CHCCS211A Prepare for work in the community sector

This unit of study looks at the community service industry and the diverse network of services that assist a wide range of

client groups.

The Community Services Industry (CSI)

1) Types of community service organisations

2) Broad areas of the CSI

3) 6 Broad areas

Recap on Week 3 30/7/2013

Types of community service organisations

Different types of community organisations in NSW include

• Government departments and agencies such as Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) which is part of the Department of Family and Community Services and local governments

• These government departments provide direct services, fund other organisations to provide services or grant licences for and monitor services.

Types of Community Service Organisations

• Large non-government organisations (NGOs) like the Salvation Army, St Vincent De Paul, Mission Australia and the Smith Family often run a range of services for many people

• They usually receive funding from government departments, donations, fund raising and fees

• Community Based organisations that are run by voluntary management committees are made up of local people and service users.

• These are not for profit organisations that don’t aim to make money but rather cover costs.

– Examples include local neighbourhood centres and preschools.

• Private organisations – these are owned and run by people or groups as a business and are looking to make a profit

– Examples are private child care services or counsellors working privately.

Broad areas of CSI

• Services may focus on particular groups or individuals who have specific issues or common experiences

• The individuals in this group are often referred to as the target group

• It is important to think about the needs and issues that affect peoples lives and the solutions to these issues

• The way the CSI views the solution is demonstrated through the breakdown of services and organisations

• CSI can be categorised in a number of different ways. One of these ways is to group organisations into service types . The word ‘sector’ is used as an umbrella term for services of a similar nature.

Six broad areas for CSI

• Family /child support

• Social/home support

• Community action development

• Housing /residential accommodation

• Health related

• Labour market programs

Using the resources in your handouts, identify two services in the local community for each of the sectors above.

The Community Service IndustryThe Community Service IndustryWeek 4 6/8/2013

* Target groups* Different models of work in the CSI* Stakeholders

Target groups

• In the Community Service Industry many services or organisations work with particular groups of people called target groups

• A target group is a client group with a particular defining characteristic such as gender, age, sexual orientation, disability or cultural background.

• Services are often funded to work with specific target groups such as a women’s health program, a youth recreation service or a child care service.

Major target groups within CSI

• Children

• Women

• People with a disability

• Older mature people

• Young people

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

• People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

• People with HIV/AIDS related illnesses

• Gay and lesbian communities

• People who are sick

• People who have a mental illness

• People who are in receipt of welfare benefits

• People with alcohol and other drug related problems

• Some people may fit into a number of target groups while others will belong to just one.

• Some organisations will work with just one target group and are called specialist organisations (such as a child care service or alcohol and other drug service).

• Others work with a range of target groups and are called generalist services (such as a neighbourhood service).

Target groups within CSI

Identifying target groups

Working in pairs, students are to complete Activity 2 (p 21) using Breakdown of the CSI form (week 2) to guide you.

Different models of work in the CSI

• Services work in different ways to meet their target group. These include:-

• Prevention: Service works to prevent problems from occurring – For example education programs aimed at

reducing child abuse or domestic violence

• Crisis Intervention: these services work at supporting and helping people in crisis. – For example, people who have lost their homes

through fire or financial hardship

• Direct service: these services provide support and assistance directly to the target group.– For example, meals on wheels, counselling and

alcohol and other drug rehabilitation

• Centre Based Service: these services are provided at a centre where people come to receive the service.

• For example, long day care centre or preschool.

• Centre Based Service: these services are provided at a centre where people come to receive the service. – For example, long day care centre or preschool

• A Client-centred Approach: with a client-centred approach it’s important to see the client as the central part of a situation or issue, rather than as being the end result of a problem to be solved.

• Clients may have needs that relate to health care, diet and nutrition, safe housing, personal safety and security, general welfare or the early diagnosis and assessment of problems.

• By ensuring that a range of basic needs are being considered and met, a client is better able to focus upon resolving other pressing issues. For example, Community health – disability & aged care...

• Participatory: is an active involvement of people in making decisions about implementation of processes, programs and projects which affect them.

• A participatory approach can be used in facilitating community development.

• Projects where stakeholders are able to participate in the process tend to have a higher success rate than top-down structures.

– For example, Byron Youth Service

• Community education: is defined as learning and social development work with individuals and groups in their communities using a range of formal and informal methods.

• A common defining feature is that programmes and activities are developed in dialogue with communities and participants.

• The purpose of community learning and development is to improve quality of life.

– For example, ACE, the Black Dog Institute (deliver education seminars on mood disorders and wellbeing), North Coast Area Health Service

• Case Management: is a strategy that actively mobilises, coordinates and maintains a diversity of services for the individual and their family (Stroul & Friedman, 1986).

• It has been described as the ‘glue that holds the system together’, or the ‘lynchpin for an effective interagency system’

• It has been used in the health and aged care sectors as a means of improving efficiency in resource allocation to clients with complex (health) care needs that could not be met through existing services (Fisher & Fine, 2002).

• Similarly, case management has been used for unemployed job-seekers, in early intervention, child protection & out-

of- home care. - For example, Biripi Aboriginal Corp Medical Centre, Community Services, Tursa & Barnardos

• Outreach services: these services go into the community to work with people in their homes or local area.

– For example, mobile child care service or home visiting program

• Advocacy: these services advocate (stand up) for the rights of particular target groups:

– For example, Intellectual Disability Rights Service and Welfare Rights Services

• Community development: these services work to identify unmet needs of the community and then plan and develop new services to meet those needs.

– For example most local councils have community development workers

• Peak bodies: these services provide support, training and policy development for non-government services.

– For example, the NSW Council of Social Services (NCOSS) and KU Children’s Services (NSW)

Different models of work in the CSI

Identifying the work models of different services

Working independently, students are to use their iPads to identify an organisation at a time that offers at least one model of work identified in the slides – (NUMBER IDENTIFIES SLIDE)

prevention (16), crisis management (17) direct service (17) centre based service (18) client centred approach (19) participatory (20) community education (21) case management (22)outreach services (23) advocacy (24)community development (25) peak bodies (26)

Stakeholders

• Stakeholders describe the key people associated with an organisation or client the stakeholders of a service may include clients, workers (staff), funding bodies, families or the community in which the service is based

Who is a stakeholder in a children's service or preschool?

Stakeholders in a preschool

• Could include:- – Children families using the centre

– Staff

– Department of Education and Communities

– The Family Assistance Office

– Groups that manage the centre like a parent committee

– The community in which the

centre is based

• It is essential that all community service organisations work with stakeholders at all stages.

• For example, stakeholders should be consulted about the types of services offered, models used and the various policies and procedures the organisation adopts.