Services
Initial Assessment and Planning
VincentCare is the Access Point for anybody experiencing, or at risk of homelessness in Hume and Merri-bek.
VincentCare’s Initial Assessment and Planning Team (IAP) operates one of five Access Points in the North West metropolitan region. An Access Point is a formally recognised and designated entry point for clients to access resources provided by the homelessness service system. This Access Point covers both the Hume and Merri-bek Local Government Areas.
Eligibility
IAP is a generalist mainstream service that works with anyone 16 years or older who is experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis.
Supports and services our program provides
The Initial Assessment and Planning Team is responsible for:
- Providing information on accommodation options, including immediate/crisis accommodation, private rental, and social housing
- Undertaking assessments to identify what type of support a person may require and what options may be available to them
- Making referrals to appropriate support and accommodation services
- Undertaking safety and risk assessments
- Arranging and purchasing emergency accommodation using Housing Establishment Funds (HEF), and
- Providing assistance and advocacy to resolve tenancy issues with real estate agents and private landlords
As an Access Point, the IAP Team is required to assess and prioritise clients for support and housing vacancies. If a client is matched to a resource vacancy advertised to the Access Point, it is the role of the IAP Team to, with consent, send the client’s information and assessment to the relevant service.
Contact us
You can make direct contact with the IAP Team either by phone (9304 0100) or in person at VincentCare’s Northern Community Hub (175 Glenroy Road, Glenroy).
The service is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and you don’t need to make an appointment to speak to somebody.
If you need an interpreter, the IAP Team have access to both phone and face-to-face interpreters.
