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YP4 – Joining up services for Homeless jobseekers

Key Finding and Learnings

Reflecting on the initial challenges of establishing YP4, some themes are already starting to emerge. One such theme is about the trade-off between flexibility and security. YP4's challenge is to somehow hold and stay with the tension of, on the one hand, wanting to have and offer flexibility to clients, provide concessions and exemptions from business rules and work outside normal program parameters, yet on the other hand, needing certainty and security about the service on offer to clients.

A second theme centres on the role of trust and goodwill in building a new paradigm of joined up practice. It seems that the currency of the YP4 paradigm is trust and goodwill and an insistence on the documentation of agreements would be counter-productive; slowing down the integration process, inviting caution and ultimately not producing the best results. Creative strategies are required for acknowledging, harnessing and building the trust and goodwill that is so critical for the successful development and establishment of YP4.

The third and final theme is about privacy and confidentiality. Privacy issues inevitably arise when sharing information (which is a precursor to delivering a joined up service).

Early conclusions from YP4 can be summarised as follows:

  1. There is considerable and widespread goodwill and interest to join up services and programs, however, this is rarely translated effectively into action. There are a range of systemic, structural, technical and cultural barriers to joined up practice that serve to prevent its implementation. These barriers are likely to vary across different jurisdictions.
  2. It is easy to underestimate the complexity of joining up services and programs, and the length of time that it takes. Joining up services and programs is a time-consuming and challenging exercise: It has both costs and risks.
  3. To be effective, joining up activities must happen in at every level simultaneously - through direct contact with clients, in local communities, in government departments, and in politicians' offices.
  4. Joining up must also happen across many functions simultaneously. For example, joined up accountability process and joined up governance and leadership is just as important as joined up case work practice for clients.
  5. The process of joining up programs and services does not end. Disincentives for joining up will continue to appear and will require ever-creative responses.

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