Social Work Leadership in Centacare - Brisbane and Its Environment - Case Study Example

Social Work Leadership in Centacare – Brisbane and its Environment Name Institution Date Social work leadership in Centacare – Brisbane and its environment Introduction Social leadership is defines as the capability of working creatively, effectively as well as constructively with individuals, groups, communities, families as well as organizations for the purpose of promoting social justice, catalyzing social change as well as addressing social and individual problems. In social work, leadership is achieved in different ways like offering direction, supporting individuals, inspiring vision as well as collective action for the purpose of obtaining results that are mutually valued. Social work organizations require professional leadership for effective provision of human services as well as care for the immediate environment. This essay aims at examining the potential of social work leadership in a real human services organization. Specifically, the essay will be discussing how leadership is exercises in the human service agency. Additionally, the essay will describe various strategies that social workers employed by the organization many undertake more leadership responsibilities both within the agency as well as more widely within the organization’s environment. Centacare -Brisbane The organization of choice is Centacare – Brisbane. Centacare is a human services agency that was founded by the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane as its official welfare agency. This agency works together with the government as well as the community in Brisane by providing social services. According to the estimated statistics, Centacare offers social services to approximately more than 150,000 individuals as well as 65,000 families each year (Centacare, 2013). The organization has employed more that 3,000 social workers and over 200 service centers. The commitment of the organization is to support people in need as well as those who are disadvantaged. Centacare - Brisbane offers a range of professional programs as well as services to support those who are vulnerable, families as well as the distressed in the community, persons with disabilities together with their care givers, children at risk, child care services that are safe and rewarding, couples wanting to live a well in their marriage, people who cannot access rewarding work, as well as the elderly people who want to improve and maintain their health as well as self sufficiency among other services (Centacare, 2015). The vision of the organization is to envisage an Australian society that is fair and more inclusive to reflect and support equality, dignity as well as participation of every person. As a social work organization, Centacare works to ensure that its customers feel welcomed and treated with dignity as well as supported every time they access the organization’s services. The agency strives to deliver professional as well as accountable services to the people, families and the community at large in a professional as well as accountable manner while empowering them in finding solutions and achieving their goals (Archdiocese of Brisbane, 2013). Leadership in Centacare In Centacare, leadership is exercised in various ways. The organization is committed to leading social change by way of building partnerships as well as alliances, sharing knowledge and resources, engaging with communities as well as supporting advocacy. By leading through partnerships and alliances the agency partners with a range of government as well as non-government organizations so as to pursue its mission. The partnership and alliances also contributes to the development of its social policy whose foundation is the experience as well as expertise of the network of its members (Trak Search Sydney, 2013). Centacare leads by engaging with the communities in the provision of its services to the people. The communities in Australia are welcomed in the organization to receive its social services. The agency listens and responds to community needs by working to strengthen families as well as support people and communities for the purpose of helping to have lives that are fulfilled and connected in just as well as supportive communities (Trak Search Sydney, 2013). For example, social workers in the family and relationship services of the organization provide guidance to families and couples when in need. This is achieved through the various programs that target to enhance the lives of families (Centacare, 2015). Centacare – Brisbane leads by promoting its mission as well as the Catholic perspective in providing social services to the people in need. The agency supports those in need like the sick, homeless, the frail and the disadvantaged. It also provides various pastoral ministries as well as well as parish support services, life education programs and counseling (Archdiocese of Brisbane, 2013). The various social services provided by the agency directly fulfill the Catholic Church mission. Every day, Centacare leads by promoting its values through assisting families, people with disability, marginalized and frail people. Social work leaders in the agency accomplish their leadership through offering direction through counseling sessions to couples. They also inspire vision to the communities by advising them on how to accomplish their goals. They also directly support individuals by providing finances as well as social support to further education and start businesses. Centacare also takes a collective action for the community in achieving mutual goals for building community capacity as well as strong relationships (Centacare, 2015). Social workers in the organization are seen to lead by intervening in times of crisis, mediating in conflicts, advocating on behalf of their customers as well as identifying resources that will support the community. Social leadership is demonstrated by social workers during the vulnerable times as well as helping customers as well as their families in finding meaning when faced with adversity. Doing all these means that social workers in Centacare are everyday leaders (Centacare, 2012). Directorate leadership is exercised in Centacare Brisbane (Trak Search Sydney, 2013). A strong team structure is maintained for the purpose of leading the directorate in delivering strategic goals of the organization. Social work leaders in the organization exercise directorate leadership by leading through demonstration of behaviors as well as attitudes that are build on the Centacare Code or Conduct. Directorate priorities are set in line with the organizations vision and its overall strategic direction. Leadership is exercised by the social workers in Centacare by priding themselves in their ability to help the people they serve. By committing themselves to values of social justices, services and a person’s worth and dignity, social workers reveal the importance of human relationships as well as integrity (Centacare, 2012). These values define our leadership as social workers at Centacare. Social leadership at the agency is exercised though seeking ways of correcting injustices as well as finding ways for caring the poor and also the disenfranchised. Honoring and application of these values is what offers good leadership at Centacare. According to Haynes (2015), social organizations or social workers who understand and commit to social work are committed to becoming leaders. Social workers in the organization lead from the front while other lead by being members of a team (Centacare, 2015). Both methods of leading are good forms of leadership. Leading in front means being focused on the future and look beyond the current needs of the customers. As leaders, social workers in the organization usually set guidelines as well as benchmarks to lead the teams for achieving the desired outcomes. Working together with the teams is a way of developing our skills as well as portfolios. Social workers lead and also participate as part of the team because they understand the need for mediation and fostering collaboration in social work. Open and honest communication as leaders enables workers in the organization to remain vigilant to different voices that need to be heard. In building strong teams, social work leaders at Centacare articulate the goals to be achieved as well as motivate the teams and look for the future (Centacare Brisbane, 2013). They are not only visionaries but also influencers who execute the set out plans for the different groups in the community. Social work leaders are required to use of supervision as well as consultation in an appropriate manner in social work practice. They should establish as well as maintain helping relationships that are effective for facilitating the planned change. Working together with teams in the organization is a demonstration of skills that are essential for constructive work in social work organizations. All team members are treated with respect by their leaders while their qualifications and views are accurately represented. At Centacare, leadership is exercised by social workers who constantly seek for various ways of establishing as well as demonstrating their value to their customers. This is also achieved through raising their concern for social work interventions, collaboration as well as leadership. By being strong advocates, social workers in the organization ensure that change is effected on a real level for individuals, organizations and the community at large. For example, the organization has disability support services whereby social workers train people with disability to reach their full potential. Learning programs are provided to people with disability to help them in maintaining an independent lifestyle in their home (Centacare, 2015). Social workers at Centacare can be said to be leaders by nature since they have all qualities of good social work leaders. This is evident with the power they have in their knowledge as well as compassion and their systems of perspective. They work by knowing that social work is a vocation and an understanding that providing services on behalf of the community or other people serves a big purpose in life. They belief that there is power achieved in valuing human dignity, equality, social justice as well as inclusiveness. They are experts in understanding problems both complex and multidimensional. They give solutions to situations from their valuable education and informed professional practice. As professional social work leaders, they create hope for people in the society, alleviate suffering as well as identify right paths for the welfare of humanity (Centacare Brisbane, 2013). Strategies for developing Social Work Leadership Participation There are different strategies social workers at Centacare Brisbane can use so as to increase their leadership participation both within the organization as well as within its environment. Adopting a people centered approach is a strategy that social workers in Centacare can utilize to participate more in leadership within the organization as well as within it environment (Fronek, Fowler & Clarke, 2011). Considering that the social work profession is one that gives an environment where people centered leadership can thrive, social workers can utilize this approach to develop and lead teams in the organization and within its environment. Taking a people centered approach by social work managers at Centacare will result to greater productivity in their work. Through this strategy, social workers will be able to relinquish control as well as give greater autonomy to individuals and teams. They will be able to delegate their responsibilities to other competent individuals in the community. According to the University of New England (2015), people centered approach achieve success for social workers in their organizations as well as in the environment. They will participate more in social leadership by encouraging individuals, organizations and the community to take an independent thinking in decision making. McGregor (2011) denotes that, social workers should practice professional leadership that offers them new opportunities in their environment of work. Social workers at Centacare can apply this strategy to encourage new opportunities that will enable them undertake more leadership responsibilities to their customers. They can develop and show leadership skills that are genuine to the people they serve. This will involve taking the initiative to start developing others through mentorship programs, supervision, research, and teaching. By being able to ensure that people can manage themselves and others, social workers at Centacare will have gone a mile ahead in undertaking more leadership responsibilities in the organization as well as within its environment. Social workers at Centacare can create more leadership programs in the organization to increase their leadership participation in the society. For example, Centacare does not have a major youth program. This is an opportunity that the social workers in the organization should evaluate and see a need that should be satisfied. Many of the youth taken care at Centacare are those with disability. Therefore, creating more programs for the youth will ensure social workers at Centacare undertake more leadership responsibilities in the organization and within its environment. It is recommended for social workers at Centacare to emphasize on improving as well as developing teams, individuals and corporations that works and learns together to bring social change in Australia. By educating the stakeholders that they have a place to play in bringing change to the community, social workers at Centacare will be working toward producing a learning culture for the agency as well as its surrounding environment (Center for Corporate Public Affairs, 2008). By doing things differently, social workers will encourage participation of all members of the community. It is also important to combine both professional identity as well as leadership when performing their tasks within the organization and its environment. This is an essential practice that safeguards the leadership role in social work. Adopting this strategy opens opportunities for social workers to lead ethically within the organization as well as lead within the environmental systems. It calls for a collaborative leadership that engages all stakeholders in decision making in the provision of human services (Menefee, 1997). Social work managers will undertake more leadership responsibilities by ensuring that people in the wider community understand their professional boundaries. By developing peer networks, social workers at Centacare will be able to connect with others in social work environment. Professional leadership will help them achieve more leadership participation by informing the wider community while influencing policy and practice. Social workers at Centacare can employ the strategy of engaging in partnership approaches when performing their practice as well as service delivery. Their work should be multi-disciplinary and inter-agency context within the organization and its environment. Partnering with service users will ensure they undertake more leadership responsibilities at the wider level of local communities (Rank & Hutchison, 2000). They should also partner with other professions, agencies as well as sectors and participate in leadership responsibilities that work towards meeting the different needs of people as well as safeguarding their wellbeing. Taking the responsibility of being representatives of the social work profession in the community, to service users as well as individuals is a good way that social workers at Centacare can undertake more leadership responsibilities within the organizations environment (Department of Health, Social Services, and public Safety, 2012). Conclusion Centacare is a human services agency where there is potential for social work leadership. As discussed in this essay social work leadership in Centacare is exercised in different ways. The organization is committed to leading social change by way of building partnerships as well as alliances, sharing knowledge and resources, engaging with communities as well as supporting advocacy. As human service organization, social workers in Centacare have many opportunities to develop their capacity of undertaking more responsibilities of participating in leadership both within the organization and its environment. It is recommended that, social workers at Centacare adopt a person centered approach in their practices, and exercise professional leadership both in the organization and within the community activities. They should combine both professional identity as well as leadership when performing their tasks within the organization and its environment. References Archdiocese of Brisbane. (2013). About Centacare Brisbane. Centacare Brisbane Catholic support services - providing help, creating hope. Retrieved from http://brisbanecatholic.org.au/support/centacare/about/ Catholic Social Services Australia. (2015). Centacare Brisbane. Support Services. Retrieved from http://www.cssa.org.au/memberservices/agency/28/#.VdWEFzbR9dg Centacare. (2012). Annual Review 2011-2012: reaching out - strengthening and supporting community. Archdiocese of Brisbane. Retrieved from http://centacarebrisbane.net.au/wp-content/uploads/4094.pdf Centacare Brisbane. (2013). Annual Review 2012-2013: Creating Hope. Retrieved from http://centacarebrisbane.net.au/wp-content/uploads/4214.pdf Centacare. (2015). Community Programs - Overview. Retrieved from http://centacarebrisbane.net.au/community-programs/overview/ Centacare. (2015). Disability Support – Overview. Catholic Support Services. 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