Youth110: a new model of care for young people in SA

By Ryan Bullivant

Youth110 Practice Manager, Ryan Bullivant, is St John’s Youth Services longest serving employee, and has been supporting to young people break the cycle of homelessness for more than 18 years. Ryan began his career with SJYS in 2005 as a youth worker at the Burdekin youth shelter and was the inaugural manager of the SJYS Foyer when it opened in 2011. As the Practice Manager of Youth110 since it opened in 2012, Ryan has been on the front lines of service evolution at SJYS. 

September 2012 marked the monumental moment Youth110 opened its doors.

This was the end of a 40-year era in South Australia for youth crisis shelter accommodation and made way for a modern studio apartment complex that would not only to provide young people with a safe and secure place to stay, but also a strong foundation to build successful futures.

Situated in the vertical community of the UNO apartment complex on Waymouth Street in Adelaide’s CBD, Youth110 revolutionised how young people experiencing homelessness in the Adelaide metro area are supported. Youth110 made it possible to accommodate any presenting groups of young people including singles, couples, young families and single parents and was a world first in accommodating young single dads with their children. UNO and Youth110 have created opportunities to develop meaningful partnerships with local community and the community services sector that have strengthened opportunities for our young people, our organisation and local community.

A dynamic new building and a new service in the city brought together people from like-minded organisations to ensure people living, visiting and working in the UNO community feel welcome, safe and are offered abundant opportunities to thrive. Over the years it has been important for us to recognise and celebrate significant community events where we can draw upon the strengths and talents of our young people as well as create placemaking opportunities for the greater UNO community. It has been a highlight to celebrate occasions focused on our First Nations people, the LGBTQIA+ communities and culturally diverse communities, as well as showcasing young people’s talents at SALA festivals and linking our young people to fun ‘normal’ activities such as camping, water skiing, movie nights, pizza days, Christmas and birthday celebrations. The successes in this area have been made possible by our wonderful UNO partnerships consisting of the South Australian Housing Authority, Urban Communities/Unison and most recently Believe Housing Australia.

Youth110 has attracted global attention, and over the past decade hundreds of people have visited us. This has been an educational experience and ‘light bulb’ moment for the many international visitors, including representatives from President Obama’s Administration, who have now seen first-hand how well accommodating young people experiencing homelessness can be done. The service has also attracted media attention, with stories from Youth110 and its residents being featured in mainstream media.

Over the last ten plus years, Youth110 has provided over 120,000 nights of accommodation to over 1,650 young people and more than 100 accompanying children. With the majority of people residing with us for around three months, it is a busy time in their lives as they work toward their personal goals while often facing complex challenges. With a team of professional and dedicated Youth110 support workers and the flexibility and individualised approach that Youth110 offers, the success stories of young people have been numerous and inspiring.

Since Youth110 opened in 2021, 20% of all young people have returned home, 15% have moved into private rental properties, 13% transitioned into supported accommodation options with a further 22% moving into share propertied and properties with friends, and over 20% moving into other sustainable accommodation options. We have seen increases in young people returning home and moving into supported accommodation, while there have been slight decreases in young people moving into private rental.

Each year presents new challenges and opportunities. The global pandemic confronted us with both, requiring us to develop and refine operations and safety practices for young people and workers. Since then, we have needed to direct our creativity and energy into securing housing outcomes in an increasingly challenging environment, as the cost of living sky rockets, housing markets become even more unaffordable and our young people are increasingly sidelined in the competition for properties. However, we continue to prove that in the face of adversity, we will always find a way to prevail. Despite the changing world and the complex lives some of our young people have experienced, I will always remain optimistic about what we can all achieve together.

For me, the true strength of Youth110 remains in its flexibility and individualised approach for young people and support workers. Moving away from the shelter model has created a service that is less reliant on a welfare response and more focused on the importance of building meaningful relationships that foster independence. This approach has encouraged workers to cultivate a professional identity, work style and practice approach that provides young people with genuine and honest experiences focussed on their individual needs and strengths. The results speak for themselves. While repeat ‘clients’ were the norm in our old shelters, at Youth110 more than 90% of our young people stay only once, with the vast majority being supported into long term sustainable housing at the end of their stay with us. There is undisputed proof that Youth110 and the approaches we endorse work.

The past 12 years have certainly been a journey of discovery into best practice and creating endless opportunities for the young people we have had the privilege of supporting. When I reflect on my own 18+ years with St John’s Youth Services, our accommodation buildings, service models, approaches, systems and partnerships are unrecognisable to those of the past. What does remain the same are the passion, values and ambitions that drive all of us at SJYS.

We have always believed in our young people. We believe in their strengths and the value of their individuality and contributions. What a remarkable achievement to see how far St John’s Youth Services has come, and to look forwards toward the bright future Youth110 and St John’s Youth Services are creating.