The Gender Centre Inc
Our Strategic Planning Processes
Method used
The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) method was used to conduct the planning process. A combination of external and internal stakeholders were interviewed by an external consultant.
EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS: SERVICE PROVIDERS
Interviews were conducted with the following stakeholders:
- NSW FACS
- Metro Housing
- Wentworth Community Housing
- Headspace in Dubbo
- Sydney Local Health District
- Primary Health Network
- Regional LHD
- NSW Police
Stakeholders were asked to respond to a series of questions including:
- A description of their service and role.
- Their agencies relationship to GC e.g. referral, partner, funding.
- What GC services were they aware of?
- What additional services they think the agency could provide?
- What should be the agencies priorities over the next three years?
- What did they see as the overall strengths of the service?
- Were there any areas where the service could improve? If so, what were they?
- How should GC position itself to achieve long term sustainability?
INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS: GC CLIENT GROUPS
The consultant met with the following client groups:
- two clients in an interview discussion
- two clients’ submitted surveys
- Parents group – fifteen participants
- Young person’s group – 18 participants
The following questions guided discussion:
- What activities and services at GC have been helpful to you?
- How would you describe your experience of being a client at GC?
- What staff support has been helpful to you?
- Is there anything additional staff could do to assist you?
- How can GC improve its services?
- Is there anything you would like to add?
SWOT: Emerging themes from stakeholders consultation
Many of the identified strengths highlighted the GC’s, ability to provide a specialist response. This specialisation included the following: the Centre’s strong relationship with local community, passionate, friendly and skilled staff, strong advocacy skills, excellence in service provision and delivering the client centred approach into case management practice.
External stakeholders identified the GC’s strong relationships with local community positions the service in a leadership role when advocating for the dignity and rights of transgender and gender diverse people. GC’s variety of programs such as, counselling, parents group, young person’s group, case management, access to information and resources supports clients with the skills and knowledge to increase their capacity for independence and self-empowerment.
The young person’s group found access to the group particularly helpful in developing strong relationships and challenging social isolation.
The parent’s group highlighted the staff as supportive, valued the social support aspect of the group and access to information. Parents identified the support from GC as crucial to the ongoing wellbeing of their family, particularly the mental and social wellbeing to their children.
Our Vision Statement
Our Mission Statement
To deliver professional services that are responsive to the needs of transgender and gender diverse people.
The Gender Centre provides services in the following four domains
Advacacy & Support
Education
Homelessness
2018-2021 Strategic priorities
Priority 2:Strengthen GC’s Human Resource Management system
Priority3:Increase organisational capacity through public relations and partnership development
Priority 4:Monitor administrative systems and potential risks