A capacity building Initiative

Social Services Waikato was set up by Trust Waikato in 2001 to support and strengthen tangata whenua and community-based social services around the greater Waikato so that the Trust funding could be used more effectively. A review commissioned last year by Trust Waikato confirms the effectiveness of the work Social Services Waikato is doing, a high level of satisfaction among community organisations and the review notes that Trust Waikato receives very good value for its investment in Social Services Waikato.

Social Services Waikato is an independent Trust. Our community advisors provide one-to-one support for these organisations in the areas of governance, management, facilitating strategic and business planning, establishing legal structures, appropriate policies and financial systems, planning new services and a myriad of other issues that come up for community groups.

We provide training, education, forums on community sector issues and scholarships for tertiary study. In the last year this has included training on topics such as effective meetings, employment issues and workplace wellbeing, applying for funding, IT policies and practices and the Charities Commission. In the 2005-06 year we worked with over 220 organisations and our staff has increased by three.

As a way of building strong relationships and coordination across community organisations we facilitate a number of networks - the Waikato network of community houses, a network of Maori disability workers, a Managers' forum, a network of field workers and coordinators, a network of services who work with children with disabilities, and the Waikato Youth Workers' Collective.

This year we’ve collaborated with sector organisations to establish a Community Sector Taskforce Regional pilot to bring improved knowledge of our sector, communications and sector profile to our region. This is an opportunity to build relationships with government and improve opportunities for community groups in our region to affect national policy and legislation central to the community sector.

For three years we have coordinated the Trust Waikato Child and Family Awards, a wonderful celebration of the outstanding service of many individuals and organisations caring for people in the Waikato. It is also our pleasure to fund manage for The Tindall Foundation in our region.

If you want to know more about our work contact us at ssw@com-trust.org.nz