Affirming our organisation’s commitment to inspiring our case managers to gain broader perspectives as practitioners from other specialist housing and homelessness services, our inCommunity Connect Study Tour recently took place in Cairns for the third consecutive year!
Five members of the inCommunity Connect Team, including our two case manager interns, flew to Far North Queensland to gather insights from respected community organisations delivering services to people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
A Breadth of Services
The generosity of the Cairns community sector was once again a highlight for the inCommunity Connect team, who enjoyed spending time with a variety of services as part of the two-day Study Tour, including:
- Anglicare’s St Margaret’s Young Women’s Shelter, St John’s Young Men’s Shelter, QHome Accommodation and Mobile Support Services, and Homeless Hub.
- Mission Australia’s Douglas House – Supported Housing Accommodation and Woree House – Transitional Supported Housing Accommodation.
Our case managers were super impressed by the variety of services delivering targeted crisis accommodation to meet the needs of the various demographics of people experiencing homelessness in the vibrant, tropical city.
“I think for the most part, all of the services were very much about community engagement and getting tenants not only out in the community but also providing them with the opportunity to be part of the community.
I also liked seeing structured accommodation with additional supports such as budgeting, employment assistance – it was more of a supported living situation, not just accommodation.
It was very much about creating and engaging with community – I loved that!”
Dwanette, Case Manager
Spending time with like-minded services also opened up local insights into how systemic disadvantage can be further pronounced during a person’s experience of homelessness, as other challenges they are experiencing are compounded by not having a stable home.
“That was a standout for me, understanding how further disadvantage can occur when people are experiencing homelessness, especially when sleeping rough.”
Kim, Case Manager
Understanding the Prevalence of Homelessness in Another Community
Working day-to-day with people on their pathways to stable housing, our case managers are aware of the need for specialist housing and homelessness services like ours in the Ipswich community. By travelling further afield to the Cairns community, our team gained a broader understanding of the needs in other regions.
“Witnessing the magnitude of homelessness outside of the Ipswich region was a huge eye-opener, and it made me realise the number of community services that are working hard to support people experiencing homelessness.”
Mila, Case Manager Intern
Australia-wide specialist housing and homelessness services are supporting more and more Australians each year, with data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) showing that 289,000 clients were supported in 2024-2025 (1), an increase of 3.2% from the previous year (2).
Spending time with the Cairns-based services gave our case managers another community’s perspectives that underscore these statistics.
“Each of the services we visited agreed that the prevalence of homelessness has exploded, and they too are experiencing a growing number of referrals.”
Zali, Case Manager Intern
With AIHW also reporting that 1 in 10 people seeking support are children and youth aged 10-17 years (1) in 2024-2025, the Study Tour highlighted the need for Cairns services to support this cohort experiencing homelessness.
“There was also a lot of talk about the youth foyer being built in Cairns and how this would be a great assistance to address the youth homelessness in Cairns. I look forward to the Ipswich youth foyer opening for young people in our community too.”
Carly, Case Manager
The Value of the Study Tour
On reflection upon their return, it is clear that once more, the inCommunity Connect team found the Study Tour to be both informative for each case manager’s professional growth and also a fantastic opportunity to bond with colleagues in a new setting.
“The Study Tour has given me a fresh perspective on the kind of support I can provide to community members going forward.”
Mila, Case Manager Intern
“Overall, I really enjoyed the trip, it was super interesting!”
Carly, Case Manager
“I really enjoyed the study tour! The good vibe in Cairns was palpable!”
Zali, Case Manager Intern
All up an inspiring time spent alongside Cairns-based practitioners doing incredible work delivering services that contribute to a world that we imagine: where all people have the opportunity and inspiration to reach their potential and live a life that they are truly proud of.
With thanks to the Anglicare and Mission Australia teams for your time and insights.
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(1)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/homelessness-and-homelessness-services
(2) https://www.pc.gov.au/ongoing/report-on-government-services/housing-homelessness/
