaluation of YI, then known as the Premier’s Youth Initiative pilot. Findings from the evaluation were positive. They showed that YI is a promising intervention for diverting young people exiting out-of-home-care from the homelessness service system.

The report delivers important findings and recommendations. These have guided the next steps for delivering this program.

Evaluation of the Premier’s Youth Initiative