Bridging Community Service Gaps
Welcome to the Waterloo Human Service Collaborative Agency Access Resource Page .One of the key actions and commitments is to enhance service accessibility for residents. To help Waterloo Human Services collaborative members achieve this, we are developing a comprehensive collection of resources and tools.
In this section of our website, you’ll find valuable information tailored to assist you in improving access to your services and helping you to support residents in navigating local services, connect with community support, and enhance overall well-being.
If you have other good practice tools, guides or success stories that you are happy to share with other members, please get in touch.
Remember our team can also organise workshops on any of the tools on this website for you staff and volunteers, please contact us.
Active Linking Model and Resources
The Active Linking Model helps bridge gaps in community services, ensuring that individuals can efficiently access the support they need. By fostering collaboration between service providers, this model enhances local services’ overall effectiveness and reach. Waterloo Collaborative member organisations have committed to using this principle of working within their services. Below you will find resources’ for your team to help understand the model and tips for implementation, and keep us posted on your progress.
Active Linking Background for Staff Teams
Active Linking & Waterloo Collaborative Flyer / Posters
This two page pdf is suitable for printing for display in public areas where potential service seekers might see them, or they can be printed to be given to service users. The Active Linking side tells service users that this service is committed to actively linking them to the services they need. The second page tells service users that the service is part of the Waterloo Collaborative and a bit about what that means.
Active Linking Training Slides
Referral Types, Practice and Issues
The Waterloo Collaborative are currently consulting on the successes and challenges around referrals below is an interim information sheet exploring referral types, local good practice tips, and known issues.
Waterloo Community Navigators Tool Kit
The Waterloo Navigator Tool was designed for the Waterloo Human Services Collaborative, which is working to improve access to community support services. Our tool kit is designed to assist Community Services, Government service workers and community organisational authorised volunteers who may not specialise in referrals and casework but still need to connect people with the right services and support through signposting and active linking.
Waterloo Community Navigator Tool handbook
Waterloo Community Navigator Conversation Template Guide
Waterloo Community Navigator Tool Training Slides
Service Directories
Most Service providers have their own list of services they refer people to. Below we have made available some that are generally available that cover Waterloo. We have also provided links to the main service directory provided for the Department of Communities and Justice in NSW but it can be difficult for service users and even agency workers to find the best services in this directory.
Welcome Pack Directory only
The Community Welcome Pack for public housing tenants in the City of Sydney LGA contain valuable information about the surrounding area, local services, organisations, and tips for tenants on adjusting to their new home and neighbourhood. This is also useful for those doing community navigation work with tenants. The full welcome pack can be accessed here: Tenant’s Welcome Pack. Alternatively the directory component of the welcome pack is below for easy access. The Welcome pack is produced by Counterpoint and its contact details are on the last page of the PDF..
Waterloo Human Services Local Directory
This directory has been produced by Mission Australia as part of a Collaborative working group that developed the Navigator resources. Mission Australia runs the Tenant Participation and Community Engagement Program (TPCE) for Homes NSW to support public housing tenants and can be contacted via email at TenantParticipationCE@missionaustralia.com.au . The local facilitator is Roopali Sharma.
Ask Issy and Service Seeker
Both these directories are operated by Infoxchange. In NSW these directories are supported by the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) after it stopped it’s own HSNet. Ask Izzy is the easiest to use and was developed for use by those who are homeless. Service Seeker tends to be used by agencies when looking for a specific service.
Ask Izzy is a website that is easy to operate on a mobile phone. It connects people in need with housing, a meal, money help, family violence support, counselling and much more. It is free and anonymous, with thousands of services listed across Australia. And if you’re on the Telstra or Vodafone mobile networks, you can access Ask Izzy on your phone even if you don’t have credit or access to wifi.
Service Seeker is a large electronic health, welfare and community services directory across a wide range of service categories. It is often used by services when they are looking for a service they don’t usually use. The directory is accessible to anyone but is complicated and has some limitations.
More resources coming soon We are constantly working to improve our website and provide more valuable resources for our users. Check back often as we continue to add new content at http://www.Waterloo2017.com
