Upton Road Youth Services works with young people between the ages of 16 and 25, including young families. We offer a range of supports, including outreach case management and 6-8 weeks of crisis accommodation at the Upton Road Youth Refuge.

We aim to create a safe, nurturing and inclusive space that offers young people the opportunity to embrace their identity and deepen their connection to their community whilst achieving their goals.

Together with your case manager and the Upton Road support team, you can work on:

• Securing sustainable housing
• Education and Employment
• Health and Wellbeing
• Life and Living Skills
• Social Inclusion and Participation
• Relationships

Instagram: @uptonroad

Please download our Upton Road Welcome Booklet for more information, including Frequently Asked Questions, about our service. Download Upton Road Welcome Booklet 

Upton road youth refuge

Upton Road provides stable and safe accommodation within a 24 hour staffed refuge setting.

We offer a range of innovative programs to help you build skills, identify your goals and live well during your stay.

At Upton Road, you will have your own clean, furnished and secure unit which is surrounded by beautiful, edible gardens.

The refuge is a supportive community free from violence, aggression, the use of an drugs or alcohol and offers a range of activities and services to help you explore and meet your individual goals.

While you are living at Upton Road, you will have a case manager who will support you with:

We can support you with:

• Housing information, referral, support and brokerage, including referral to emergency accommodation, supported accommodation and private rental.
• Developing independent living skills – cooking, cleaning, budgeting and money management
• Support with health concerns including pregnancy and mental health
• Support with legal issues
• Support with substance use
• Support to access or maintain education, training or employment
• Access specialised services
• Family reconciliation
• Develop parenting skills and secure attachment with your children

To access information or a referral to Upton Road, contact your local housing entry point, Frontyard Youth Services or the St Kilda Crisis Centre. https://services.dffh.vic.gov.au/getting-help

Outreach program

The Youth Services team are dedicated to offering a supportive, flexible and non-judgmental service to assist in making community links and building a supportive network.

We can provide short term and long-term case management to young people with or without children aged 16-25 who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have connections to Port Phillip, Stonnington, Bayside, Glen Eira and Kingston.

Youth Services will support young people with their own individual goals and support and independent accommodation and accessing funding to help you secure and maintain a rental property.

We can support you with:

• Housing information, referral, support and brokerage, including referral to emergency accommodation, supported accommodation and private rental.
• Developing independent living skills – cooking, cleaning, budgeting and money management
• Support with health concerns including pregnancy and mental health
• Support with legal issues
• Support with substance use
• Support to access or maintain education, training or employment
• Access specialised services
• Family reconciliation
• Develop parenting skills and secure attachment with your children

We accept referrals though housing entry points such as Launch Housing St Kilda, Launch Housing Cheltenham, Frontyard Youth Services and the Salvation Army Crisis Centre.

We also accept referrals directly from young people, friends and family by contacting our duty line on 9536 7730.

Education and employment pathways

Residents looking for work or studying options can engage with our on-sit specialist teacher and make a plan to achieve your work and study goals. We have a classroom on-site and offer a range of interesting short courses to help you build skills and confidence to return to study or find a job.

The Salvation Army Youth Services provides a number of supported accommodation models for young people engaged in education, training or employment. All accommodation options provide young people a safe housing option in which to successfully complete their chosen education or training and to develop the necessary life and living skills to maintain independence.

You will be supported by a case manager for the duration of your 12-18 month tenancy, including support to develop a case plan, liaise with education services, access tutoring and homework support. Upon completion of the program you will be able to access Youth Private Rental Brokerage to secure your own independent private rental tenancy. All referrals will be required to complete a two to four week stay at Upton Road prior to being considered for Education and Employment accommodation.

While living in these properties, you will be supported by the Upton Road Youth Participation worker to develop a community and skills for future independent living.

Youth participation and social inclusion

What you think is important to us.

We seek to meaningfully involve young people in all aspects of our work and engage young people on issues that directly affect them through regular onsite youth participation activities and wider community-based projects and events, including:

• Weekly residents’ meetings
• Recreation and holiday programs
• Opportunities to participate in research projects and collaboratively improving our service.
• Social and cultural community events
• Upton Road Social Inclusion Initiative

Community events are an important part of life at Upton Road. We hold regular events, meals and gatherings to mark days of cultural or social significance and to celebrate holidays, so you feel connected during your stay with us.

Social Inclusion

The Upton Road Social Inclusion program creates education and employment opportunities for young people who are interested in customer service, gardening and hospitality.

The monthly Upton Road Plant and Seedling Sale provides once-off opportunities to participate in the social enterprise program, as well as the option of ongoing, paid positions. Young people can practice making coffee on our Upton Road coffee cart, engage with members of the public and learn more about the Upton Road gardens and permaculture program.

Profits generated by the Social Inclusion program are used to fund youth participation activities such as school holiday programs.

Life and living skills

The Upton Road Life and Living Skills Program encourages independence, supporting you to make choices in your everyday life and to participate with confidence in the day-to-day activities of your home.

Our dedicated Life and Living Skills worker can help build skills around cooking on a budget, cleaning your home, healthy eating, exercise and living well.

We’ll work with you to develop a tailored one-on-one support plan that will help you to develop essential skills for managing and living a better quality of life. The Life and Living Skills worker can also facilitate groups on and off site. Our Life and Living Skills worker is based in the Upton Road youth refuge but can also support young people in the community.

YPRAP (Youth Private Rental Access Program)

The Youth Private Rental Access Program supports young people and families to establish and maintain an independent or shared private rental tenancy. Young people face significant barriers in accessing the private rental market due to affordability and the YPRAP worker will support you to find a realistic housing option within your budget. This may include a private share house which can be daunting for many young people. The YPRAP worker will support you every step of the way and can help with:

• Access to financial assistance. The program offers tapered financial support in the form of brokerage packages to assist with bond, removalist fees, paying rent and setting up your new home.
• Attending house inspections and interviews, speaking with real estate agents, potential housemates and completing rental applications.
• Supporting young people who have limited or no rental history or rental references to develop knowledge and understanding of how the private rental market works and gain the necessary documentation for private rental applications.
• Support for the first twelve months of your tenancy to help you maintain your private rental and avoid re-entering the homelessness system.

Brokerage packages

To be eligible for a YPRAP Brokerage Package you must be:

• Experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness
• Aged between 16 and 25 years residing or wanting to reside in the Inner Middle South of Melbourne
• Your rent must be under 55% of your income
• Your name must be listed on the property lease
• Engaging with, or willing to engage with a case manager.

Housing club

The YPRAP worker will facilitate workshops or individual information sessions for both young people and/or people that support young people to learn about tenancy and the private rental market.

To organise or find out more about Housing Clubs, contact the YPRAP worker on 9536 7730. 

YPRAP application form

Yarrinup parenting program

Yarrinup is 3 x 2 bedroom unit supported accommodation program in Chadstone for parents and children.  

The Yarrinup program provides 12 months of onsite support through parenting groups, on-site dinners, case management, child-related referrals and case plans, to assist young families to then transition out of homelessness and into independent living.

The Yarrinup Parenting Program helps young parents to develop the skills and confidence to parent their children in a way that is healthy and enjoyable for both parents and children. The Yarrinup Parenting Program teaches ways to use different parenting skills so that the attachment between parent and children can be strong.

The Yarrinup Parenting Program gives parents a space to ask questions about child development, learn ways to connect with their children and support their development, and to develop healthy routines that suit everyone.

All referrals will be required to complete a two to four week stay at Upton Road prior to being considered for the Yarrinup Parenting Program.

While living in these properties, you will be supported by a case manager, the Upton Road Specialist Children’s worker, Families worker and Life and Living Skills worker to develop a community and skills for future independent living.

Our staff

Our team consists of professionals who have specialised training to support children, young people and families.

The team includes:

• Social workers
• After hours support workers
• Clinical psychologist
• Registered nurse
• Youth Participation worker
• Drug and Alcohol counsellor
• Life and Living skills worker
• Education specialist
• Children's specialist worker
• Youth Private Rental Access worker