What Is Community Work

What Is participation Work? Through this secrete out I give try to create a greater understanding of the endpoint confederacy decease. I bequeath begin with a abruptly summary from two studies which assist define the term on a broad basis. I allow follow this by an explanation of the non-homogeneous ascendes which give the bounce be used in club train. I will highlight the importance the community and free heavens thrust in mixer alliance in Ireland today. I will overly contend how living, or a lack of it, impacts on substantial servicings. Whether or non volunteers atomic number 18 an ingrained snap off of community work.I will to a fault discuss the realizable consequence of losing approximately of these boldnesss as a takings of sunburns in funding. Finally by ascertaining at the work of companionship weapons platform I will show how, through and through a shared romance they hope to create a better Ireland through their work in the communit y. To understand what community work is it is commencement necessary to understand the various definitions of community. trance this whitethorn analyzem apparent initially, upon closer inspection one will discover that there is no clear consensus.What we do know is that as Hillery, a sociologist working in the 1950s pointed out, all 94 definitions of community referred to state (Mayo 1994). Varley (1988) defines these more concisely into one-third categories. ?Communities defined in purely special or geographical term. ?Communities defined as relationships that occur inwardly a specific topical anestheticity. ?Communities defined as relationships which whitethorn occur within or transcend stately geographical boundaries. Working within these categories community workers sample to empower individuals and groups of people by providing them with the skills they engage to sum change in their own communities.We will look at detailed casings of this later. I will first expl ain my understanding of the five main strands or approaches identified by David A Thomas (1993) in his study of community work in the betimes 1980s Community Action this requires people from a community to interject in concert, recognising the problems that their community faces and taking exercise to reduce these problems. This approach send packing have a range of benefits. It champions those individuals touch to develop skills and claim monomania of the outcome. An example of this is when residents come together to campaign for fastness bumps or lower speed limits in the area.Community using this requires people coming together to develop a range of practices to booster improve local conditions, especially for people in disadvantaged situations. It helps people to get into in public decision making and indeed achieve greater control of their circumstances. An example of this is when residents turn an area that was once used for anti- amicable behaviour into a playgr ound for children. This creates a safer environment for local people. well-disposed Planning this is a process that is carried out through identifying strengths and weaknesses in a community.This is done by blueprint and implementing programmes, which help to improve the quality of life in that community. It usually involves the action of a political, legal, or recognize unpaying worker body. An example of this is when an area is identified as having a very large increase in children. This information is acted on and a new indoctrinate is built in the area. Community Organisation involves various community or welfare agencies working with or without the involvement of statutory authorities, patroniseing joint initiatives.An example of this is when organisations connect through managing, sponsoring and amend the work of various bodies. This may be carried out at a local, regional or national level. Community consider primarily focuses on the area of health interest for the di sabled, the old and the very young. It is a model that encourages members of the community to be active participants in helping themselves. In some cases community care may use professionals in conjunction with volunteers. In separate cases volunteers may fare projects with little or no involvement from professionals.Now that we have an understanding of the various definitions of community and have explored the contrary approaches of community work, we will now look at the how this work is structured in Ireland today with the help of social partnership. Social partnership was set up in Ireland in 1987. Its membership was initially hold in to the government, businesses, trade unions and farmers. Organisations representing the unemployed and those experiencing poverty and inequality protested that their members did not benefit from the agreements and so began to lobby to be include in the 1996 negotiations.It was decided in 2000, by the Fianna develop government, that inclusion of community and intended organisations was the elbow room forward. octette organisations were successful in their efforts when they were selected by the Government to get tweak the Community & Voluntary Pillar the fourth social partnership pillar. It is now made up of seventeen representative organisations. This pillar represents huge progress for marginalised people. Although it is eventful to remember that in hostelry to make a sustainable difference the voice these organisations have been give, innate be listened to.While in theory social partners batch be involved in twain constitution making and implementation of such indemnity, it is argued ( Meade 2005) that because community and willing organisations lack economic clout, they have been granted merely marginal influence over the substance of policy decisions. Popples theory in Analysing community Work (1995) states nearly practitioners are employed in one way or another by the state therefore acting with pa rticular instructions or authority, so that they could be considered to be a subordinate distinguish of the dominant organic intellectuals.Whilst on the other hap the fact that they john be at betting odds with the dominant ideology and are encouraging individuals and groups to utter their own discourse means that they do not fully agree with the dominant system. While it is most-valuable that the government is involved and provides subsidises to the voluntary and community sector at a national and community level, it is also fair to say that participation by volunteers in the local community is equally important as they understand what the community requires at a bum roots level.As the Mayfield Community Development Project in Cork advocates, it is fundagenial to ask the local people what they need, to encourage as much participation as possible. Cullen (1989) observes that participative community development projects counterbalance the bigness and the bureaucracy of state run welfare agencies. In other words, if the recipients of these work are involved, these agencies become less intimidating and more user-friendly. This approach empowers people to be involved in identifying and meeting their own needs.Although participation from volunteers in the local community is live, problems can surface when local communities come to rely firmly on the support provided by these volunteers. An example of this occurred when an introduction of community care policies led to reductions in the pro fancy of state sponsored residential care and thus change magnitude the demands on already pressured carers. This issue is particularly relevant today receivable to the current economic climate. The government is seeking to cut their expenditure in many areas, including the community and voluntary sectors.An Bord Snip Nuas proposed cuts in funding for community and voluntary organisations will effectively amount to a huge reduction in funding for essential public ser vices. The proposed cut of 64% in the parceling for community and voluntary sector supports, will break away community and voluntary organisations capacity to deliver essential services to the most vulnerable people in society. Which raises the following questions, ? Is the government relying on volunteers besides heavily? ? Is lack of funding going to break down the fabric of the community work network in Ireland? ? What are the potential consequences of the proposed cuts?Only in time, will we discover the true answers to these questions but for now allow us look at the evidence that is functional to us today. Undoubtedly the Governments reliance on volunteers within the community is very apparent. It is important to remember that very often we would not have these volunteers, without the recruitment strategies that are put in place by professionals. It is also crucial volunteers are monitored and get the support they need to carry out their work effectively. Without the funde d professional fraction in community work, it is possible that the quality of service may be compromised.This may result in volunteers becoming over worked by carrying out the duties of the paid professionals. This can bunk to volunteers being under too much pressure to carry out their vital work. A consequence of this may be the block of much needed services, which will impact greatly on society in general. This may lead to a more segregated community with an increased level of problems such as anti-social behaviour and mental health issues to name just two. This is why in my opinion, it is essential to have both professional and voluntary workers in the community for a cohesive approach to the various issues.It is important at this point to leaven the vital community work that may be affected by these cuts. I am using the organisation Community Platform as an example. This is an organisation which facilitates both community and voluntary organisations to come together through o ne voice at a national level. Publishing its pre-budget submission (2010), the Community Platform said that making the poor poorer in order to try to balance the books made absolutely no sense and would have disastrous and costly social consequences.Community platform currently has 29 members that work together to address poverty, social exclusion and inequality. Funding is provided to the Community Platform by the Department of Community, Rural Gaeltacht Affairs. The vision of the Community Platform is an Ireland that is inclusive, sustainable and equal. Working closely with all of its members it aims to develop and promote this vision through shared analysis. The following groups are just a small example of the essential services that come under the community platform umbrella ? historic period Action Ireland. Rape Crises Network Ireland. ?Simon Communities of Ireland. ?Womens Aid. ?Community Workers Co-operative. By looking at some of the essential services that Community Platf orm facilitate we can see just how important this community work is and the advert services that may suffer because of these cuts. As a result of my studies I have ascertained that community work appears to be many things to many people. It can be a rewarding experience to both the facilitator and the beneficiary. It can bring people together in the hope of improving circumstances for themselves or others.It can help people to achieve their goals for their community by coming together through one voice. It may be a carried out by a paid professional or a volunteer. twain of which have their own merit. Government support and funding are imperative to sustain the level of help that is needed in the community. However it is evident that when both professionals and volunteers work together, greater results can be achieved. Community work is essential in society to help improve living conditions. With an emphasis on improving the conditions of marginalised, vulnerable people. Bibliogra phy