This research project examines the effectiveness of Australia’s supported accommodation services in meeting the needs of unaccompanied children and young people aged 12 to 24. It proposes principles to guide policy and practice toward a better system. The project engaged 80 young people and practitioners across Tasmania and Victoria.

Unaccompanied children and young people experiencing homelessness are at risk of significant lifelong negative outcomes. Supported accommodation services are a critical response to homelessness; however, these services do not always meet this cohort’s needs. A strengthened system of care is required to better align services to unaccompanied young people’s needs.

This report presents an adaptable, supported accommodation care continuum aligned to the contemporary care needs of unaccompanied children and young people experiencing homelessness. Its aim is to guide future service-strengthening and investment.

Key findings

• Across Australia, significant numbers of children and young people are experiencing homelessness unaccompanied by a parent or guardian. 
• Supported accommodation services are critical to efforts to respond to unaccompanied children and young people experiencing homelessness. However, it is unclear how effective existing services are at meeting their
  divergent needs.
• Participants revealed that supported accommodation services do not always meet the age-related and developmental needs of unaccompanied children and young people. This is due to design and resourcing constraints.