CareSouth’s Community Relations Team is a key driver in keeping our staff and the communities we work with informed and engaged
As CareSouth continues to grow, so does the need for effective communication across the regions we cover. Our Community Relations team travel far and wide across NSW and the ACT to engage and inform potential carers, organise events, manage media and ensure we communicate with the communities in which we work.
One of the Community Relations team’s most important roles is to reach out to potential carers – who are integral to the work we do – so they can join CareSouth in creating positive futures for children and young people.
One of the ways in which we have streamlined this process is through the roll-out of our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database in 2016. Our CRM system enables us to enhance and track all aspects of our customer interface, whether it be for on-boarding carers, volunteers or employees to donation management. This is the first time in CareSouth’s history we have had a standardised process for enquiries as well as year-on-year data to assist us in developing and refining strategic intake processes across the organisation. The first year-on-year data since implementing our Customer Relationship Management database found there were 866 enquiries received in the first two quarters of 2017, compared with 283 in the previous year, achieving a 306 percent increase.
Our Community Relations team has been pivotal in developing new marketing initiatives and strategies to build our profile, managing engagement within the wider organisation and liaising with our partners and external stakeholders.
The highly successful Aunties & Uncles program underwent a rebrand in 2016/17 in an effort to broaden its appeal. CareSouth Champions is designed to be inclusive of other groups of people who can’t always commit to a full weekend with a child or young person every month. The rebranded program makes provisions for younger or older people who have varying skills and times they are available. The essence of the program, spending quality time together, remains unchanged. Initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with the new branding being rolled out across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven.
CareSouth’s Community Relations team ensures we always have a voice and presence at child protection industry forums and working groups such as Families Week, Child Protection Week, Volunteers Week and Foster Care Week, where we recognise the tireless work of our foster carers, who provide a safe, loving environment for children and young people who are unable to live at home.
Our Aboriginal Community Development Officer runs events at NAIDOC Week, National Reconciliation Week and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day.
CareSouth also sponsored the regional NAIDOC awards and the Kids in Care Cup – an annual Aboriginal Rugby League knockout competition held in Wollongong in September to raise awareness of what fostering is all about and the need for more Aboriginal carers across NSW.
There is always something positive happening across our regions and in a bid to keep our internal and external communities in the loop the Community Relations team have a blog on our website. The blog is frequently updated and engages and informs stakeholders about our wins and challenges, upcoming events, the latest research underpinning the work that we do, carer stories and client experiences.
There are many achievements that happen within our organisation and it is important for our community to know how amazing our staff, carers and clients are. We also share our stories on our Facebook and Instagram pages.