A North Central
Victorian Family Services Alliance Operations Group will be
established and will operate within the Alliance's governance
framework.
The NCVFS Alliance
Operations Group will be responsible for monitoring overall program
and service performance and outcomes - and for liaison with Family
Services agencies and LGA-based service networks regarding service
performance, planning and change management
requirements.
Specific
responsibilities of the Operations Group will
include:
-
Facilitate collaborative change
management process to transform existing fragmented Family Services
program/funding arrangements into an integrated partnerships-based
catchment Family Services system.
-
Under the leadership of the Alliance,
implement operational aspects of the adopted Memorandum of
Understanding and Catchment Plan across catchment Family
Services.
-
Coordinate Child FIRST and
sub-catchment referrals, intake and case allocations processes -
including monitoring and reporting demand and capacity management
issues to the Alliance (including “alerts” regarding
potential capacity overloads). This function includes receiving
monthly allocations reports from the Local Area Allocations
Groups regarding: allocations of priority referrals; case
management capacity; throughput; “active holding”; and
demand management issues.
-
Monitor operations and performance of
DHS-funded services within the North Central catchment (including
Child FIRST, Alliance facilitation, and Integrated Family Services
Programs) in line with the Consortium's preferred model and DHS
specification requirements.
-
Promote effective co-ordination of
services planning, program development and delivery by
agencies/local networks.
-
Support coordinated catchment
strategies to address staff recruitment, development and retention
requirements.
-
Oversee implementation of data,
reporting and service quality requirements.
-
Undertake projects and form key
working groups as determined by the Alliance.
-
Review pre-existing and approved
services classifications, levels, funding, pricing, and staffing
models with a view to implementing consistent program, performance
and pricing standards across the catchment.
Members of the NCVFS
Alliance Operations Group will include designated senior operations
management representatives of:
-
DHS-funded Family Services providers:
Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC); Bendigo
Community Health Services; Castlemaine District Community Health
Centre; CentaCare - Diocese of Sandhurst; Cobaw Community Health
Services; Echuca Regional Health; Kyabram Community and Learning
Centre; Njernda Aboriginal Corporation; and St Luke's
Anglicare Victoria.
-
Designated Child FIRST/Alliance
facilitation partner/s, Child FIRST Manager and/or Team Leader, and
Alliance Project Coordinator.
-
DHS Loddon Mallee Region: Community
Care Partnerships; and Child Protection Services.
The NCVFS Alliance
Operations Group will meet monthly and will be accountable to
Alliance partners for overseeing approved administration, service
prioritisation and sub- catchment based allocations processes
according to agreed service performance standards, targets and
reporting mechanisms.
The NCVFS
Alliance Operations Group will oversee the development of agreed
sub- catchment based intake and case allocation mechanism/s (based
on LAARP Groups) which will provide clear referral pathways to
DHS-funded Family Services for vulnerable individuals and families
and which reinforce the strengths of existing catchment intakes and
local service networks. The NCVFS Alliance Operations Group
at its monthly meetings will:
-
Monitor and review operations of
central/local intakes;
-
Develop, implement and monitor agreed
program guidelines, quality and performance standards;
and
-
Develop, recommend and implement
strategies to collaboratively address any emerging issues in
relation to operations, demand, service capacity and/or risk
management.
The NCVFS Alliance
Operations Group will also oversee implementation of the Alliance's
agreed change management process to manage the transition from
current service arrangements to effective catchment-level
central/local referral, intakes, assessment, case allocations and
case management processes.
