Walking alongside others
To enhance well-being for families and strengthen communities, FACS relies heavily on collaboration with other agencies, providers, community organisations and individuals.Here are examples of how FACS works with others. Some of the principles and ideas behind the different approaches to collaboration are explained.
Family Partnership model
The Family Partnership Model
Family Partnership is an evidence-based helping skills model developed by Professor Hilton Davis and colleagues from the Centre for Child and Parent Support in London.
The Family Partnership Model (FPM) is not a new programme; it is an approach that aims to enhance the skills of people, from a wide range of disciplines, who work with families. It focuses on partnering, building trust, negotiating for change and sharing the problem solving process between helpers and families.
To date FPM is being been used in the UK, Australia and a number of European countries. The model was introduced to Aotearoa/New Zealand by FACS, in partnership with Plunket, in 2006.
FPM has been evaluated in a number of research projects. Research findings and practitioner feedback indicate that the FPM training is valued by participants, enabling them to feel more confident and competent in engaging with and working alongside families. Several studies, including some randomised control trials, have shown: improved accuracy in worker’s identification of family needs significantly improved parental satisfaction with the services provided significant improvements in the functioning of parents, as well as in the development and wellbeing of their children
Training course participants have noted an increase in inter-agency connections and understanding of other programme and agency goals where FPM training is delivered in a multi-agency setting.
FPM training is an opportunity to explore the complex issue of how good help happens. It is a course that is both thought-provoking and practical. It presents an opportunity to talk with people from a variety of agencies and develop a shared understanding about the process of helping, whatever the setting. It is also a chance to practise the skills of engaging people and developing supportive and effective relationships with them, whether they be clients or colleagues from your own or other agencies.
The theory underlying the Family Partnership Model emphasises the need for highly skilled communication. It also assumes that a respectful partnership is a powerful support in its own right and that in itself is a means by which people’s self-esteem may be increased. This relationship is the vehicle by which people can explore the difficulties they face, clarify their situation and develop the most helpful and effective strategies.
Family and Community Services is supporting the provision of FPM training to selected community organisations and government agencies.
Settling In
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A New Zealand that welcomes and celebrates diversity, where refugees and migrants settle well and are able to contribute to our nation in all aspects of life – social, economic, civic and cultural. |
Helping refugee and migrant communities to find solutions to their own needs is a core philosophy for the Settling In programme. It is an approach that gets results.
Over the last five years of the programme, new settlers have set and run many activities, including:
- parenting classes and playgroups
- first language maintenance classes
- English as a Second Language (ESOL) classes
- cooking and industrial needlework classes
- museum exhibitions that give refugees and migrants visibility
- youth development initiatives
- developing newcomers’ networks to welcome new migrants and refugees to communities.
The approach FACS takes is to encourage communities to do things for themselves. Projects are delivered collaboratively. Settling In co-ordinators walk alongside refugee and migrant community members and partner with other agencies and community organisations.
Walking alongside can mean different things in different situations. There is a focus on increasing the capacity of both individuals and organisations. Sometimes this is about helping people build their own confidence by having a Settling In coordinator sitting alongside them filling in forms. In other situations FACS has run project management courses for community leaders.
Working collaboratively in this way is only successful when relationships of respect and trust are formed. This relies on FACS staff regularly showing up; following through and crediting the strengths of the communities they're working with.
Every effort is made to ensure communities are set up to succeed. Training, mentoring and other support is provided so that communities have structures in place to run projects successfully.
As the capacity of communities grows, people are encouraged to share. So when a community group is confident and capable they are often asked to help mentor other groups who are at earlier stages of development and experience in New Zealand.
As well as a focus on refugee and migrant communities themselves, FACS also puts effort into educating mainstream agencies. This could be as simple as introducing agency staff to refugees or migrants. Other activities have included sharing information about needs assessment, giving tailored advice and organising cross-cultural communication events.
People accept it when FACS decides to lead from the front because of the underlying commitment to helping communities find their own solutions. This sort of give and take is only possible because of the good working relationships established.
Settling In allows collaboration to grow in many different directions. The foundation provided is a good start for recent settlers.
