FINAL REPORT
“LEVERAGING NETWORKS AND BUILDING SOCIAL CAPITAL”
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PRACTICAL DESIGN FUND
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION: ............................................................................................. 3
2. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................. 3
Element 1. Mapping of existing social capital, including volunteer demographics and links
with existing networks ....................................................................................................... 3
Element 2. Deliver 2 workshops and develop a strategy for strengthening the organization’s
capacity to accommodate the community building and linking/navigating roles that will
emerge under an NDIS. .................................................................................................... 4
Element 3. Develop a resource package of good practice in building social capital and
strengthening readiness of the community ....................................................................... 4
3. WHAT WE LEARNED...................................................................................... 4
Element 1. Mapping of existing social capital, including volunteer demographics and links
with existing networks ....................................................................................................... 4
Element 2. Deliver (2) workshops and develop a strategy for strengthening the
organization’s capacity to accommodate the community building and linking/navigating
roles that will emerge under an NDIS. ............................................................................ 12
Element 3. Develop a resource package of good practice in building social capital and
strengthening readiness of the community ..................................................................... 14
4. PROPOSED ELEMENTS OF GOOD PRACTICE IN LEVERAGING EXITING
SOCIAL CAPITAL ......................................................................................... 14
a.
Shared Understanding of Social Capital .......................................................................... 14
b.
Strengthening Data Gathering, Analysis and Transparency ............................................ 14
c.
Mobilising Volunteers ....................................................................................................... 14
d.
Telling Stories of Capacity and Contribution .................................................................... 15
e.
Developing practice frameworks that better utilize existing social capital ....................... 15
f.
Incorporating social capital building into staff training...................................................... 15
g.
Targeted investment in individual planning and community networking roles ................. 15
h.
Use of Social Media as part of strategy to mobilise social capital ................................... 16
i.
Imbed a culture of participatory leadership ...................................................................... 16
5. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES .......................................................................... 16
6. DISCUSSION ................................................................................................. 17
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REFERENCES ..................................................................................................... 18
1. INTRODUCTION:
The implementation of DisabilityCare Australia (National Disability Insurance Scheme) will bring a
range of transition issues for individuals, their family and carers, service provider organisations
and the broader community, both with regard to readiness and stakeholder capacity to engage
effectively with the system. While there are many limitations in terms of funding, administration,
and practice within our current disability service system, we do have the benefit of significant
social capital, built over many years of supporting people to live and work in Queensland
communities.
This project seeks to identify and explore how to leverage the existing social capital to support
successful transition to full scheme for individuals/family/carers, organisations, and community.
2. METHODOLOGY
Project design was based on a strengths based approach drawn from appreciative inquiry and
asset based community development frameworks.
Participatory leadership tools and processes were used during interviews and focus groups. Also
known as ‘The Art of Hosting’, participatory leadership seeks to harness the “collective wisdom
and self-organizing capacity” of groups of any size, by using specific conversational techniques to
allow people to speak up about the issues that matter to them, and gather about them others also
motivated to address those same issues.1
The project was divided into 3 elements
Element 1. Mapping of existing social capital, including volunteer
demographics and links with existing networks
Defined and mapped existing social capital through desk top review, and generative
interview/discussion with approx. 200 people, including staff and individuals and their family and
carers.
Asset Mapping was conducted through:
i.
ii.
Desktop review of UnitingCare Queensland services
Mapping the assets of two distinct communities – Hervey Bay and Springfield which
allowed a more detailed exploration of the relationship between people with disability
and their local community.
Engagement with stakeholders included:
1
Interviews and small group discussions
(a) 14 people with disability and family members, including people who use
augmentative communication
(b) One focus group of 11 people who use facilitated communication
(c) 3 small focus groups of staff with specific experience in working with people living in
their own home, within a community context
See for example: (Art of Hosting, 2013)
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i.
(d) A Community Workshop
One community workshop for 14 people was conducted in Hervey Bay during the
course of this project. This workshop was attended by people with lived experience
with disability and service providers. This workshop focussed on sharing
information about DisabilityCare Australia and then used this information to open up
discussion about means by which existing community networks, resources and
activities could be leveraged to create opportunities for people with disabilities to
experience greater opportunities for social and economic participation within the
Hervey Bay area.
(e) One on one interviews with residents of Springfield Community as part of asset
mapping case study
(f) Engagement of Staff through Social Media
Throughout the project UnitingCare Community’s internal social media site
(Yammer) was used to stimulate discussion about social capital and the themes that
relate to it. This was an opportunity to develop an understanding to what extent
social capital could be mobilised through the use of social media.
Element 2. Deliver 2 workshops and develop a strategy for strengthening
the organization’s capacity to accommodate the community building and
linking/navigating roles that will emerge under an NDIS.
Workshop delivery and strategy development opportunities included:
i.
ii.
8 x Information Workshops conducted by Jeff Strully from the Jay Nolan Centre
(California) to family members (11), disability support staff (50), disability service
managers (9), quality, research and practice support staff (8), and four open sessions
(57), three of which were delivered in Townsville, North Qld.
4 x 2hr Skill building workshops with 14 disability support workers to test some of the
themes emerging from the project, through application to their day to day work.
Element 3. Develop a resource package of good practice in building
social capital and strengthening readiness of the community
A range of themes or learnings emerged from each activity undertaken, each of which were
considered with regard to their implications for good practice. A list of practice strategies has
been developed as a resource to support transition to DisabilityCare Australia.
3. WHAT WE LEARNED
Element 1. Mapping of existing social capital, including volunteer
demographics and links with existing networks
a. Social Capital defined
There are some important ways in which social capital differs from other types of capital.
Firstly social capital is relational rather than the property of any one individual, whereas some
other forms of capital (human, produced economic and natural) can either belong to or be
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The OECD (2001) defines social capital as “networks, together with shared norms, values
and understandings which facilitate cooperation with or amongst groups.” In other words
social capital is the developing and maintaining or relationships that allow people to work
together and the sharing of resources to address opportunities and issues.
appropriated by individuals or businesses. Also important is that social capital is produced by
societal investments of time and effort and is the result of historical, cultural and social factors
which give rise to norms, values and social relations that bring people together in networks or
associations which result in collective action (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002).
Social capital differs from other forms of capital because it increases if used, through
reinforcing the networks, norms and values, and decreases if not used. Social capital takes a
great deal of time and effort to build incrementally but can be quickly diminished (OECD,
2001).
Social capital is a central concept for the building of communities because it communicates
the range of human, social, practical and financial resources that help those living in
communities to live the lives that they value.
At the community level social capital exists in at least three forms: bonding, bridging and
linking (Woolcock, 2000). Woolcock describes ‘bonding’ as the relationships that we have
with people who are like us, and typically refers to the relations among members of families
and ethnic groups. ‘Bridging’ refers to those relationships we have with people who are not
like us. These may be people who are from a different socio-economic status, from a different
generation or a different ethnicity. Woolcock describes linking social capital as the
relationships people have with those in power. Linking social capital enables individuals and
community groups to leverage resources, ideas and information from formal institutions
beyond the immediate community radius.
The literature describing social capital also emphasises the importance of networks, trust,
reciprocity and other social norms (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002).
Based on an analysis of the social capital literature there are three elements that can be
identified in its development:
i.
Family/ parent participation and advocacy in the lives of people who are just developing
their own means of mobilising social capital is vitally important (Bourdieu, 1986).
ii.
Social capital involves developing and maintaining as many peripheral ties (those
outside the primary social network) as possible (Gotto, Calkins, Jackson, Walker, &
Beckmann, 2010).
iii.
Connecting to and/or joining important social structures (i.e. volunteer organisations,
churches, advocacy associations, work related groups, etc) is of critical importance to
developing friendships and accessing different social support networks (Gotto, Calkins,
Jackson, Walker, & Beckmann, 2010)
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Summary of themes:

Social capital is mobilised through three forms: ‘bonding’, ‘bridging’ and ‘linking’.

‘Trust’ is critical to the emergence and maintenance of social capital.

People with disabilities may require assistance to mobilise social capital.
b. Asset mapping
Asset mapping is a process by which the capabilities of individuals, community associations
and local institutions are inventoried. It involves documenting both the tangible and intangible
resources of a community. Asset mapping starts from a positive perspective, viewing a
community as a place with assets to be enhanced, not deficits to be remedied. Assets within
a community may be persons, physical structures, natural resources, institutions, businesses,
or organizations (The Planning Tool Exchange, 2012).
Volunteers
UnitingCare Community benefits from the work of many volunteers. Most volunteers
work in telephone counselling, community recovery, and in Lifeline stores. Some
volunteers hold more than one position, particularly in the area of crisis support and
community recovery.
We have approximately 6000 volunteers across the state. This includes episodic
volunteers who work on events, Telephone Crisis Supporters, Administration Assistants,
Retail Assistants, Community Recovery Officers, Warehouse Assistants, Truck
Offsiders, Gardeners, Social Support volunteers, Sorters, Health Workers, Community
Visitors, Personal Alarms Testers and Visitors, Graphic Designers, IT assistants,
Christmas Wrap Volunteers, Bookfest Volunteers, Clothing Sale Volunteers, Research
Assistants, Youth Workers any many more. Table 1 shows the distribution of these
volunteers across the state.
Table 1: Distribution of Volunteers
Volunteers in established
roles (not events)
Volunteers in episodic roles
Brisbane
Brisbane
1160
1913
Sunshine Coast
780
Sunshine Coast
142
Gold Coast
669
Gold Coast
301
Fraser
361
Fraser
Coral Coast
458
Coral Coast
North Qld
251
North Qld
21
Far North Qld
225
Far North Qld
23
Ipswich
196
Ipswich
34
Mackay/Whitsunday
161
Mackay/Whitsunday
22
120
8
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i.
There is no doubt that these volunteers represent a significant social asset, with great
potential for contributing to work to prepare communities for the introduction of
DisabilityCare Australia. Most significantly these volunteers are mobilised around
activities such as community recovery, Bookfest, telephone counselling etc. These
activities provide opportunities for each volunteer to ‘bond’ with people who share a
common purpose around the activity in which they are engaged. However the idea of
mobilising social capital in the form of volunteers around social and economic
participation is less straightforward. This mapping exercise shows that, to date, there
have been few (if any) intentional ‘bonding’ or ‘bridging’ strategies that effectively
harness this resource in ways that lead to the inclusion of people with disabilities and
opportunities to use mainstream services.
Summary theme:

UnitingCare Community has a significant volunteer base mobilised around key
activities (such as community recovery, telephone counselling and bookfest) but
little intentional engagement with people with disabilities around social and
economic participation.
UnitingCare Community networks
In Queensland, the Uniting Church has around 250 congregations, including
multicultural and cross cultural ministries. The Uniting Church has 12 schools and
colleges across Queensland, and a number of community services such as Wesley
Mission Brisbane and Uniting Care Community.
Wesley Mission Brisbane provide a range of vital community programs including food
and shelter for the homeless, crisis relief for families, support for young parents and
youth at risk, employment for people living with a disability and care for the elderly.
These services extend across Brisbane to Beenleigh, the Gold Coast, Maryborough and
Geebung.
UnitingCare Queensland is the health and community service provider of the Uniting
Church and supports more than 14 000 people throughout the state every day of the
year. With over 15 000 staff in more than 400 geographic locations across
Queensland, UnitingCare Queensland is one of Australia’s largest non-profit health and
community service providers, and comprises of Blue Care, UnitingCare
Community (formerly Lifeline Community Care Queensland), and UnitingCare Health.
Through its service network, UnitingCare Queensland provides regional and remote
services in communities from Mossman to Mount Isa to Cunnamulla. Services are
located in larger towns like Gladstone and smaller communities such as Mundubbera.
As part of the UnitingCare Queensland network, UnitingCare Community, Blue Care
and Wesley Mission Brisbane provide vital services and are an important part of the
infrastructure in many regional communities. In some areas, they may be the only
service provider and a significant employer.
Uniting Care Community supports over 300 different community service programs
across metropolitan, rural and regional Queensland, providing support to Queenslanders
within key service streams such as individual and community support; children and
families; older persons; disability; inclusion support; and childcare.
UnitingCare Community also supports 130 Lifeline shops to communities, and is part of
the national Lifeline Australia network and run 10 Lifeline Centres across Queensland.
These centres offer a range of individual and community support programs, for example,
the 24-hour 13 11 14 Crisis Counselling Line; suicide bereavement and prevention
support, and community recovery.
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ii.
UnitingCare Community has an extensive range of programs and activities across the
State. These are predominantly organized around a program purpose for a specified
client group. Coupled with these programs UnitingCare Community has extensive
connections and interrelationships with other service providers and community networks
(As evidenced by the Hervey Bay Case Study referred to below.) However our mapping
showed that in day to day service provision these networks are rarely included as a
means of developing opportunities for community inclusion. Moreover we have found
that few services have few have specific strategies in place to encourage access by
people with disability.
UnitingCare Community has a good range of services in the Southeast corner of the
State and a small program in North Queensland. The disability services incorporate
programs such as ‘community linking and participation’ into their repertoire of services
however the broader notion of intentionally leveraging local networks in order to build
and sustain social capital around individuals and groups of people with disabilities does
not appear as part of core practice and service methodology. Other potential activities
that could harness social capital, such as brokerage, are still in their infancy.
The exception to this summary is the NDIS Readiness Project which commenced in July
2012. The purpose of this project has been to raise awareness about what an NDIS is
across the organisation. This has included leadership teams, the people we support,
staff volunteers and families. The NDIS Readiness team also undertook series of
interviews across the organization to help uncover information how UnitingCare
Community might best prepare for the introduction on DisabilityCare Australia and open
up new opportunities for growth and fresh approaches to our work. This work
culminated in a “sense making” workshop in April attended by over 200 staff, volunteers,
clients and the general public who came together to talk about disabilities and what
changes are needed on the journey to becoming ready for NDIS.
Summary of themes:

UnitingCare Community has a significant program base, complemented by
extensive community networks. However this resource is mobilised around key
activities with limited intentional engagement with people with disabilities around
social and economic participation.

UnitingCare Community Disability Services currently does not have a universal
approach to leveraging local networks in order to build and sustain social capital
around individuals and groups of people with disabilities
iii. Case study: Hervey Bay
This workshop was conducted on the 5th April, 2013 and was intended to:
(a) Provide an overview of what we currently know about DisabilityCare Australia and
an opportunity for discussion about progress towards an NDIS.
(b) Provide an opportunity to explore how existing assets within the community could
be harnessed around the social and economic participation of people with
disabilities.
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Workshop participants were a mixture of service providers, people with disabilities and
community leaders from within the Hervey Bay community.
Summary of themes:

When people with disabilities and family members come together with people who
have provided them with services and other members of the community some of the
tensions and disputes that exist between those parties emerge and limit discussion
about possible opportunities for working collaboratively on common issues.

People enjoy being exposed to new information and become enthusiastic about the
possibilities when they have had a chance to think these through.

Citizens will commit to an activity where there is a shared goal.

Within community conversations it is important to shift the conversation from “What
will the Government do for me” to “How does this become an opportunity to work
together on shared goals?”
iv. Case study: Springfield
Unlike the work in Hervey Bay, UnitingCare Community has little formal presence in the
Springfield community. Therefore the process for undertaking asset mapping by the
Project Officer required different approaches to those used in Hervey Bay where the
Project Officer was a member of the community and UnitingCare Community has a
significant presence.
Summary of themes:

Citizens will ‘bond’ around a shared idea or activity that has emerged form
discussions they have been involved in.

Importing ideas from outside the community and promoting these as community
initiatives does not assist in harnessing social capital.

Having a ‘champion’ with skills to bring people together to share ideas and
knowledge of local networks is important when identifying, strengthening and
mobilising social capital.

For social capital to be successfully mobilised and sustained within the key
developmental activities of a community it was important for individual participants
to ‘belong’, to ‘serve’ and to ‘lead’.
c. Engagement of Stakeholders
Interviews and Small Group Discussions:
(a) People with Disabilities and Family Member Themes:
Interviews were conducted with 14 people with disabilities and their family members
including people who use augmentative communication strategies. These
interviews were undertaken with people who are supported through UnitingCare
Community and who have who had first-hand experience with the process of
moving towards increased social and/or economic participation and the community
processes that support these activities.
One focus group of comprising 11 people who use augmentative communication
strategies (communication boards and iPads) to document their ideas was also
undertaken. These are members of a Group called The Brotherhood of the
Wordless who having been meeting monthly for two hours at the Sandgate
Community Centre hall, which is operated by SANDBAG (Sandgate and Bracken
Ridge Action Group).
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i.
Summary of themes:

Support from a strong network (e.g. family, peers) to contribute and participate
is important to the success and use of community networks.

Access to employment is important as a means of generating income to
overcome poverty, obtain accommodation, participate in the life of the
community and build a sense of belonging.

A determination not to accept the identity of “disability” and to make a
difference is a key driver within an individual or family to seek alternatives to
the traditional disability service system.

People with disabilities telling their own stories of capacity and contribution
rather than dependency and helplessness is a significant aspect contributing to
the process of ‘bonding' within the framework of engaging social capital.

People with disabilities and their families experience a gap between the
programs that services offer and what they require to manage the complexities
of their daily lives.
Summary of themes (Gathered from people using augmentative
communication):

Communication is the vital pathway to ‘bonding’: It is not simply ‘saying’ words
but it is the means by which an individual is able to connect, network and self
advocate.

People who are dependent on others for support in their daily lives also depend
on others to engage and mobilise social capital. This requires mutual respect,
trust, reciprocity and a strong circle of support.
(b) Staff engagement themes:
Three small focus groups with 9 disability service staff with direct support and
community linking experience. These staff were identified from within the
UnitingCare Community network and were invited to participate because of their
experience providing direct support to people with disabilities within their own home
and within a community context.
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Summary of themes:

Adequate funding and the opportunity to determine how that is spent creates
opportunities to engage with community networks. There is a strong emphasis
on funding in the staff conversations: almost as though this issue controls all
other possibilities.

Good quality person centred planning is an important pathway to assisting
someone to connect with their community.

The support the individual receives from their family and other networks is
important for harnessing social capital.

There is a perception amongst some within communities that only support
services can support people with disabilities.

When service workers don’t have lived experience with being connected to a
community and an understanding of that process it is difficult for them to
support someone who is disconnected and isolated from their community.
(c) Staff engagement through social media
This was a small trial of the use of social media as a means of sharing information
about the project user Yammer (an organizational version of ‘Facebook’ that is
internal to the organization only.) Primarily it was imagined that this would be
another way of communicating between the training workshop participants.
Even with this relatively limited use of the medium, the online conversation attracted
comment from colleagues outside the group who were not immediately involved.
This involved sharing of community building anecdotes and ideas. This showed the
very early stages of how this medium could be used to build connections and share
ideas. Working online also encourages some workshop participants to share their
own stories, one notably reflecting on why online gamers might be considered a
community. This type of interaction showed the potential for this medium to open
up conversations that can go in unique and interesting directions and encourage
creative thinking and problem solving.
Through the consultation process it was also evident that online capacity was also a
significant means of sharing information for some people with disabilities, in
particular those who required significant assistance to participate in community
activities. Online capacity gave them the opportunity to instantly interact with
people locally and nationally with the click of a mouse. While the proposition that
social media can build social capital is somewhat contentious, this very limited
encounter with the medium indicates that it is some that could be investigated
further and for some, it has become an integral part of their communication and
networking capability.
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Summary of themes:

Social media offers the opportunity for rapid exchange of ideas and ‘real time’
interaction

The use of social media as a networking tool could also be leveraged to build
and sustain social capital.

The more people with disabilities gain access to technology and online
information sharing platforms the more they will exchange information and
ideas between themselves thereby circumventing more traditional forms of
information exchange.
Element 2. Deliver (2) workshops and develop a strategy for
strengthening the organization’s capacity to accommodate the community
building and linking/navigating roles that will emerge under an NDIS.
a. Information Workshops
Information workshops provided an opportunity to explore and discuss key ideas that underpin
concepts such as choice and control, the role of formal and informal support and how to
generate opportunities for inclusion and participation in community life for people with
disabilities were conducted throughout the project. These workshops presented by Mr Jeff
Strully from Jay Nolan Community Services in California were a collaboration between the
Practical Design Fund project and colleagues from within UnitingCare Community working on
NDIS Readiness for the organization. These workshops were an important opportunity for
support staff, Coordinators, Managers, non-government colleagues, family members and
people with disabilities to hear about an organization that transformed from being a providers
of group home support to one that support people in very person centred ways and places
great value of leveraging community networks as a means of fostering inclusion and promotes
economic participation strongly.
Mr Strully prepared a number of powerpoint resources for us and these are available on the
UnitingCare website at:
http://www.uccommunity.org.au/unitingcare-community-and-the-ndis/ndis-workshopsw
Mr Strully emphasized that the achievements of Jay Nolan Community Services are founded
on a strong set of principles that guide their thinking and practice. These include:
i. Partnering with people with disabilities and their family is important.
ii. Circles of support are key to creative problem solving and leveraging opportunities that
exist within networks.
iii. Everybody should have a job. If they are unable to secure a job then it is important for
them to be engaged in an activity such as volunteering where they have the opportunity
to contribute back to their community.
iv. Support workers are ‘generators of possibility’. They are the one’s who need the skills
to know how to identify, introduce and connect the individual to networks and
opportunities.
v. Inclusion is not an outcome it is a necessary ingredient.









Everyone has gifts.
Relationships build a community.
Community leaders must be at the centre of community initiatives.
Community leaders must involve others as active members of the community.
People care about something but a motivation to act must be identified.
In one to one dialogue or small group conversations is how to discover motivation and
invite participation.
Once a person’s possible ‘gifts to give’ and ‘motivations to act’ are recognized; an
opportunity to act must be offered.
‘Asking’ and ‘inviting’ are key actions to engage people.
Posing questions rather than giving answers invites stronger participation.
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On the subject of community building and leveraging networks, Mr Strully shared the
following themes for consideration.



An organisation controlled by members of the community is best able to engage that
community.
All institutions such as non-government organisations, government and businesses are
stretched thin in their ability to solve community problems. They cannot be successful
without engaging the rest of community in developing solutions.
People engage the wider community better than programs.
b. Skill Building Workshops
The skill building workshops focussed on the basic concepts that underpin social capital and
explored simple strategies to mobilise local networks around social and economic
participation. These workshops were conducted over 4 x 2hour sessions with 14 disability
support workers primarily engaged with assisting people with disabilities living in hostels and
boarding houses located in the inner northern suburbs of Brisbane.
Each workshop had the same basic structure:
i. A ‘check-in’ question that assisted participants to become focussed on the workshop
and the activities they were about to undertake.
ii. Introduction of a concept associated with engaging social capital.
iii. Discussion and reflection about that concept.
iv. Discussion of a ‘story’ or case study that illustrated the concept.
v. Discussion about what the workshop participants would do before the next workshop to
apply what they had learnt.
vi. Review of the session.
vii. A ‘check-out’ question that assisted participants to make a brief statement about what
they thought was significant about the session.
Each of the workshops presented concepts in their most fundamental form with the intention
that participants would be able to see the relevance of these ideas and apply them in their
day to day work.
Each workshop stimulated significant discussion from the participants. They participated
enthusiastically, offering their own stories to illustrate a particular theme under discussion.
These anecdotes provided ample opportunities to flesh out the concept and helped
participants to think about strategies for applying what they had learnt.
Summary of themes:

Support workers who are already engaged in ‘community linking’ activities are
enthusiastic to learn about broadening their skills and learn how to leverage social
capital rather than simply continuing to support people to undertake repetitive
community activities.

The group process builds a sense of community and that reinforces that what is being
discussed works.

The information presented to support workers needs to be paired down to the basic idea
so that they have a clear ‘take away message’ to apply in their day to day work. Too
much theory makes it too complicated.
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Over the course of the four sessions, participants became more adventurous in their
contributions and began to offer more detail about how the ideas of engaging social capital
translated into their own work context. Moreover, participants reported that they felt ‘safe’
sharing in this space and that a ‘sense of community’ had been built during the course of the
four sessions. Each person was enthusiastic about gathering again, after a break of about 6
weeks, to discuss how they have applied the principles of engaging social capital in their day
to day work. This session has been scheduled.


Telling real life stories stimulates participants to identify similarities in the day to day
work they are involved in and therefore encourages them to apply the idea.
Encouraging support workers to tell their own stories as a means of illustrating a
concept stimulates enthusiastic participation.
Element 3. Develop a resource package of good practice in building
social capital and strengthening readiness of the community
A range of themes or learnings emerged from each activity undertaken, each of which were
considered with regard to their implications for good practice. A list of practice strategies has
been developed as a resource to support transition to the DisabilityCare Australia. Some of
these strategies have significant resource implications for individuals and organisations and need
to be evaluated in that context. All of the strategies proposed require systematic testing before
their value can be confirmed.
4. PROPOSED ELEMENTS OF GOOD PRACTICE IN LEVERAGING
EXITING SOCIAL CAPITAL
a. Shared Understanding of Social Capital
A clear theoretical framework and policy base (grounded in the values base of the
organization) for understanding and investing in social capital building is required, with
consideration of:
i.
ii.
iii.
The bonding, bridging, and linking aspects of social capital building
The significance of trust in the emergence and maintenance of social capital
That people with disability may require assistance to mobilise social capital
Relevant tools and frameworks need to be tested and customized for use.
b. Strengthening Data Gathering, Analysis and Transparency
In addition to greater visibility to staff and individuals of what resources are available where,
greater access to data allows people to make better informed choices about supports,
compare the relative benefits of supports, reduces duplication and ensures the organization is
able to demonstrate its performance against the promise implied by its values.
A related aspect of this strategy is to review and strengthen the individual/client interface with
the organizational information system to provide the opportunity for a sense of ownership over
one’s own data, and real time engagement and decision-making about supports being
received.
c. Mobilising Volunteers
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Volunteers are an extensive, often under-utilised source of social capital for organisations and
individuals and their family. They exist in every community, are motivated to be of service,
and usually live locally. Given the expansion of disability workforce, and the extension of
individual networks of support that will be required with transition to DisabilityCare Australia,
volunteers are a significant asset. A strategy for mobilizing volunteers would be a useful
addition to DisabilityCare Australia transition plans at individual, organizational, and
community level.
d. Telling Stories of Capacity and Contribution
A theme that came through strongly from people with disabilities is that they are often denied
opportunities to engage with mainstream activities because others identify them as lacking
capacity and skills. There was also a theme that came through from discussions with people
with lived disability experience and service workers that the ‘community’ holds a belief that
services provide the care and support people with disabilities require.
Throughout the consultation process we heard many stories of change occurring in the lives
of people with disabilities when they have the opportunity to talk directly about their lives, their
experiences and their hopes and dreams for the future. When these stories are one that tell
about living ‘ordinary lives’ they seem to resonate and the listeners begin to relate this to their
own experience. An ‘ah ha’ moment where those listening are awakened to the idea that
people with disabilities are perhaps more than the public portrayals of charity and can make a
significant contribution, but they often require assistance to do so. These stories assist in
breaking down the myth that only specialist disability providers have the skills to support
people with disabilities. The reality is that there are many opportunities for people with
disabilities to participate in mainstream community activities and this begins with ‘telling a
different story’. The results of our asset mapping and consultation found that as a service
agency we could be much more effective in our engagement with social capital if we
facilitated opportunities for let people with disabilities to tell their own story. (NB refer to
video)
e. Developing practice frameworks that better utilize existing social capital
There is significant potential to mobilise existing social capital to assist individuals to
participate in the social and economic life of their community. A clear practice framework
which imbeds social capital building is required to harness this potential.
f. Incorporating social capital building into staff training
Our project demonstrated that mainstream services in the community could be more
accessible to people with disability, and disability-specific services more responsive to
individual direction, if front line staff and volunteers received guidance and training to boost
their awareness about how they might contribute the social and economic participation of
people with disabilities. This could include:
i.
Training for front line staff to think about how, within their existing role, they might
effectively use their skills and connections to generate opportunities for connection with
people with disabilities and their families around social and economic inclusion.
ii.
Practice models and training for direct support workers so that they better understand
how to identify opportunities to leverage social capital and how to incorporate that into
the way in which they support the inclusion of the person they are supporting into
mainstream services.
g. Targeted investment in individual planning and community networking
roles
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The stories and reflections of people during this project confirmed the need for dedicated,
high quality community linking/navigation/capacity building and individual planning roles, if
people are to participate fully in the social and economic life of their community.
h. Use of Social Media as part of strategy to mobilise social capital
This project gave early indications that social media has potential to promote rapid exchange
of ideas, real time interaction and thus be useful in building and strengthening social capital.
While access to technology for both individuals and staff remains an issue, greater use of
technology for information sharing and creative problem solving appears justified.
i. Imbed a culture of participatory leadership
Mechanisms for engaging social capital are inherently participatory. They are underpinned by
‘trust’, ‘reciprocity’, shared values and mutual respect and are, by their very nature, intentional
and relational. It is not possible to manufacture social capital it is built slowly over time.
Money can’t buy social capital. It exists because those involved choose for it to exist. In
classic community building methodologies practitioners of this art refer to working with ‘the
head’, ‘the heart’ and ‘the hands’. The key features that form the ‘glue’ that binds social
capital and sustains it is ‘the heart’.
Because working with social capital in its many forms is participatory, those who undertake
this work are better equipped to do so if they also experience participatory processes.
Affirming and practicing participatory process within workgroups can provide this experience
of the practice and will build confidence that it can achieve positive outcomes for all involved.
5. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Additional resources produced for the project include:
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
Final Project Report to UnitingCare Community
Powerpoint resources provided to UnitingCare Community by Jeff Strully to accompany
the workshops he presented.
Workshop outlines that focus on introducing workers supporting community inclusion of
people with disabilities to understand social capital and explore how to leverage
community networks.
Portfolio of artwork designed around key themes addressed in the workshops.
Short video, in cartoon format, illustrating the basic concepts used when leveraging
community networks.
A downloadable brochure featuring the artwork, cartoon panels from the video, and brief
statements describing key concepts associated with the use of social capital.
A small downloadable pocket sized ready reckoner containing the key concepts included
in the brochure.
A bibliography of references used during the development of the project
A video case study of two gentlemen describing their life in a group home and their life
self directing to be used as part of the UnitingCare “Shared Stories” (The purpose of this
video is to educate people connected with the Uniting Church about the opportunities for
people with disabilities that occur when they use mainstream services and direct their
own support.) This video is also available as a case study within training or as a
standalone example of living a life in the mainstream world.
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i.
ii.
6. DISCUSSION
This project has explored how mobilising social capital can create opportunities for people with
disabilities to experience social and economic participation through engagement with mainstream
services.
This work emphasises that community networking and capacity building activities in the Tier 2
domain of DisabilityCare Australia complement the opportunities available to individuals who may
be the beneficiaries of Tier 3 resource allocation by reinforcing that it is no longer necessary to
purchase support through the specialist disability support system but rather opportunities exist for
creative and personalised support solutions.
The benefits to people with disabilities extend beyond those within the Tier 3 domain. By being
very intentional about engaging community networks and creating the time and space for people
with disabilities and their families to be actively involved in community planning, networking and
problem solving a very different relationship develops between everyone involved that focusses
on an individual’s strengths and contribution. This in turn breaks down the perception that only
specialised services are ‘useful’ in the lives of people with disabilities. Result: A pathway to
participation, inclusion and citizenship.
This work also emphasises that there are benefits to the community and citizens without
disabilities as a result of engaging social capital. The most obvious is that people with disabilities
change from being a ‘client’ to an ‘employer’. However people who have lived with disabilities
also bring unique skill sets to communities (e.g. creative problem solving for accessibility) that
can have benefits for the whole community. In order for the engagement referred to in this
project to occur a change in attitude of all involved must occur and by necessity, focuses on
practical ways people of difference are accommodated within our society.
i.
Desire for Change: The community building process begins with an individual becoming
aware that the ‘status quo’ is no longer meeting their needs and that they desire other
opportunities that better meet their needs. This awareness is coupled with an
understanding that their current experience is defined by the world around them
therefore the change they desire will be achieved by collaborating with others.
ii.
Collaboration with others: The next phase in the community building process involves
people moving from being isolated individuals to working collaboratively with others who
share a desire for change. Initially individuals begin to feel some discomfort during this
process as they explore where they fit into the group. During this part of the process a
sense of ‘true’ community does not exist. If individuals are prepared to work through this
discomfort a form of ‘true’ community emerges that is characterised by inclusion,
commitment and consensus.
iii.
A commitment to building community and capacity beyond the group: During this
process groups, and individuals within them, contribute to broader change beyond their
immediate concerns for the mutual benefit of increasing numbers of citizens. Where this
occurs at a broad community level social capital is built.
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Throughout the project the project team found a consistent pattern to community capacity
building work that recurs irrespective of its level of complexity. This pattern shows that linkages
need to be made between three key elements for the community capacity building effort to be
successful: individual desire for change, collaboration with others and commitment beyond the
group.
This pattern applies when working with individuals or at a whole of community level. Within
these recurring patterns in the developmental process, work on building social capital always
starts with empowered individuals. For the emergence of the kinds of social capital that will
support the social and economic participation of people with disabilities, there must first be work
at an individual level to leverage social capital around social and economic participation. Any
small group processes, large group processes or whole-of-community processes need to reflect
an understanding that choice and control are at the core of social and economic participation.
7. REFERENCES
Art of Hosting. (2013, May). What is the Art of Hosting? Retrieved May 13, 2013, from Art of
Hosting Website: http://www.artofhosting.org/home/
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2002). Social Capital and Social Wellbeing. Canberra: Australian
Bureau of Statisitcs.
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. R. (ed), Handbook of theory and research for the
sociology of education (pp. 241-258). New York: Greenwood Press.
Duncan, D. (n.d.). Asset mapping - Eight Steps to Increase and Support resident Engagaement.
ABCD Toolkit. Asset Based Community Development Institute .
Gotto, G. S., Calkins, C. F., Jackson, L., Walker, H., & Beckmann, C. (2010). Accessing Social
Capital: Implications for persons with disabilities. Kansas City: A National Gateway to
Self-Determination.
OECD. (2001). The Wellbeing of Nations: The Role of Human and Social Capital, Education and
Skills. Paris, France: OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation.
The Planning Tool Exchange. (2012, August 17). Asset Mapping. Retrieved May 28, 2013, from
The Planning Tool Exchange: http://www.planningtoolexchange.org/tool/asset-mapping
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Woolcock, M. (2000). Why should we care about social capital? Canberra: Canberra Bulletin of
Public Administration.