Community Connect
Welcome to the seventh edition of Family and Community Services' e-newsletter.
ISSUE 7 • JULY 2009
E-news from Family and Community Services
Social Services Research Confirms Effective Practice
Research by the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) called "Grassroots Voices" confirms that that when community and government organisations work together to provide an appropriate range or ‘mosaic' of family support services the best results for helping families are achieved.
The Report, published in February 2009, interviewed 249 people from all parts of New Zealand. Participants discussed the circumstances that led to their asking for family support services, what in their experience worked well and what needed to change.
"The report is based on the lived experiences of real families, the issues they face and what services made a practical difference to their wellbeing" said Trevor McGlinchey, NZCCSS Executive Officer.
"We want to work closely with government agencies so that they can benefit from this research and from the in-depth experience of our members in supporting families through difficult times".
Key findings include:
Effective practice: services were most effective for families when they were treated respectfully, invited to participate in decision-making and when support agencies had flexibility to respond to their particular circumstances.
Poverty and Housing: families described the corrosive effect of not having sufficient income – along with struggling to cover basic costs this also affected their ability to be part of the community – unable to pay for things like sports and recreation, school and activity fees.
Collaboration: the research highlighted the value of agency's collaborating together enabling a mosaic of support services to be wrapped around families. Specifically identified was the Child Youth and Family (CYF) Differential Response strategy currently being rolled-out. This model provides new opportunities for CYF and community organisations to work together.
Trevor McGlinchey said that one of the things to come out of the report was the significance of the relationship between the social service provider and the family. "Even when it was not possible to meet all of the family's needs, the fact that someone listened to them and treated them respectfully made a real difference to the long-term result."
The Grassroots Voices research was based on interviews with 130 social service clients, 82 social workers and 33 social service agency CEOs. It covered nine separate geographic regions including cities, towns and rural areas.
