Community Services Partnership Forum
COMMUNIQUE #110 August 2017
At its 10 August 2017 meeting, the Community Services Partnership Forum (the Forum) agreed to new terms of reference (TOR). As part of the new TOR, the Forum will issue a communique after each quarterly meeting. As this is the first communique, the focus is the background of the Forum.
Background
The Forum was established in September 2013, and members are drawn from the community services industry, the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services and the Commonwealth Department of Social Services. The new TOR state the Forum’s purpose to provide a platform for members to work together on issues relevant to the department, to the industry and to the individuals, families and communities that both seek to support.
Since August 2015, Forum meetings have focussed on development of the long term Community Services Industry Strategy (the Strategy), due to be released in 2017. This included working together to deliver the Forecasting the Future 2025 report in April 2016. The Forum has played a key role in designing and participating in the Strategy development process and is committed to supporting its implementation.
The Forum recently conducted a reflection exercise to review the two-year co-development process for the Strategy in the context of the transition to Strategy implementation. The reflection exercise provided insights into the co-development process experience, as well as the role and operation of the Forum itself. These insights contributed to the development of the new TOR, which clarify the purpose and activities of the Forum.
Investment specifications
Members received a presentation on the department’s progress on a new approach to investment, commissioning and procurement, noting significant internal work was underway and consultation with the industry would be advised in due course.
Social innovation
The new TOR include a standing agenda item for structured information sharing. The theme at the August meeting was social innovation. Members shared a range of activities connected to social innovation as well as identifying some areas in need of innovative approaches.
Key themes raised were the connection between innovation and productivity; place-based work and the importance of a holistic approach to innovation; the powerful combination of citizen-led engagement and place-based work to drive innovation; how to build connections across the volunteering sector; and the importance of technology as an enabler for innovation. The Forum also discussed the need to look at longer-term outcomes and the ongoing sustainability of innovative approaches; how to generate innovation in getting wrap-around care for clients; and the importance of supporting both good practice and innovation together.
Next meeting
The next Forum meeting will be in November 2017.