Brief on AngliCare Australia - Research Paper Example

?Client Brief: AngliCare, Australia AngliCare is a wide community services agency with a unique range of services, operating in over 40 locations around Western Australia. It was legally established in June 1976 through the vision and leadership of the late Anglican Archbishop of Perth, The Most Revd Geoffrey Sambell. Originally known as “Anglican Health and Welfare Services”, it is now one of Australia’s largest Christian care organizations with a staff of over 400 and a network of more than 300 volunteers and reaches out to over 38 thousand people every year, making an annual turnover of over 25 Million Dollars. (AngliCare 2011). AngliCare is a social welfare organization in Western Australia that provides specialized services to all people ranging from children to the aged, some including family relationship services, foster care, adoption, employment services, community housing and development, etc. AngliCare’s Internal Environment: SWOT Analysis Strengths: The strengths of AngliCare lies in the services they provide, ranging from care for the aged, youth services, family relationship services, disability and carer services, disaster recovery, etc. also, their complete inclusion is a very strong point in their favor, meaning their non judgmental and non discriminatory acceptance of people from all walks of life. Their main motto is to care and they spread this message to all they come across. AngliCare’s organizational and services structures can also be mentioned as one of its strengths. They are comprehensive and well drafted. Weakness: AngliCare is facing issues in its aspects, such as with some of its events, the volunteers and op shops. They need to work on resolving these to ensure they are not overshadowed by other social welfare agencies. Opportunities: AngliCare covers almost every person from every walk of life who might be facing problems. However, they do not have programs specific to women and children who have faced abuse. Designing programs for women and children in this dire state will be really helpful. Also, they can consider expanding their services to under-developed and developing countries that do not have such programs in place and require such help. India for instance, does not have social welfare programs for its unemployed or disabled. A program like this might come in handy to help these people get on their feet and help reduce other social stigmas like beggary. Threats: Being a social welfare agency, AngliCare doesn’t really face threats as such from competition. Social welfare is based in the theme of care and their only objective is to ensure the welfare of their people. Their threats will mainly come into the picture in terms of lack of resources and volunteers. Also, when people try to scam the agency in exchange for the resources they provide, it will create a problem for the agency. AngliCare’s External Environment: Stakeholders and Competitors In case of AngliCare, corporate partnerships provide the opportunity for companies to contribute to its work in the community. Their programs provide physical, financial, emotional and spiritual assistance to help people in need to break the cycle of hardship. They have Corporate Care partners who assist in various ways such as sponsorship of events, workplace giving via payroll deductions for employees, encouraging people to volunteer at any of their locations and encouraging people to support them in kind, that is, via means of food, clothes and other such necessities. AngliCare, being a social welfare agency, does not really face competition as such from other social welfare agencies. All these agencies are non profit based and run for the benefit of people, local or otherwise. They do not judge or discriminate against the people they help out. All are equal in the eyes of god and these agencies. AngliCare’s Macro Environment: PESTEL Analysis Political Factors: AngliCare is facing political issues when it comes to its schools’ programs. More and more State, National and Overseas charities are approaching schools for charities, but there is a limit to how much they can contribute to one charity. This makes it hard to approach and engage with non-Anglican or ASC schools. Economic Factors: The economy plays a very important role in the Macro environment of AngliCare. It involves various factors including economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and the inflation rate. These factors have major impacts on how businesses operate and make decisions. It affects volunteer numbers and the functioning of op shops. Social Factors Changes in social trends can affect the functioning of AngliCare in terms of people’s interest in social welfare agencies. Social factors also include the cultural aspects and health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety. Trends in social factors affect the demand for a company's products and how that company operates. Technological Factors Technological factors such as the advent of the internet and easy access of computers and such to all plays a very great role in the running of such an establishment. People are now more aware of such agencies and the internet can play a big role in spreading awareness and information about AngliCare. This can only be beneficial to the organization. (PESTEL analysis) Environmental Factors Environmental factors include the weather and climate change. Environmental Factors are becoming something that all companies and people are becoming more conscious about. This is something that AngliCare can bank upon and take to their advantage, by designing programs around the theme: Care for the Environment. Legal Factors These are related to the legal environment in which firms operate. Legal factors also play an important role in the running of any agency. For instance, in case of AngliCare, the establishment of a limit of how much one can contribute to a particular school plays a heavy role in their running. Also, competition law, health and safety and employment law affect the running of an agency. AngliCare: Vision, Mission, Goals and Strategies AngliCare’s vision is to change lives and communities by care through Jesus Christ. Being a leading not-for-profit organization, they play an important part in building strong communities and families. They believe that, “we live in a just and fair society in which all people thrive.” (Dear Applicant 2011). They want to influence policy makers and ensure that institutions and systems are attuned to the needs of all people in the community. The main mission of AngliCare is to care: ‘by doing good work that grows communities and address emotional, social and physical needs, and which are the fruit of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, by seeking to bring the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that alone meets spiritual needs, in partnership with churches where possible, and the wider community, where appropriate.” (About Us 2011). AngliCare’s goal is to work together with people, families and their communities to enhance their abilities to cope with the challenges of life and relationships. Their other values include their compassion, responsiveness, their non judgmental and non discriminatory attitude and their empowerment. AngliCare works mainly on team work. It is their best strategy and they believe that cooperation and collaboration achieves quality outcomes for individuals and communities. They make productive contributions to the life of the diocese through the range of programs and services they provide. Also, their commitment to inclusive and consultative leadership practices and recognition of their duty of care to support each other, play a very important role as their strategies. AngliCare: Issues and Challenges AngliCare has certain issues in term of reach ability to its client base. The Lisgar Youth Support Program, an activity of AngliCare Child, Youth & Family Services in partnership with DoCS OOHC Metro-Central Sydney region. It aims to assist young people aged between 10-25 and/or their parents/carers by filling gaps in service provision and supporting OOHC placements. Most of Lisgar’s work occurs outside the office environment. In seeking to be as accessible as possible to our client group, they often meet at a location that is comfortable for them – such places might include home, school, cafes, parks, etc. However, Lisgars’s funding relationship with the Department means that they can only accept referrals from case managers located in the Metro Central Sydney region of DoCS. Due to limited resources Lisgar can only service clients referred through CSCs that are located within a half hour radius of their Hurstville office. This creates an issue since the coverage is not wide enough. Being a social welfare organization, they must make arrangements to be able to reach out to a wider client base. This will help them to grow out of their zone and will help them to spread their message and care by way of their special programs to all those in need. Consultant Report Being a consultant for AngliCare, I would work with Jennifer Duffecy, Executive General Manager of Corporate Strategy and Marketing. We would work together to create strategies for the increase in awareness and spread of information of AngliCare, so as to generate more funds and cover a wider reach in terms of a client base. To achieve such a task is not a joke. It will take time, energy, patience and a lot of hard work. To begin with we would have to meet at least on a weekly basis and develop strategies to work on increasing funds and awareness for AngliCare. It has to be taken, on step at a time. Initial Strategies To improve a social welfare organization, all it really requires are funds. A social welfare organization like AngliCare, does not worry as much about turn over as it does about the welfare of its people. AngliCare does activities for people on every walk of life. Their specialty lies in their no discrimination policy and the vast coverage of social work, from children to the aged. Today, everyone is thinking of ways in which they can give back. There is no bigger moral satisfaction than when one feels he has given to someone less fortunate and in some way improved their life. Therefore, the best strategy would be to capitalize on this thought process and hence improve the funds situation of AngliCare. To do this, the biggest necessary thing to do is to create and spread awareness about AngliCare among people from all walks of life. It’s not just the extremely wealthy and successful that are trying to give back to society. And with the advent of 2012 and the end of the world, people want to make sure they reserve a spot in heaven. AngliCare is not a big, wealthy organization. Also, they would rather use their funds to help someone out, instead of an awareness generating media such as advertisement. So, we will have to employ techniques that are below the line, but just as effective, such as viral advertising, lectures and seminars in schools, colleges and places of work. Even other promotional methods of spreading awareness can be employed, such as in popular spots of the country. We will also have to bank on word of mouth getting out and begin a certificate program for volunteers so that they are also made to feel appreciated and special. It is necessary to create such a name for AngliCare that not just the clients are happy, but the carers are happy as well. To achieve this, a family type atmosphere must be created. When the people feel welcome and that their services are being appreciated, no matter that they are voluntary; they will want to do more. A little appreciation is sometimes all that it takes. It all begins with a little step. The rest, as they say, will be history. References AngliCare-The care that changes lives 2011. AngliCare. Accessed March 30, http://www.AngliCare.org.au/ Dear Applicant 2011. AngliCare. Accessed March 30, http://www.anglicarewa.org.au/sites/anglicarewaorgau/assets/public/File/Jobs/February/Youth%20Workers%20Casual%20Feb%2011.doc. About Us 2011. AngliCare. Accessed March 30, http://www.anglicare.org.au/about-us PESTEL analysis of the macro-environment 2011. Oxford University Press. Accessed March 30 http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.ht m Read More