Social Procurement Case Study: Department of Human Services Security and Concerige Services
Through innovative thinking and a partnership with the Brotherhood of St Laurence, the Department of Human Services created an opportunity to increase employment rates within the municipality of the City of Yarra and increase the safety of local residents.
Quick Links: Setting - Innovation - Key social deliverables - Into the future
The high-rise public housing estates in Fitzroy and Collingwood have been linked to social issues such as the long-term unemployment and complex social issues. The Department of Human Services (DHS) contracted security services 34for these estates in response to peoples concerns about safety. Without effective engagement with residents, the resources, energy and effort that had been invested into addressing the issues were not improving the situation. Meanwhile the estates experienced 95% joblessness.
An opportunity was identified to link the public housing estate employment with a more tailored service response. The DHS, through Neighbourhood Renewal, worked in partnership with the Brotherhood of St Laurence in a joint venture to develop the Community Contact Service – a social enterprise that provides concierge services at the base of seven high rise housing estates in Collingwood and Fitzroy. The Community Contact Service was established to:
- provide information and support services for tenants
- control building access
- offer liaison services with the DHS and other service providers to ensure that the estates are safe, clean and functional.
The Community Contact Service was also developed as a intermediate labour market program, providing public housing tenants with 12 months of supported employment and training followed by support to find further employment at the end of their traineeship.
The outcomes and benefits of the Community Contact Service contract included:
- increased employment and training opportunities for tenants
- improved physical environment and sense of safety in the estates
- decreased turnover of residents and greater levels of social capital
- greater resident pride in the community
- increased tenant income and greater spending power.
The Community Contact Service has grown substantially and now provides approximately 20 jobs each year for public housing tenants, with 80% of these employees transitioning to mainstream employment positions after 12 months.
Although it was developed through a partnership, after an initial period of development and refinement the model was taken to market to compete for tenders in a competitive environment. The Brotherhood successfully tendered for these services and are now delivering Community Contact Services in high-rise public housing estates in Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond.
