Wyndham Humanitarian
Network (WHN)
As a best practise innovative model
Origins of Wyndham Humanitarian Network
late 2005 – early 2006
Wyndham Community &Education
Centre (formerly Werribee) Staff coordinating LLNP classes
Centrelink –
Multicultural Services Officer(s)
Situation in 2005
Increasing numbers of
refugee / SHPs settling in
Wyndham and no funded
services
AMES Settlement & Education – IHSS
workers/case managers / AMEP
Manager
Wyndham City Council – Community
Access & Inclusion: Social
Development
Common
problem /
need
Dedicated
individuals
Origins of
WHN
Early WHN structure
WHN
Original 4
Education
Providers
Vic Police
Community
volunteers
Service
Clubs
Gradually evolved to include more and more members…
Service
Providers
WHN Structure
Chairperson
WCEC
WHN Members
WHN strategic
meetings
Karen
Community
Sudanese
Community
Wyndham
Interfaith
Network
Health &
Well-being
Education
Employment &
Training
Youth
Legal, Housing &
Consumer
Events
WHN Strategic Meetings
Wyndham City
•Diversity Planner
•Councillor
•Youth Planner
•YRC rep
•Recreation Officer
DIAC
•Grants Manager
•Complex Case
Support
•African CLO
HSS /SGP Providers
•WCEC
•Spirit West
•CatholicCare
•NHF
•African Holistic
Social Services
•AMES Settlement
Vic Police
Other
•Multicultural
Liaison
•Community Liaison
•VU
•AMES Education
•WCIG
•Foundation House
•CMY
•SFYS
•DHS – Centrelink
•CAV
•MacKillop Family
Services
•ISIS PC
•WELS
•LLEN
•WCLS
•FCLS
•Werribee Support
& Housing
•YMCA
•Community
Volunteers
There is also a constant group of transient individuals / organisations who
float in and out
Health &
Well-being
•Spirit West Services
•Isis PC
•DHS – Centrelink
•Werribee FC
Wyndham City
New Hope Foundation
VICSEG
Gambler's Help Western
Western Region Health Centre
Foundation House
WCEC
Multicultural Gambler's Help
Education
•DEECD
•WCIG
•VICSEG
•WCEC
WynBay LLEN
NPESH
WELS
Primary & Secondary Schools
School Focused Youth Services
Catholic Education Office
Wyndham City – Early Childhood
Foundation House
•WCEC
•DHS – Centrelink
•VU
•AMES
CatholicCare
JSAs
New Hope Foundation
Employment
& Training
Youth
•SFYS
Vic Police
•WCIG
Spirit West Services
•Centre for Multicultural Youth New Hope Foundation
•Vic Police
•WCLS
Legal, Housing •FCLS
& Consumer •WCEC
Events
•WCEC
•Wyndham City
•City West Water
Wyndham City – Youth Resource Centre
Consumer Affairs
Yarra Community Housing
Vic Police
AMES
CatholicCare
Parks Victoria
DHS – Centrelink
Karen
Community
Sudanese
Community
•Werribee Baptist Church
•Melbourne Karen Buddhist Association
•Australian Karen Organisation
•Westgate Baptist Church
•MEAs
•Others
•African Holistic Social Services Victoria
•South Sudanese Community Association
•St Andrew’s Church
•Epiphany Anglican Church
•Others
•Volunteers from community
•Sri Lankan Community
•DIAC
Other members •Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
Interfaith
Network
•Werribee Islamic Centre
•Melbourne Karen Buddhist Association
•Werribee Karen Baptist Church
•Westgate Karen Baptist Church
•Church of Latter Day Saints
Family Relationships
Mercy Hospital
Gordon TAFE
MacKillop Family Services
ASIC
ABS
AMCS
Brahma Kumaris
Hindu Community
Sikh Community
Salvation Army
Other Christian
Anglican
Roman Catholic
Presbyterian
Uniting Church
Strengths
Challenges
Power
• Doesn’t duplicate services
• Targeted work
• Continuity – core group that hasn’t changed
• Tangible outcomes
• Local
• Collaboration in environment of competition
• Keeping momentum
• Communication flow between groups and levels of WHN
• People and organisations come and go
• Small organisations and hierarchical organisations
• Ability to lobby
• Strength in numbers
• Partnerships
• Reputation
• Ability to respond quickly
Who does
it work for?
Is it best
practice?
Can it be
replicated?
• Client
• Service Provider
• Government (funding body)
• YES!
• Yes BUT it won’t be exactly the
same nor should it be