Working in Community Services

Week 8 – Organisational and Practice Management

Image sourced from:
Community Services Alexander’s Computer Service

The Community Services Industry is highly complex with the involvement of various government and non-government agencies, faith-based services, for-profit companies and collectives which employ a vast spectrum of workers, therefore there is not one specific definition of the goal and purpose of this industry and there are many perspectives of what these should be.

The fundamental purpose of community services is to combat oppression and the empowerment and liberation of individuals and communities to meet their needs and achieve their goals, as stated by Chenoweth & McAuliffe (2017).

The main focus of the roles of community service workers is to raise awareness of inequality and poverty and to ensure that practice is evidence based to ensure that we are able to adequately close these gaps and promote the wellbeing of clients and the community. The nature of human services work as summarised by
Chenoweth & McAuliffe (2017) as follows:

• Human services are about the people.
• Consumers of human service organisation services have a moral, political and social identity.
• Consumers of human service organisation services are self-acting – the responses they make are determined not only by what is ‘done to’ them by the organisation but also by their own desires, motivations and actions.
• The relationship between the clients and the staff is central to the human service organisation’s work.
• These relationships are usually professional, such as a social worker–client, doctor–patient, or receptionist–applicant, and the services are usually delivered through formal structures.
• Human service activities can be classified as processing, sustaining or changing people.

In conclusion the definition of the goal of the Community Services Industry is based on the values and philosophies of the above-mentioned agencies, charities and organisations along with the political and social situation and economic affordability.

Resources

Chenoweth, L & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work & Human Service Practice. (5 ed.). Australia: Cengage Learning