Statements
Homelessness—Find My Way
Ministerial statement
Hon Matthew Swinbourn (East Metropolitan Region—Minister for Homelessness) (1:06 pm): I am pleased to inform the house that Find My Way, Western Australia's online homelessness services portal, was launched on 1 April. The Cook Labor government has provided $2.25 million for the development and support of Find My Way. Find My Way is a free online service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It displays available homelessness services, connects people to service providers across WA and assists people experiencing or at risk of homelessness to inquire about accommodation and available support services.
Find My Way supports All paths lead to a home: Western Australia's 10-year strategy on homelessness 2020–2030. It uses a no-wrong-door approach to service delivery. The no-wrong-door blueprint introduces two information technology platforms—a digital “front door” and a “One Story” database. The digital front door is a mobile-enabled web application that serves as an integrated homelessness service directory, with both accommodation and support service providers. The One Story database enables people experiencing homelessness to store their stories in the form of common assessment data and elect to share this data with service providers. This function avoids the trauma and frustration involved in retelling their story multiple times with different providers.
Find My Way also includes homelessness services connectors provided by Centrecare’s Entrypoint service. Homelessness services connectors link people not already connected to homelessness services by helping with referrals and, where appropriate, nominate Find My Way users to accommodation or support at a rough sleeper coordination group. This will provide more equitable access to homelessness services for people who are not connected to existing services, such as those living in areas with few services or those who may not know about or feel comfortable accessing mainstream services such as engagement hubs.
Find My Way is an excellent example of working together to meet the challenge of bringing the no-wrong-door principle to life. Find My Way is a result of a partnership between Department of Communities, Infoxchange, Anglicare WA, Anthologie and Third Story. The development and design phases of Find My Way has involved extensive consultation with the sector, service providers and service users, including the Lived Experience Advisory Group. I thank everyone involved in the development of Find My Way, which can be accessed online via a smart phone or computer, including computers at local libraries and engagement hubs, by visiting www.findmyway.org.au.
