Timings
We are getting ready to commission with further timings to be shared, this is where we are at:
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Discover 2018 - 2021
Cycle 1 and Cycle 2
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Strategise 2018 - 2021
Cycle 1 and Cycle 2
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Design 2018 - 2021
Cycle 1 and Cycle 2
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Invest 2021 - 2022
Cycle 1 and Cycle 2
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Deliver 2019 - 2025
Cycle 1 and Cycle 2
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Integrate 2019 -2022
Case Study: Safe and Connected Youth Pilot
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Evaluate 2019 – 2025
Release of the Safe and Connected Youth background paper
Cycle: 2
Commissioner: Community Services Directorate
Status: Delivery
We maintain collaboration between sector partners and commissioner to deliver the desired outcomes. In this phase we will:
- Establish our partnership that ensures:
- service outcomes are met and evidenced with data
- the voices of people with lived experience continuously inform service delivery
- maintain dialogue that meets the needs of commissioner and service provider
- promote open, transparent conversations regarding risks, challenges and opportunities
- Cultivate flexible service delivery
- Demonstrate impact through outcomes reporting
- Deliver in partnership to meet the needs of the community through the service.
Background
Commissioning is our opportunity to ensure the Children Services Program is meeting the needs of our growing population with the ACT being home to more than 78,000 children and young people and 119,752 families.
Young people in our community experiencing conflict, upheaval or crisis at home often had nowhere to go and were at risk of homelessness. No one service provider held the solution to the complex needs of 8–15-year-olds who sometimes needed temporary accommodation to stay safe and connected to family or education and training.
Engagement and collaboration
The Commissioner (government) engaged and collaborated with peak advocacy organisations and multiple service providers to understand the complex needs of 8–15-year-olds and designed a pilot program now known as Safe and Connected Youth to meet their needs.
Together we ensured the lived experience of children, young people and their families informed the design of the pilot program while tapping into community sector intelligence and experience within Canberra and across Australia.
During the pilot we continued to collaborate – government, peak organisations, service providers and young people – to continuously improve the program. We then collectively had a live example and evidence of how the program was meeting community need and we used this to inform a business case for further funding and ongoing service delivery.
Today, the Safe and Connected Youth program continues to improve how it meet the needs of young Canberrans at risk of homelessness, with ongoing investment.
The Commissioner thanks the Youth Coalition of the ACT, the partners in the Safe and Connected Youth pilot project and Uniting Communities SA for their valuable contributions to this work.
Timings
We are getting ready to commission with further timings to be shared, this is where we are at:
Discover | Cycle 1 - May 2018 – February 2019 / Cycle 2- July 2021 |
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Strategise | Cycle 1 - May 2018 – February 2019 / Cycle 2 – July – August 2021 |
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Design | Cycle 1 – March 2018 – June 2019 / Cycle 2 – July – September 2021 |
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Invest | Cycle 1 – June 2021 / Cycle 2 – September 2021 – March 2022 |
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Deliver | Cycle 1 – July 2019 – March 2022 / Cycle 2 –April 2022 – 2025 |
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Integrate | 2019 -2022 Cycle 1: Case Study: Safe and Connected Youth Pilot |
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Evaluate | Cycle 1 – 2019 – 2021 / Cycle 2 – 2022 – 2025 Release of the Safe and Connected Youth background paper which seeks to build a shared understanding of the service models and next steps for this program. The paper, developed in partnership with the Youth Coalition of the ACT, establishes the context for delivering the service and the evaluation of the Safe and Connected Youth pilot. The paper draws on extensive engagement with the sector and other stakeholders through the development and implementation of the pilot program. Safe and Connected Youth – Coordinated Service Response – Background Paper |
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Contact us
To learn more about the process email Health and Community Services Directorate: HCSDCommissioning@act.gov.au
What we are looking at, listening to, and sharing
We are working with partners and the sector to continually improve the program:
- Identifying emerging needs and service gaps
- Developing better linkages and coordination across service delivery
- Evaluating how the program is meeting community needs
- Reporting on outcomes for 8–15-year-olds participating in the program
- Sharing insights with related services and commissioning cycles addressing needs for vulnerable children, young people, and families.
Who is involved
We continue to work with Youth Coalition of the ACT and our service partners. We also listen to a wide range of perspectives, and experiences including people accessing the program or those who have accessed the program in the past as well as organisations involved in providing support services to children, young people, and families.
We will use your views to
- Innovate ways we can address the service gaps
- Ensure program outcomes in line with the ACT Wellbeing Framework
Related commissioning cycles
We are listening to, connecting with, and drawing from these related commissioning cycles:
Key links
We are referencing the following plans, strategies, and frameworks in this cycle:
Page updated: 26 Nov 2025
