networks and peak bodies

Networking at a coordinator level and peak

bodies.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this session, you should know more about: Networking, how and why to do it The value of interagency protocols Peak bodies, what they are, why they’re useful

What is networking?

“Building a web of mutually supportive, informal relationships with others

inside and outside the organisation in order to share help, advice and

support.”

Why are personal/ professional networks important?

• A study of 450 managers found that managers who were promoted fastest spend 48 per cent of their time networking,

• Managers who were ranked average spent only 19 per cent of their time networking.

However….



• According to the Australian Bureau of statistics, only 17.5 percent of jobs are advertised. The rest are filled through recommendations or direct approaches to the company.

• In small communities, our networks are often our source of information, friends and a way to debrief.

(continued)

Action/ strategies

• Who are your networks at the moment?• Did you plan these, or did they ‘just happen’?• What are three things you could consciously

do to extend your networks?

Why are agency networks important?

From a child protection perspective, the benefits of ‘interagency collaboration’ include•faster access to services•reduced anxiety for workers •increased quality of case monitoring and relapse support •ensuring agency demands on a family are not competing or overwhelming

www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/researchnotes_interagency_collaboration.pdf

(continued)

http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/researchnotes_interagency_collaboration.pdf



From a child protection perspective, the benefits of ‘interagency collaboration’ include

•consistency of message from all involved •better decision making •improved ability to provide needed and timely resources •more effective use of limited resources •development of new policy and practice •reduction in duplication of service


(continued)




From a child protection perspective, the benefits of ‘interagency collaboration’ include

“Collaboration can also improve the overall effectiveness of services, for example, by moving parents toward a greater state of “readiness to change” through provision of ample emotional, psychological, and tangible support.”

(Green et al. 2008, p.58).


(continued)



Protocols between agencies

Protocols between agenciesInteragency protocols are developed to assist services to streamline how they interact with one another.Processes differ from one agency to the next, so it is important to understand the different processes.-Referral processes-Follow up on client progress-How/ which staff communicate between services etc

Protocols between agenciesInter-agency agreements or protocols can:•clarify roles and responsibilities•maintain consistency of inter-agency relationships and practices•explicitly state what agencies and/or sectors have committed to•provide a basis for negotiation of responses to a situation or resolution of differences between agency approaches, and/or•provide an agreed process for resolving inter-agency differences.

Protocols between agenciesFor example:•a women's refuge having a protocol with a migrant support service on access to interpreters for some women from CALD backgrounds

Protocols between agenciesFor example:•An out of home care service may have specific protocols with the school when a child’s behaviour or tuition needs are beyond the normally accepted limits.

Protocols between agenciesFor example:•An out-of-home care network of agencies having a protocol outlining how each agency's role will operate in the continuum of care and referral processes between agencies.

Protocols between agenciesWhat sort of protocols may be needed when working with an elderly, long term homeless, alcohol consuming man with mental health concerns?


MORE INFO:http://www.communitydoor.org.au/organisational-resources/collaboration/stage-2-formalising-your-collaboration/developing

http://www.communitydoor.org.au/organisational-resources/collaboration/stage-2-formalising-your-collaboration/developing


Protocols between agenciesInter-agency agreements or protocols can:•clarify roles and responsibilities•maintain consistency of inter-agency relationships and practices

Services agreed on who is the ‘case manager’ with overall responsibility to check and track progress

Services established protocols to reduce ‘doubling up’ of work, while maintaining confidentiality




Protocols between agenciesInter-agency agreements or protocols can:•clarify roles and responsibilities•maintain consistency of inter-agency relationships and practices•explicitly state what agencies and/or sectors have committed to Workers established priority referral

processes to partner agencies, but this needed to be clear and understood by all staff




Protocols between agenciesInter-agency agreements or protocols can:•clarify roles and responsibilities•maintain consistency of inter-agency relationships and practices•explicitly state what agencies and/or sectors have committed to•provide a basis for negotiation of responses to a situation or resolution of differences between agency approaches•provide an agreed process for resolving inter-agency differences.

A protocol was set up to deal with what to do when they suspect excess alcohol consumption (which is against the agency’s ethos) which will affect their ability to work






Before clashes occurred between agencies, protocols were established to clarify how to deal with these (eg managers would discuss and clarify the rules with each other and with their respective staff)



Characteristics of effective networks

Effective networks have some or all of these four characteristics:

• Size- more people,• Strength- supportive,• Diversity- peoples background, interest and skills, • Quality- network with people who are skilled,

smart and have strong networks.

Source: Dr Peter Langford, Macquarie University, in Management: Theory and Practice.

Barriers to effective interagency collaboration

Trust- Maintain focus on client needs, rather than

differences or territorial issuesCommunication- Learn the language of other fields (eg AOD, MH)- Be accessible (return calls, make time)Time- Collect data/ reflect on the benefits

Barriers to effective interagency collaboration

Tensions around• a lack of clarity about roles• different expectations about priorities and ways

of working and professional and organisational philosophies

• perceived power differences between partners• varying degrees of commitment to the

agreement or protocol.

Peak bodies

What is a Peak body?

• “… a non-government organisation whose membership consists of smaller organisations of allied interests… [they] offer a strong voice for the specific community sector in the areas of lobbying government, community education and information sharing between member groups and interested parties.”

- CHANGING ROLES OF COMMUNITY SECTOR PEAK BODIES IN A NEOLIBERAL POLICY ENVIRONMENT IN AUSTRALIA

What is a Peak body?

Think of them as national or state ‘clubs’ that organisations can join, so that they can:

• Get help with policy• Have their issues heard by government• (sometimes) have their issues heard by media

Task

Search for peak bodies on Australian government websites.

Brainstorm a short list of community sectors (eg health, housing) and find the names of their peak bodies.

http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docs_menu/for_agencies_that_work_with_us/our_funding_programs/sector_development/peak_bodies.html

https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/disability-and-carers/program-services/consultation-and-advocacy/national-disability-peak-bodies

Learning outcomes

You should now know more about: Networking, how and why to do it The value of interagency protocols Peak bodies, what they are, why they’re useful

Education

networks and peak bodies