When it comes to supporting vulnerable families and children, the traditional top-down approach often falls short. But one organisation in Melbourne, Australia is flipping the script and putting community at the very centre of their work and the results are nothing short of inspiring.
I had an opportunity to talk with Alison Wainwright, the CEO of Family Life and in this article, we'll delve into how their community-driven revolution model enables better collaboration, fosters empowerment, and delivers impactful outcomes for families in need.
Embracing the Power of Place
With over 50 years of history in Melbourne's Bayside region, the organisation has long understood the power of place-based approaches. It was founded by a group of local residents who were concerned about the wellbeing of children and families in their community. Rather than parachuting in solutions, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work, opening an op shop and hiring a part-time counsellor to support their neighbours.
This grassroots ethos has remained at the core of Family Life's work, even as the organisation has grown to over 200 staff and 300 volunteers. This kind of story is important to share because it really demonstrates how community-led efforts can drive real change.
Listening to Unlock Community Wisdom
The community-centric approach isn't just a nice-to-have but it's fundamental to the way Family Life operates. An organisation may encounter multiple contracts that have to be delivered against, contracts with the board and lots of funding contracts, but the most important one is the social contract with the people in the part of the world that we lead and operate in.
This social contract means that community listening is embedded into every aspect of Family Life's work, from strategic planning to program design. Before embarking on a new strategic plan, the organisation follows a methodology where they are calling partners (stakeholder groups, volunteers, service users and local community members) together and saying, let's have a look at local data.
This deep dive into community insights not only informs Family Life's internal strategies but also guides the development of practical solutions alongside the residents themselves. Rather than approaching with a pre-set agenda, Family Life collaborates with the community to ask, "How do we co-create a community solution plan? And who takes ownership of that plan?" This approach aligns with the collective impact framework, where a backbone organisation helps guide and support the community in driving their initiatives forward.
Empowering Community Leaders
Of course, simply gathering community input is only half the battle. The real magic happens when you empower local residents to take the lead.
Family Life has developed a suite of programs aimed at building community leadership capabilities. Their "Creating Capable Leaders" initiative equips residents with the skills and confidence to drive change in their own neighbourhoods, whether that's setting up a mums' group or advocating for better services.
This cool program helps people pick one thing that they want to make a difference in that space, and upskill them to do that.
Collaboration for Systemic Change
Supporting individual community leaders is just one piece of the puzzle. To drive lasting, systemic change, Family Life knows they need to work in partnership with others.
Alison and her team have forged close connections with a network of place-based organisations across Victoria. They all support for the people in those places, and are really keen to lean into this new way of systems change work, away from competition and share the way they work with each other, and think about how they can support the community better in any way.
By sharing knowledge, resources, and a collective commitment to community-driven change, this network of place-based organisations is able to advocate for systemic reforms that better serve local residents.
Curious Questions Drive Innovation
At the heart of Family Life's community-centric approach is a spirit of curiosity and innovation. The team are constantly asking "I wonder" questions, exploring new ways to better support the families and children in their community.
This culture of curiosity is backed by a resourced innovation team and a clear set of innovation pillars, including community activation, addressing loneliness and social isolation, and supporting families. But Alison is quick to note that innovation isn't just the domain of a specialised team - it's a mindset that permeates the entire organisation.
A community-first approach like Family Life is fundamental to their mission of supporting vulnerable families and children.Real opportunity for systems change is that prototyping lens that comes from a place and if you really want to know what it looks like, you have to go down and look at it from the ground. By deeply embedding community voices, empowering local leaders, and collaborating across the sector, they're creating a roadmap for lasting change.
🎯 Ready to break the cycle of overwhelm and say “no more” to the constant fight for survival?
A high-performing, productive organisation with exceptional staff retention and client experiences is possible.
Take the first step at https://www.impactoconsulting.com.au/workshop.
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