Emerging trends, Opportunities and Challenges for community service organisations: The Victorian Government agenda for vulnerable children and their families

Broad overview of the reforms…

• Comprehensive and strategic• Whole-of-government objectives are ambitious and forward-

thinking• There are subtle and not-so-subtle potential game-changers• Overall good management of the tension between being

prescriptive and enabling• Cross over with reform agendas in other sectors: community

mental health, housing, drug and alcohol etc.

The Government/Community Services relationship…

“…this strategic relationship needs to be long term and based on an explicit understanding of the respective and different responsibilities and roles of government and the community sector”(PVVC 2012, p. 435)

Strategic collaboration…

How can we understand the agenda...

Governance monitoring & accountability

• Establishing and strengthening

• Performance framework• Governance monitoring

accountability• Accountability systems• Training, support and

development

Development of Services

• Population-based approaches• Area-based approaches• Responses to our most

vulnerable• Integrated service provision • Child centred family focus• Collaborative approaches• Legal Responses

Capacity of Community Service Organisations

“a ... more pro-active role” for Government aimed at improving the overall structure and capacity of CSOs (Cummins et al. 2012, 441).3 elements of capacity identified

• Governance• Quality: able to evidence

outcomes• Financial viability in community

service organisations

Accountability and Transparency

Strengthening data collectionEnhancing IT effectivenessCollecting data to inform improvements and changesOutcomes evidence: capacity to engage in research

Performance measures and indicatorsEvidence of greater participation in servicesBuild capacity to demonstrate links between services and with other providers –collaboration at the local level

Accountability systemsRegistration, Department of Human Services Standards: external auditsReview: Children’s Commissioner new regulatory functionsACNC: legislation for Australian Government registration and governance review of CSOs expected by December 2012

Collaborative and integrated practice across service systems- ‘no wrong door’

Opportunities and challenges?

We have a chance to…Reinforce whole-of-government responsesChange the way we do business through child, family & community

focusStart measuring things that matter to children and communities

Develop better accountability and monitoring frameworks

Develop better understandings of real cost and need

Build a workforce and organisational capacity and capability through training and system clarification

The challenge is to decide where to invest limited resources … and to work out smart ways of maximizing the investment

Change the lives of vulnerable children and families

Further information

Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfarewww.cfecfw.asn.au

and

info@cfecfw.asn.au