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How to create community partnerships

How to create community partnerships

In this section:

Pilot 2: Community Partnerships:

How to create community partnerships

General Principles

Gathering the evidence
How do you know who isn’t using the service?

Techniques for monitoring contacts: e.g. collection of information at reception/triage:

  • Adapting data collection to capture the information you need
  • Demographic information about predictive need for advice in your catchment area: where to find this and how to use it
  • Who is likely to need advice but isn’t approaching the service: research reports and how to use them
  • Local information about access – how to gather and share data within local advice and referral networks

Deciding on the focus
Which group to target?

Guiding principles in deciding where to focus the service:

  • groups for whom there is no other local advice provision
  • groups served/represented by agencies or individuals with whom your agency already has contacts
  • groups actually seeking advice
  • groups whose general support needs are acknowledged by local/national government initiatives (e.g. long-term unemployed, lone parents, young people) – and where funding may be available to develop advice services

Designing the service
What can you offer?

Before you contact the “partner organisation”, decide what you can offer – i.e. how much time, what sort of advice, outreach at their premises or improved referral arrangements:

  • How will this impact on existing advice sessions and capacity in genera
  • Who will deliver the service? Existing advisers will need to be enthusiastic about the new service especially if there are teething problems
  • What additional administrative work will be needed and who will do it?
  • Who will support and develop the service and the relationship with the partner agency?
  • Would an initial pilot project be advisable?

Choosing a Partner
How to build the relationship

Factors to consider when approaching a potential partner organisation:

  • What services does it already provide for the group/community to be targeted?
  • If it already provides advice, how does this service link with yours? Do they complement or conflict with one another?
  • Is there a person within the partner organisation who is likely to welcome your approach and be willing to develop the relationship between the organisations?
  • If language is a barrier to access to advice for he targeted group, what help may the partner organisation be able to provide?
  • Are there existing contacts between your agency and the partner organisation which could be developed?

Formalising the relationship
What structure do you need?

An agreement – formal or informal – between the advice service and the partner agency may be advisable to ensure that both sides know what to expect. This could be a formal document such as a memorandum of agreement or an informal statement which both partners sign.

  • Who will do what: what services will be provided – e.g. outreach advice sessions, training for the partner agency’s staff, interpreting
  • How and when will the service be reviewed?
  • What monitoring information will be collected and who will collect it?
  • How will disagreements be resolved?
  • What practical arrangements are needed (e.g. provision of a room for the advice session); payments for room rental

Evaluating the Exercise

The evaluation should aim to engage all those involved – users of the service as well as staff from the participating agencies. It could take the form of a written report or notes from a structured discussion. It should aim to identify –
What was achieved:

  • For the clients: e.g. improved access to advice and to other types of services; the impact on their general well-being as measured by improvements in physical or mental health, access to employment, income generation etc.
  • For the advice agency and partners organisation: e.g. stronger relationships; referral arrangements appropriate to the client group served; potential basis for a local referral network or joint funding bid

What did not work well: this information will be important in adapting the project, if it is to continue, and/or when planning similar partnerships in the future.

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