Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC)

The SHSC collects information about people who are referred to, or seek assistance from, specialist homelessness services (SHS) agencies. These services collect the data on an ongoing basis and are responsible for submitting the data to the AIHW on a monthly basis. There are two parts to the SHSC — a Client collection and an Unassisted Persons collection. • The Client collection captures information on adults and children who receive a service from an SHS agency. • The Unassisted Person collection is used to gain information about adults and children whose request for service is not able to be met by an SHS agency.Client collection - The base unit is a person who presents to an SHS agency requesting services. A person becomes a ‘client’ once they receive a service(s). A ‘support period’ is the period of time a client receives assistance from a SHS agency. It relates to the provision of a service and/or supported accommodation. During a support period, a range of services additional to supported accommodation can be provided. Detail on types of services provided is also available. Unassisted persons collection - Comprises information on the number of instances where a person received no immediate services from a SHS agency. Details of all agencies participating in the SHSC are on the Specialist Homelessness Establishment Database file. Information is submitted to the AIHW monthly.