MP Justin Clancy calls for NSW government to extend funding for the Albury Project

In an address to parliament on Tuesday, August 22, Albury MP Justin Clancy called for the continued support of the program that delivers life-changing homelessness and mental health support for youth.

The social program, which Mr Clancy explained had been running in his electorate since 2019, provides critical predictors of potential homelessness and provides a vital early intervention system schools can use to support a young person - before it's too late.

The Albury Project "supports young people to respond to factors in their life that could increase their chances of one day becoming homeless or leaving school early without a plan for what's next", Mr Clancy said during his representation to parliament.

"In participating schools (Albury, Murray and James Fallon high schools), students complete a survey which requires answers to questions about their experience of school, of home life, of friendships and relationships, of culture and conflict.

"These surveys can reveal the emergence of elements which are known factors in homelessness (and) through this research, experts are learning to read the signs.

"The Albury Project then pulls into place service and community partners to work with that child, their family and school."

Mr Clancy pointed out that the power of this project is that it is not about "crisis management"; it's a process for "intervention and positive interaction at an early stage for an individual student".

In 2019 Albury's YES Unlimited was successful in obtaining government funding for the program, based on the Geelong Project.

Since then the principals of all three high schools involved have remarked on the improved processes - and outcomes - achieved for their students, Mr Clancy explained.

He read to the parliament a combined statement from Albury High School principal Darryl Ward, James Fallon High School principal Jennifer Parrett and Murray High School principal Norman Meader:

"Before the Albury Project, if we had an issue with a young person that required an 'outside of the school gate' response, we would make a referral to DCJ or some other agency.

"This was a slow process. Sometimes we wouldn't hear anything back.

"Having Albury Project workers based in the school - as part of the school - is crucial ... We now have a workforce that can work both inside and outside the school gate and with families and undertake roles and supports that are outside the purview of school staff."

Mr Clancy also referred to comments made by Yes Unlimited CEO Di Glover who said one of the biggest outcomes of the project is a move towards providing an integrated/systems-based response to early intervention as a collective of schools and service providers.

And that "the project has become an essential mechanism for engaging young people earlier and in a more targeted way".

Mr Clancy was at pains to emphasise that the positive outcomes had been achieved "by changing the way our systems work, not just providing more and more programs".

"This has all occurred in the context of bushfires and COVD, a tough time to be piloting a model like this."

Pilot funding through the Department of Communities and Justice officially concludes in December 2023 with schools and support agencies eagerly awaiting to hear of an extension, Mr Clancy said.

"The Albury Project has already generated improved processes for schools and students," he said.

"Many people are putting in the hours to explore this new way of working, and the NSW government's financial support has encouraged and enabled this to happen.

"I am making representation to the Minister to continue this support for The Albury Project, as our state targets homelessness and mental health wellbeing for our youth."

In the past four years almost 10,000 surveys have been completed, with project partners pro-actively looking for young people at risk of homelessness, school disengagement or mental health issues. Reviews of the data (between 2019 and 2023) reveal: