HOMELESS2HOME

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:32): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Social Housing a question relating to the homeless2Home computer database.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: On Wednesday 2 May, in answer to a question from the Hon. Jing Lee about the troubled homeless2Home computer database, the minister identified that planning for a second release of H2H is underway. He said the second release is expected to overcome many of the current issues that users have with the system. My questions to the minister are:

1. When will the second release of H2H occur?

2. What is the total budget for the implementation of the H2H system?

3. Are there any unbudgeted costs associated with the rollout of H2H?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:33): I thank the honourable member for his most important question and his continued interest in this matter. The homeless2Home case management system provides a single statewide case management and information management system to the South Australian specialist homelessness sector. The H2H case management system is used by all agencies in the homelessness sector in South Australia, and that is an important advance.

It is designed to support the pathway of clients through the sector, enabling clients to access the service system at any point and ensuring that clients only need to tell their story once to government or service providers. The system promotes consistent service provision and integration across the service sector. Significant and robust consultation was undertaken across government and non-government stakeholders throughout the planning and development of the H2H system. The general uptake across the sector has been very successful, with a high number of user logins—I am advised that is the technical term. I have no idea what it is, but I am sure it is very useful.

Users in general have been positive about the increased capacity for cross-agency integrated service responses that the system provides. H2H was developed following advice from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 2010 that they were decommissioning the former electronic National Minimum Data Set (NMDS) collection tool for specialist homelessness services and would not be replacing that system. The responsibility for providing ongoing data for the commonwealth government was then placed on separate jurisdictions. South Australia led the way in developing H2H to deliver national minimum data requirements incorporated into a statewide client and case management system. Other jurisdictions have requested assistance from the commonwealth government after failing to develop their own data collection systems, I am advised.

As a result, the AIHW responded with a Specialist Homelessness Information Platform (SHIP), which is now used in all other jurisdictions to report on the NMDS. As well as collecting data, H2H is designed to improve client outcomes and efficiencies within the sector by enabling clients to enter the homelessness service system through any homelessness service, ensuring there is no wrong door; improving information sharing and referrals between agencies; reducing the reporting burden for agencies; and supporting consistent service responses for clients by providing a standardised case management tool set.

Housing SA has a robust system to support the uptake and ongoing use of H2H across the homelessness sector and that includes regular ongoing training to existing and new users, a free-call helpdesk for H2H users available from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday, an H2H online support page, and information and consultation sessions to individual agencies to assist with troubleshooting dilemmas and barriers to uptake.

Whilst the feedback from users to date has been largely positive, we are still working on improvements to the service. This of course will be frustrating for people, but that is just part of the rollout of a new system like this. I understand that there have been some reports in the media about this system. Unfortunately they do not go to the depth of the system; they just report on the initial issues that have been raised while we have been—I suppose the term is—beta-testing it. I am advised that the support from the sector is very positive.

I am advised that in a recent workshop with senior staff, Housing SA received commendations from the AIHW and H2H which acknowledged the system as superior to that available in other jurisdictions. They recognise H2H as having an advantage over SHIP, as it allows for statewide collectability of clients within specialist homelessness services. I am advised that the AIHW reported that other jurisdictions were aspiring to a similar standard but had significant work that they needed to do to catch up to H2H.

I am also advised that the H2H system developed by Housing SA was a finalist in the Excellence in e-Government Awards in the category of applications development. These awards recognise the most outstanding initiatives in any government across five ICT disciplines. I am also further advised that on 5 July 2012 H2H was awarded a merit for the 2012 SA iAwards (that is South Australian iAwards) and was selected as a finalist for the 2012 national iAwards in the category of outstanding ICT innovation dedicated to delivering improved government service delivery or other electronic initiatives to the community. Finalists for the 2012 national iAwards will be announced at some stage in August, I am advised.