VCOSS Congress 2011 ‘Cause not consequence’ Stella Avramopoulos
Kildonan UnitingCare Aug 2011
2009 Victorian Bushfire response • Immediate response and Strategy required • 65% of the agency involved • 40% increase in staffing • Multiple services required • Multiple coordination and liaison points required
Community context • Need for safe, calm spaces and health issues • Displacement of community members • Recognition of wide diversity across communities including; experiences, situations, needs, wishes, plans and recovery trajectories • Responses from local people and services from the area with ongoing connections • Tensions between need for community ownership of response and waves of new services and people also needed
Driving operational principles • Service strategy: holistic, proactive, flexible, and respectful: “We will walk the journey with people” • Sustainability of the community a priority • Direct feedback/communication about community’s needs to drive response • Range of integrated services that may change • Staffing strategy: engaged people, right attributes and skills
Community capacity and support • Building capacity of community members – Support and access to information and resources – Working behind the scenes to provide resources, infrastructure – Training and employment opportunities
• Community participation and leadership – Encouraging a range of small projects with fail safe approaches – Strategies and supports for fatigue – Bringing community groups together through social functions, eg Community dinner program, Men’s Group – Community Peer Support Program
Community capacity and support • Integration of community development, case work and specialist services – “Tag team at the trestle table”
• Proactive outreach to engage people – metro and rural
• Identifying community representatives – Who gets to speak for the community? – Who can rightfully speak for the community? – How can most vulnerable have a voice?
Summary of key elements • Empowerment & Self-determination • Adaptive, responsive action learning model • Effective Outreach • Integrated ‘Care Team’ Service Approach • Relationships & Collaborations • Information & Communication • Internal Staff Support • Planning and training for the Long Term