Manager's Report

by Elizabeth Riley

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

Community Support Worker

As mentioned in my report in the last edition of Polare we are undergoing a process of restructuring positions at the Gender Centre in order to maximise our capacity to provide quality services to the community. In light of these changes the former position of Social and Support Worker has undergone a number of changes in the job description including its title which has been changed to Community Support Worker. These changes and the job title better reflect the new directions the Centre will be adopting.

The position of the Community Support Worker is now ready to be filled on a permanent basis and we are formally advertising the position in this edition of Polare.

Anyone interested in applying for the position should follow the directions in the advertisement and I will provide you with a copy of the job description and the essential criteria that applicants need to meet. The closing date for applications will be set at three weeks from the date at which Polare would reasonably be expected to arrive through the mail.

Accreditation

I mentioned also in the last edition that the centre was undergoing an accreditation process with Quality Management Services (QMS). Three staff members have since attended accreditation training conducted through Q.M.S. and we have begun the process of measuring our service provision against the standards. Following our training we entered into negotiations with Q.M.S. to select the appropriate elective standards that we would follow. We had originally been furnished with the Primary Health Care Module but it became apparent the Community Services Module was more applicable to the work of the Gender Centre and we have elected to meet those standards instead. The core standards, as the name would suggest, remain unchanged.

In all there are twenty-two standards that we are required to report on and on which we must provide evidence across a range of organisational processes that demonstrate the degree to which we are meeting those standards. In summary these are; Leadership and Management, Human Resources, Physical Resources, Financial Management, Knowledge Management, Risk Assessment and Management, Legal and Regulatory Compliance, Identifying and Meeting Community Needs, Focusing on Positive Outcomes, Ensuring Cultural Safety and Appropriateness, Confirming Consumer Rights, Empowering Consumers, Coordinating Services and Programs, Service Agreements and Partnerships, Collaboration and Strategic Positioning, Incorporation and Contribution to Good Practice, Community and Professional Capacity Building, Client Centered Services, Advocacy, External Training and Education, Telephone Help lines/Websites and Records.

It may seem laborious to have listed all of these but I think it is of value for community members to be aware that the Gender Centre, like all funded non-government organisations, is subject to an array of conditions that must be met in order to sustain our funding and we have continued to meet, and often exceed, these obligations in the twenty-two years that we have been operating.

Polare

A few responses and suggestions were received following Katherine's and my reports that, due to increases in costs in the production of Polare, there seemed to be no alternative but to reduce the frequency of publication from bi-monthly to quarterly. Our funding body has confirmed that no extra funding is available and have, therefore, recommended this option. One particularly useful suggestion, however, was to establish an email list of subscribers and to then deliver Polare via email in pdf format. This is an excellent suggestion which would allow people to receive their copies of Polare in full colour and without the delays associated with printing, packing and posting. Katherine has more to say on this option in her editorial but I think it is an excellent idea that will benefit those of you with email addresses while at the same time reducing costs to the Centre.

New Website

Just a final note on the new website. I hope many of you will have had the opportunity to browse through the site and look at what it, and we, have to offer. I think the site is much more visually appealing than the old site and there is no question that it is significantly easier to navigate, and much more functional. If you haven't had a chance to have a look I urge you to do so when you can. As always, if you have any suggestions for improving the site we would love to hear from you, preferably by email so we can send your suggestions on to our web designer.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.