Auckland City Mission
Overview
Established in 1920, Auckland City Mission provides marginalised Aucklanders with health and social services including a community food programme, drop-in centres, housing assistance and support to overcome addictions. Over the life of the Mission, its advocacy role has increased, as has its work in the community offering relevant solutions to individuals and families experiencing a temporary set back or a long-term problem that requires expert attention. The Mission has 60 full-and part-time staff and approximately 40 core volunteer staff.
The Productivity Challenge
When Diane Robertson joined the organisation in 1995 the Mission was over a million dollars in debt, with only 15 core staff. There was high staff turnover, as many were there only on a short-term basis. This was compounded by the fact that social work is not highly paid despite the work being highly skilled, and that within the social service industry, the Mission was not seen as the agency of choice to work for. The situation was particularly concerning given that the mandate of the Mission is to provide effective interventions 365 days a year to ensure clients received high quality services. Diane recognised that to perform to the desired standard, the Mission needed to be reorganised to put in place robust planning, good systems, clear processes, dedicated professional staff and a strong culture of teamwork.
The Productivity Achievement
New approaches to rostering, up-skilling and cross skilling have provided more consistency in service delivery by Mission staff. Clients benefit from a more professional and consistent service, thanks to well-organised systems and a strong team culture.
- Wide consultation when making changes to structure, strategy and culture helps gain staff support.
- A positive work environment encouraging teamwork is a key driver of productivity.
- Recruiting and retaining the right staff is crucial.
- Value your staff and they will reward you and their colleagues with loyalty.
- Investing in staff and building a collective.
- Clear standards and robust systems help staff conduct their work effectively.
- Collecting data determines the effectiveness of the work performed, and the quality of outcomes for clients.
- Quality data leads to quality decision-making.
- Reporting systems provide clear benchmarks for performance and improvement.
- Collaborating with key stakeholders enhances organisational learning and builds strong relationships.
The full Auckland City Mission productivity case studies are available as HTML and PDF