Partnerships at the Department of Communities

The Communities' Partnership Framework was launched in May 2021 by Communities’ former Director General Michelle Andrews and WACOSS Chief Executive Officer Louise Giolitto.

The Partnership Framework documents Communities’ partnership vision, including goals for partnering and how to achieve these goals. The Framework was developed following a report into Communities’ partnership capacity, which highlighted the need to strengthen partnership relationships.

Communities has been building relationships with government, community services and private sectors. The quality of relationships affects the ability to deliver and achieve goals. Communities is committed to improve its work with Aboriginal people, communities, and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations. Achieving these goals will result in better outcomes for many Western Australians.

Vulnerable Cohort Taskforces were set up in March 2020 to combine the efforts of community sector service partners and the State Government to ensure the most vulnerable people in Western Australia were supported through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Terms of Reference describes the purpose of the Roundtable and how members work together.

The Community Partnerships Roundtable assists Communities to partner better with the community services sector.

The Roundtable first met in October 2020 and includes senior staff from Communities and the community services sector peaks and continues to meet on a quarterly basis.

The Roundtable is co-chaired by Communities’ Director General and the Western Australian Council of Social Service Chief Executive Officer.

2024 meeting dates – Community Partnerships Roundtable

• Meeting 1 - 12 February
• Meeting 2 - 20 May
• Meeting 3 - 27 August
• Meeting 4 - 19 November

District Leadership Groups

District Leadership Groups and Regional Human Services Managers Groups are cross-agency collaborative networks at a local level.

Some of these groups have been in place since 2012. There are 17 groups across Western Australia.

All of the groups collaborate, share information, address local problems and work together to improve outcomes for their community.

Membership is determined by the needs and priorities of the group, but can include representatives from all levels of government, the community services sector, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and industry.

The District Leadership Groups (and in some instances Regional Human Services Managers Groups) embody regional collaborative practice and are an important part of Communities’ partnership plan.

For more information please contact DLGs@communities.wa.gov.au.

Early Years Networks

Early Years Networks (Networks) play an important role in connecting a community by working collaboratively to develop and implement services and activities aimed at improving outcomes for young children and their families. They provide a platform to build collaborative practices between organisations and have existed in Western Australia since 2003. Networks are predominantly made up of government and non-government service providers from education, health, local government associations and the community services sector working in the early years and parent support space.

Communities provides backbone support through Connecting Early Years Networks for Early Years Networks across the State.

For more information, visit our Connecting Early Years Networks or send an email to ey@communities.wa.gov.au.

For more information please contact the Sector Partnerships Team: sectorsupport@communities.wa.gov.au.