In June 2025, Q Shelter’s Regional Representatives Forum was held on the Gold Coast to coincide with the National Homelessness Conference. We welcomed delegates from regions across Queensland.
Delegates included:
- Regional representatives from housing and homelessness networks across the state
- Service Integration Initiative (SII) coordinators
- Queensland housing peak partners
- Representatives from the Housing Older Women Movement (HOW M).
| Thursday, 19 June 2025 | Friday, 20 June 2025 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:30pm | Registration | 8:00am | Networking breakfast | |
| 1:00pm | Acknowledgement of Country, formal welcome | 9:00am | Table sessions with staff from Department of Housing & Public Works | |
| 1:10pm | Playback: November 2024 Regional Reps Forum | 10:15am | Facilitated plenary Q&A with Department of Housing & Public Works | |
| 1:20pm | Communique workshop 1 - Framing and survey results | 11:45am | Close | |
| 2:30pm | Afternoon tea break | 12:00pm | CEO & Leaders Forum kicks off | |
| 2:45pm | Case study 1 - Karakan STEPS | |||
| 3:00pm | Communique workshop 2 – Identify priorities / key questions for the Department on Day 2 | |||
| 3:45pm | Case Study 2 - Workforce Wellbeing | |||
| 4:00pm | Q Shelter updates | |||
| 4:30pm | Pulse check and Day 1 wrap up | |||
Case Study presentations
Karakan STEPS
Cameron Thayer from Karakan presented their STEPS transitional living and support service program.
Case Study 1 – About STEPS Transitional Living and Support Program June 2025
Key insights
- We must be willing to be uncomfortable and challenge the status quo (including our own) if we truly want to respond effectively to current and emerging unmet needs in community
- Place-based service design and delivery is the foundational first step to person-centred service being a reality in practice.
WellNow Program
Jo Draper from Q Shelter presented resources and activity from the WellNow program.
WellNow Presentation – Regional Reps June 2025
Key insights
The WellNow Wellbeing Framework and accompanying resource collection were developed to strengthen the wellbeing, resilience, and retention of Queensland’s housing and homelessness services workforce. Co-designed in consultation with sector professionals, the initiative provides a range of free, practical tools, templates, and frameworks. These are supported by a flexible series of workshops tailored to meet the diverse needs of individuals and organisations across the sector.
Since its launch in November 2024, WellNow has delivered 89 workshops and training sessions, engaging 354 organisations and reaching 898 participants. Through this work, the initiative has positively impacted an estimated 5,040 employees across Queensland’s housing and homelessness sector.
Watch the video Cameron shared during his presentation
Communiques from the forum
A key document produced at the forum is a communique, sent from forum delegates to the Department of Housing and Public Works, who also attended a panel Q&A session and table discussions on the second day. This communique is developed throughout the discussions to clearly communicate the key issues and concerns facing the sector across the state.
Regional delegates have been part of Q Shelter’s structure for more than 30 years, and it is an important network for engagement and policy development, and as a platform to amplify new initiatives and regional priority actions.
The communique document serves to support the Department dialogue session on the second day of the forum, and supports the ongoing advocacy work that we progress as a sector, as we work to improve the delivery of housing and homelessness services across the state.
The regional forum provides an important opportunity to strengthen networks and make important connections across our state. We believe we are “better together”, and are always looking for ways to demonstrate how we are working together to promote our sector.
