How to Network and collaborate with the community services”
Introduction
The community service is one of the great ways to take care of the peoples with disabilities. This is a team effort in which each and every person of the team works collectively for the community works by utilizing their skills and connections. Peoples and their families, as well as their friend circles, are vital in providing the service to the community. The team members work collectively for providing the services to the persons with disabilities. Working collectively will enhance the performance team and benefit the individual who is receiving the aid. The agencies, individuals, and networks who are working altogether for the cause.
Network:
The Network consists of the individual and the groups who work, share information’s, ideas and required a resource to help the common objective. The networking is described as creating efforts and making contacts with the peoples for some cause. The network consists of different individuals and groups who are expertise in something which is required to achieve a common goal. In the case of the community services the network is a vital thing which is required for the community service. In the community service, there are different aspects like some of the community service organizations are working in old age care, disability care, drug and alcohol care, and physical and mental abuse care services. Each of the community service organization has own networks which consist of the expert individuals and groups associated with that particular community service objective (Gallison, 2012).
Collaboration:
In the community service, the collaboration plays a vital role which can benefit the community services. The collaboration with the members of the community is required for the better service. Community member’s work together to achieve some common goals, which could be aimed at old age care or care for the disable peoples. A collaborative approach by the peoples and the groups enhance the working ability and the result.
Benefits of the Networking:
There are some benefits of the networking which is directly related to the community work. The networking involves creating, maintaining and creating strong relationships with all the stakeholders for the effective service delivery. Good networking benefits the organization and to the peoples who are getting the community service. Networking clearly benefits the community service and the collective Goals of the groups. Using the network created for a particular community service one can recognize the gap and can get help from other individuals from the networking to fill the gap effectively. Regular contribution to the professional networks and building strong relationships would help in optimizing the service being provided to the peoples in care. A Strong relationship with the members of the professional services helps to get experts in some fields for the community service. Networking helps an organization in building a professional network for the future prospect of the community service (Brody, 2005).
Benefit of Networking and Collaboration:
There are benefits of the networking and the collaboration in the community service. Networking and collaboration help an organization in providing best practice care to the peoples in needs. As the professional individuals who are experts in their own fields are considered as most important contributors in the community service. The collaboration between them ensures a perfect service delivery to the peoples in needs. Networking is something which consists of the connect, communicate and work together for a common goal. Working collectively with a common goal increases the quality and quality of the service which is being provided to the peoples. In another case, the Networking generally helps the collective and comprehensive approach for the cause. Networking supports a teamwork approach in which the groups, individual, and the experts work together for the community service. Working collaboratively and networking with others makes it sure that people's own needs and preferences could be supported perfectly. The collaborative approach and the networking help in 4 different ways, which are Individual care, community building, improved access and in the Teamwork (Brody, 2005).
Representation and Presentation of the Organization:
Representing and presenting the organization's structure and services to the future collaborators is an important aspect. An organization working collectively for the community services requires collaborators in the services so they have to take care of the whole process from making contact to involving them in the service. This can be done by effectively representing the service organization is providing as community services. A collaborative approach is necessary for the community care and it should be monitored effectively. There need some strategies which are required for the collaboration with the future collaborators to the community service. The strategies involve generating information’s and reviewing it for building a proper relationship between the organization and the future collaborator. Building a strong relationship and maintaining the relationship between the collaborator and the organizations is a necessity for the growth of the community service. It requires proper strategies before initiating the communication with the collaborator. It involves different steps which are
- Be Informed
- Be prepared before contacting the future collaborator.
- Need to take care of their time and needs.
- Need to represent the organization before them
- Need to make specific request about how he can help you
- Need to be polite while communication because a good communication with the individual could attract him towards the community service.
These are some steps which are required before and during contacting the individuals for the community works. These are some other needs which are required for building a strong relationship and network with the individuals. These are
Privacy: Privacy of the information’s related with the individuals must be intact. Sharing the contact and personal information’s should not be done without permission. Taking care about their information’s is necessary and required for the strong collaboration and relationship with the individuals.
Relevance: This is another required thing which is related to the network and strong relationship with the collaborators. Need to share only relevant information which is related to the work and Goals with them. As most of the peoples are not interested in irrelevant information which is being shared by the organizations and ultimately they terminate their relationship. So need to share only relevant information.
Complaint Handling in the Organization:
To create a network which will lead to the common goal an organization needs to be serious with the complaints registered with the organization. Many individuals register complaints which could be related to any kind of service which are being provided. So community care organization has to take care of the complaints which are registered by the collaborators. The long term relationship and a collaborative approach by the company members could be achieved by these steps.
Individual Care and Accommodation:
Taking care of the Goals of the individuals, support workers, and the organizations is required for the organization A community service organization has to take care of the Goals associated with the Individual collaborators and the organization. The support needs of the individuals should be connected with the goals of the organizations for the perfect collaboration and service enhancements. The organizational Goals should be met perfectly with the individual Goals so that peoples could work efficiently to achieve the Common goals. There needs Practicality, vision, Alignment and clarity in the Goals of the organizations. These are required for the effective and efficient community service to the peoples who are in needs. Taking care of different aspect which is required for the networking and building relationships is also required so that peoples can achieve the Goals. Providing accommodations to the service collaborators and also providing the necessary requirements is needed. This makes them feel comfortable with the community work with which they are associated. In the community service the Organization has to take care of the cultural differences between the individuals. Taking care of these necessary needs will benefit the organization in the community service and building a strong relationship with the collaborators. (Graff, 2003).
Conclusion:
Community service is one of the best ways to help the peoples in needs in our society. There are different stockholders of the community services these are individuals and the groups working together. The Networking and collaboration are two things which are required for the effective service to the people in needs. I have mentioned the benefits which are associated with the network and creating a collaborative relationship with the individuals. We also need some strategies which are required for the collaborative approach towards the Collective Goals so I have described it.
Reference:
Glisson, C., Dulmus, C. N., & Sowers, K. M. (2012). Social work practice with groups, communities, and organizations: Evidence-based assessments and interventions. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley
Brody, R., & Nair, M. D. (2005). Community service: The art of volunteering and service learning. Wheaton, IL: Gregory Pub.
Graff, L. L. (2003). Better safe--: Risk management in volunteer programs & community service. Dundas, ON: L. Graff and Associates.
Campbell, F. N. (1963). The relationship between community service activities and adolescent 4-H Club membership in Wisconsin. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago.
Service-Learning: Building Relationships with Community service, Retrieved July 30, 2016, from https://cesl.umass.edu/SLBuildingRelationshipswithCommunityOrganizations
