Updates and Frequently Asked Questions
Commissioning Outcomes - Homelessness Sector Updates April 2025 [PDF 280]
Commissioning Outcomes – Homelessness Sector - Frequently Asked Questions April 2025 [PDF 260KB]
Latest Update – May 2025
Central Intake Service
A Request for Proposal, PICS0004097, Central Intake Service was released to the market on 9 October 2024 and closed 12 November 2024. The procurement remains an active process.
Woden Community Service (WCS) currently delivers the ACT Government’s central intake service (OneLink) for specialist homelessness support and children, youth and families services.
WCS has extended the service until 30 November 2025.
Background
Over the two years, CSD has been working with a wide range of stakeholders to plan, design and improve service models for homelessness services. Collaborations have involved people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, peak bodies and services providers delivering homelessness supports.
The aim of this work being to create greater flexibility, adaptability and certainty for our service system. A system set up in this way means we can work more collaboratively to innovate, trial and adapt new methods of delivery that best supports the needs of Canberrans.
Underpinned by a commissioning approach, the range of conversations have helped to:
- design innovative ways to address identified service gaps
- refine the Homelessness Outcomes Framework and align with the ACT Wellbeing Framework
- design and improve service models for all priority populations
- inform contractual principles and the approach for new Partnership Agreements.
To find out more about this work, you can navigate through the below phases of the commissioning cycle.
Cycle: 1
Commissioner: Community Services Directorate
Status: Investment
The ACT Government has released the Homelessness Strategic Investment Plan outlining the next stage of the commissioning process to deliver the supports and services needed to help those facing homelessness. Visit the Invest section of this page to find out more about specific investment activities.
Discover
The Discover phase provides an opportunity to develop a good understanding of the challenges, issues, gaps and opportunities by bringing information together. It’s a time to document what is already known and what could be possible to explore through the commissioning cycle.
In addition to insights and data available through historical pieces, 3 key activities informed the Discover phase, these are:
Strategise
The Strategise phase provides an opportunity to consolidate a wide range of data and information through a Needs Assessment. In the Strategise phase, we work with sector partners and people with a Lived Experience to validate the needs of the community, better understand service provision, identify service gaps and duplication, and consider what service and community outcomes are possible through Commissioning.
Design
The Design phase is where essential collaboration between commissioner, sector partners, service providers and other stakeholders takes place. The Design phase enables us to examine, shape and involved services, and align key service models and characteristics with desired health and wellbeing outcomes for the community.
Invest
The Invest phase provides an opportunity to define our approach to market and investing in health services which meet the needs of the ACT community, in accordance with the Territory’s Value for Money Considerations.
Deliver
The Deliver phase is all about delivering high quality homelessness services, monitoring the reach and impact of homelessness services and drawing on lessons learned to inform future Commissioning cycles.
Integrate
The Integrate phase is about integrating the knowledge and experience gained from previous commissioning cycles into future commissioning cycles as part of a quality improvement and continuous system reform approach.
How to get involved
To learn more about the homelessness services commissioning cycle or to contribute your insights, please email: CSDSHHS@act.gov.au
Page updated: 28 May 2025
