The Essay On Social And Cultural Institutions' Impact On Meals On Wheel's Effectiveness.

Collaboration with Social and Cultural Institutions

1.Identify which Social and Cultural Institutions your Organisation reports to or works with through their Service Networks

2.Evaluate the Impact of these institutions and systems on the Organisation’s Effectiveness.

3.How Meals on Wheels monitors, reports & reviews their Effectiveness according to relevant accreditations.

1.Meals on Wheels works for the service of the community, moving around providing food and medical check-ups for all those that turn up. The Meals on Wheels Western Australia works in collaboration with the Aged and Community Services Western Australia (ACSWA) as the main body that represents the Meals on Wheels in Western Australia (Meals On Wheels Western Australia, 2012). The program involves governments, corporate partners, volunteers, and individual sponsors. ACSWA also caters for veteran affairs where they cater for the veterans or their widows and widowers with health services, commemorations, and health services. The home and care services involve the services of the Meals on Wheels where careful consideration is put into the diet of such people to ensure good health in the long run (Australian Government-Department of Veteran Affairs, 2017).

Meals on Wheels works in collaboration with the Shire of Kalamunda, which contributes to the Meals on Wheels program by providing the organization with volunteers for the various programs (Shire of Kalamunda, 2017). There is also the Peppermint Grove Shire that caters for the disabled and aged by running a Meals on Wheels service for the same and runs on paid staff and volunteers (Shire of Pepppermint Grove, 2017). The other is the Home and Community Care Program (HACCP) government programs that ensure the safety of the food and other meals on wheels services distributed to people in Western Australia. There is the additional partnership with silver chain, an organization responsible for the provision of health among the aged and disabled through medical services and meals at subsidized prices.

The ACSWA is the major representative of charity and community care for the community across Western Australia. Other partners include The City of Stirling (a community and home care services provider for seniors).

2.The shire of Kalamunda police checks, orients, and classifies the volunteers according to skills before discharging them to various program activities such as the meals on wheels. The shire also reimburses the out of picket expenses incurred by the volunteers (Shire of Kalamunda, 2017). The Peppermint Shire also offers such services to the disabled and the aged through the coordination of Meals on Wheels programs where it sponsors one healthy meal per day (Shire of Pepppermint Grove, 2017).

Impact on Meals on Wheel's Effectiveness

There is the WA HACCP program to which Meals on Wheels answers in relation to food safety (Government of Western Australia: Deparrtment of Health, 2017). It monitors the activities and quality of products and services offered by Meals on Wheels alongside the conducting of a quality assessment on such programs and organizations (HACC, 2013). As the key provider of community care for the disabled and frail aged people in Western Australia, the program does annual external audits and includes the carers of the aged and disabled in the various institutions with which they work (WA HACC, 2007).

Silver chain also works in collaboration with meals on wheels since it is involved in various community services such as the provision of health to the aged through medical services and healthy living among other services at subsidised prices (Silverchain, 2017). Diet is an essential element of healthy living which is done alongside exercise and adherence to medication dosages.

AMOWA works through the ACSWA whereby it supports the work of ACSWA through the food and health services program and gains from the publicity and trust that comes with association with ACSWA. The various partners such as the Pekish team, the City of Stirling, and PTTEP Australia sponsor the various activities held by ACSWA in collaboration with Meals on Wheels programs (Meals on Wheels Western Australia, 2012). They in turn include the program in their campaigns, add the Meals on Wheels logo onto their products, and provides assistance in the delivery of the meals.

3.Annual reviews and monitoring is essential to ensure accountability and sustain the trust of the donors and volunteers. The accountability is done through: The annual publication of the financial statements; the issuance and collection of satisfactory surveys; proof of accreditation; focus groups; and the use of community consultations (Meals on Wheels Western Australia, 2017). To the volunteers, the organization ensures there is free flow of information so that they are always informed. It also owes the HACCP accountability for their actions and receives inspection to ensure they remain eligible for the services they give and maintain quality.

Regular Program and Financial Reports

The organization engages in programs that require mass participation and financing. As a result, all programs are followed up by reports that constitute regular audits to ensure credibility. The reports serve as evidence of the implementation of the stated objectives during the stipulated time. The financial reports are essential, especially since the organization depends on government grants, personal donations, and corporate financial partnerships where the corporations fund the organization.

Monitoring and Reporting Effectiveness

Newsletters

The newsletters not only provide more information about the organization, but also lay out a brief report of the proceeds of the organization. There are even online versions that allow for subscription and consist of informative data. For the publication of newsletters, there is need for the monitoring of daily activities so as to provide comprehensive reports on them. That includes taking pictures, recording testimonials and doing case studies. One of the ways in which the Meals on Wheels organization ensures accountability through monitoring is the annual reporting of the proceeds of the organization and the breaking down of all the finances invested in the activities undertaken by the program that year.

The organization uses the newsletters are used for purposes such as the dissemination of information, the motivation of performance- especially since it depends on voluntary services. It is also used to supplement the company records in a simplified form and to help spread word about its existence. The newsletters also serve to announce the upcoming events and the need for donors in the near future. Such allows for monitoring by government bodies and potential donors where they decide to observe the way such events are conducted in deciding whether to offer support through sponsorship, dissemination of information to the masses or recommendations (AMOWA, 2017).

Complaints Policy

The Meals on Wheels organization conducts its activities through the Disability and Home Care (ADHC) for the provision of services to the seniors in Australia. The ADHC also takes up any complaints that come through them for the purpose of improving the situation. The use of the ADHC as an avenue is another way of ensuring external monitoring by a reliable body which in turn gives even more credibility to the organization. The Meals on Wheels organization watches out for any discrepancies and uses only accredited methods for the preparation of their meals and the provision of healthcare services during their events.

All the people to who the services are delivered are made aware of the complaints policy and the avenue through which they can forward them. The complaints submission procedure consists of three main steps, one being the communication of the dissatisfaction to the community worker, employment consultant, or mentor in direct contact with the client. The second is to contact the general manager or the head office if the complaint is not addressed because of negligence or complexity. Finally, one is allowed to contact the customer service line if the issue is yet to be resolved.

Regular Program and Financial Reports

Privacy Policy

The organizations makes sure to guarantee the protection of all the private information collected from the client by the endorsement of a privacy policy. It is bound by the law as it conducts its activities in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APP). They include the Privacy Act (1988) and the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act (1998). They are found in the Privacy Amendment Act of 2012 that enhances the protection of privacy. With the policy, the organization can be held liable for the leak of such information as a result of negligence of malice. It, therefore, serves as a monitoring and review tool whereby there are terms of reference and proof of the declaration of the guarantee of privacy (Meals on Wheels, 2017).

Further accountability and monitoring is evident in the recording of the organization about the reason why they need private information. As an organization that collaborates with the government and used government funds, the government demands for such personal information for verification purposes. There are also cases where the organization shares such information with the doctor of the client upon their consent. Further monitoring initiatives are evident in the option to contact the offices in case of the disregard of their privacy. Adherence to policy is further enhanced by training that ensures that all the people that come into contact with the organizations are aware of its provisions.

Multisector Service Accountability Agreement

The multi-sector accountability Agreements are done in the form of legal documents or verbal agreements. However, they must be adhered to for the smooth operation of the various departments. Such includes departments within the organization or governmental departments with which the company is involved. The agreements are then displayed in the form of documentations and certifications in the portfolio of the organization for all that are interested in their adherence to see.

Full disclosure to the Volunteers

The organization also ensures that all its activities are subject to monitoring and reported through the provision of a complaints policy for the clients, a privacy policy, and full disclosure of all the information that is of use to such a client. The volunteers also undergo a process of screening and subsequent training using methods that re acceptable by law and the health and nutrition departments. That ensures the complete avoidance of unexpected harmful incidents for which the organization could be sued. This is evident in the website where the volunteering terms and conditions are well explained.

Conclusion

Meals on Wheels works for the service of the community, moving around providing food and medical check-ups for all those that turn up. The program involves governments, corporate partners, volunteers, and individual sponsors. The organization makes use of annual publication of the financial statements; the issuance and collection of satisfactory surveys; proof of accreditation; focus groups; and the use of community consultations, for the enhancement of accountability through monitoring, reports, and reviews. The accountability and the collaborations that enhance its accountability are a bonus in the overall impact it has on society in relation to caring for those not in a position to conveniently do so.

References

AMOWA. (2017). Australian Meals on Wheels Association (AMOWA). Retrieved from Meals on Wheels Australia: https://mealsonwheels.org.au/about/

Government of Western Australia: Deparrtment of Health. (2017, 4 4). HACC – publications and policies. Retrieved from Government of Western Australia: Deparrtment of Health: https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/Articles/F_I/HACC-publications-and-policies

HACC. (2013, 1 4). Home and Community Care Program-Western Australia. Retrieved from HACC: https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/Files/Corporate/general%20documents/HACC/PDF/HACC_Manual.ashx

Meals on Wheels. (2017, 2 3). Meals on Wheels. Retrieved 5 3, 2017, from Meals on Wheels: https://www.mealsonwheelssa.org.au/index.php/aboutus/legals/privacy-policy

Meals on Wheels Western Australia. (2012, 2 2). Enjoying Life & Supporting Independence. Retrieved from Meals on Wheels Western Australia: https://www.mealsonwheelswa.org.au/abtus.aspx

Meals On Wheels Western Australia. (2012, 6 5). Supporters. Retrieved from Measl on Wheels Western Australia: https://mealsonwheelswa.org.au/content.aspx?page=Supporters

Meals on Wheels Western Australia. (2017, 2 2). FAQs. Retrieved from Meals on Wheels Western Australia: https://www.mealsonwheelswa.org.au/content.aspx?page=FAQs

Shire of Kalamunda. (2017). Volunteers. Retrieved from Shire of Kalamunda: https://www.kalamunda.wa.gov.au/Services/Seniors-Community-Care/Volunteering

Shire of Pepppermint Grove. (2017). Aged Care: Shinee Community Services. Retrieved from Shire of Pepppermint Grove: https://www.peppermintgrove.wa.gov.au/community/aged-care-2/

Silverchain. (2017, 1 1). Our range of in-home health and care services are designed to help you, or someone close to you, stay healthy, safe and independent at home. Retrieved from Silverchain: https://www.silverchain.org.au/our-services/

WA HACC. (2007). Western Australia Home and Community Care: Center Based Day Care Report. Sydney: WA HACC. Retrieved from https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/Files/Corporate/general%20documents/HACC/PDF/Report_Centre_Based_Day_Care_2007.ashx