Practice Resources

Home Stretch WA was designed modular. Each practice area is interdependent, and together they are designed to be delivered in an integrated and seamless way. Home Stretch WA is designed to be adaptable to local communities and regional areas to meet the specific needs of each context. Whilst the Home Stretch WA Model allows for flexibility, the following are to be adhered to;

Department of Communities Policies, Guidelines & Forms
Alignment with Transition Coach Practice Principles
Practice consistent with standards outlined in the Standards of Support for Young People & Home Stretch WA Model Integrity Framework
Commitment to Aboriginal Ways of Working within the Home Stretch WA Service Model

Each practice area has its own practice guidelines & resources to support Home Stretch WA Providers. Providers are encouraged to update practice resources and communication materials to suit their local contexts.

CoP members can access online training via the training login for a full induction into the Home Stretch WA Model.

As of June 2025 this knowledge hub is no longer updated and serves an online archive of practice resources.

Updated Policies and relevant resources will be managed through Home Stretch WA CoP Working Groups. Contact homestretchwa@communities.wa.gov.au to join a working group.

Young people are at the centre of support. Everyone is treated as an individual.

Support or connection is offered in all areas of life.

Support is delivered in specific ways (practice approaches) that work for young people.

Home Stretch WA focuses on three key elements of support.

Home Stretch WA’s greater purpose is to connect young people with their community and culture.

Operational Program Management

Tools and resources to support the operation and management of a Home Stretch WA program are found here.

This includes, the Home Stretch Home Stretch WA Model Integrity Framework, Department of Communities Policies & guidelines, Practice Governance Resources, Establishment, Onboarding & Recruitment Resources, Feedback & Complaints, Brand Guidelines

Smooth Transition

Connecting young people and their support circles with a Home Stretch WA provider. Working together with a young person and their Support Circle from the age of 17.5 years, to ensure a smooth transition into the Home Stretch WA program, and a seamless continuation of support until the age of 21 years.

Ensuring young people are aware of their rights and can independently access the support they are entitled to until the age of 25 years.

Transition Coach

A consistent and reliable youth worker who provides flexible, one-to-one support to young people, focused on coaching towards independence (with a maximum caseload of 12 young people).

The Transition Coach works from a set of Practice Principles that ensures the support they provide is individualised, flexible and focused on building a young person’s self-reliance, skills, capacity and connection to community, culture and country.

Support Circles

The primary focus of all Home Stretch WA supports is to assist a young person to grow and maintain an enduring network of personal, family and community connections

Footprints – where young people are offered support to understand and explore the people, places and connections that are important to them, map out the footprints

Pathways – where young people are supported to navigate their connections and reconnect with family, community, culture and country.

Staying On

Young people can be supported to continue ‘Staying On’ with a carer to ensure they have a stable living arrangement until the age of 21. This includes a continuation of payments and support to foster and family carers. It is expected that a young person will also contribute to their living expenses from their independent income.

The focus of Staying On Agreements is to support the young person’s emerging independence. These payments will be administered by the Department of Communities.