Community networks
Active community networks help the social services sector to thrive. Networks can help connect families in need with the right people. They provide a way for professionals to connect with their peers and share knowledge. Building relationships with other people working in your field based on respecting each other is a good thing in its own right.
You do not need to join any formal network to starting networking, but joining can help you find people with knowledge and experience in your field.
Networks relevant to people working to enhance family and community wellbeing include:
What's involved in networking?
People working in social service organisations almost network in their sleep. It comes as natural part of the make-up of people who like helping others.
Strong connections between both individuals and organisations are valuable in many ways. Networks:
- encourage cooperation between members
- enable sharing of information and learning
- offer mutual peer support and aroha
- provide a starting place for people to explore new opportunities.
Lots of networking is informal and does not rely on a structured organisation. For many Māori Whānaunatanga is where networking begins and ends. Family or kinship links are the starting point for seeking support or knowledge. This type of approach to networking is something that is common with many Pacific peoples and with refugees and migrants.
Logging onto the Internet and joining communities online is a way that some people find beneficial. There are networks of all different sorts where people share what is important to them, as well as professional news and experiences. Networks include social networks on Facebook and Bebo (such as Volunteering Canterbury) through to discussion and debate on social work blogs. CommunityCentral provides online tools for people for set up online networks in New Zealand.
