Guidelines for the Expenditure of Brokerage Dollars(SFYS)

Issues

A number of agencies and regional staff have requested guidelines around possible uses of brokerage dollars for the School Focused Youth Service. The use of brokerage dollars has also been an issue for discussion amongst a number of School Focused Youth Service Regional Advisory Groups.

Requests for clarification have focused on both the process for allocating brokerage dollars and the range of services to be purchased.

The guidelines below are intended to assist RAGS, Cluster Advisory Groups, DHS and DoE regions, schools and services in making decisions for the use of brokerage dollars attached to the SFYS.

Process

The tender documentation describes brokerage in section 3.2 Core Components, as:

''the purchase of services through brokerage funds to address current gaps in service availability as identified by the schools and community clusters''.

The School Focused Youth Service is therefore required to develop close linkages with Government Catholic and Independent Schools, with school support personnel located within schools, and with community agencies who are in contact with young people who are no longer connected to the school system in order to identify service gaps. Cluster Advisory Groups will have a key role in identifying service gaps.

The tender specification for SFYS Under section 6.3 Brokerage - Purchase of Services further states that:

"the (brokerage) fund is to be managed by the service provider, independently of DHS. Tenderers are thereby requested to:

• describe strategies for effective identification of gaps in the current service sector;
  and
• describe strategies for the purchase of services to enable more coordinated responses with regard to the specific needs of young people within the local community area''.

SFYS agencies, in consultation with Cluster Advisory Groups and Regional Advisory Groups, should therefore develop written strategies for purchasing services if this has not already occurred. All relevant staff should be familiar with these strategies.

Within these parameters it is the responsibility of the SFYS agency to undertake the brokerage role. The authority to purchase services rests with the SFYS agency.

It is expected that the brokerage capacity will only be utilised when no other option is available. It is expected that the formative component of the evaluation will further explore the effective use of brokerage and provide further advise to service providers and stakeholders on this basis.

What can and cannot be purchased

Services to be purchased must be of direct benefit to young people and delivered directly to them. The specifications and guidelines are deliberately broad in their description of possible services to allow for maximum regional and agency flexibility.

Likely service gaps as described in the tender specifications include:

• family mediation/reconciliation;
• social skill enhancement including mentoring, anger management

The specifications also state that there may also be a requirement to purchase time-limited case management where existing avenues have been exhausted and this is not able to be provided by school or community welfare and support staff. This may include the purchase of case management for young people who are no longer connected to the school system, and for students with complex needs.

Brokerage dollars are not to be used for the purchase of services for the indirect benefit of young people: for example the professional development of SFYS staff or other stakeholders.

Brokerage funds are not to be used to purchase agency infrastructure (eg computers, cars or office equipment).

Accountability

Under the requirements of the Funding and Service Agreement Agencies that have been contracted to provide SFYS are formally accountable to DHS regions for the delivery of the service. This includes financial and program accountability for the expenditure of brokerage dollars.

The way in which this accountability is exercised should be derived from the strategies that agencies identified in their tender proposals and any subsequent negotiations.