Creating Transformative Change in Practice and Organisations

Workshop –  presented by Te Aroha Noa and Practice Research and Professional Development Hub, School of Social Work, Massey University.

This three day workshop enables practitioners from diverse backgrounds and agencies to explore change processes when working with individuals, groups and families.

The focus: The workshop draws on strengths based and community development approaches and provides opportunities for participants to learn new knowledge and skills in working with complex situations alongside clients who are facing challenges in their daily lives including family issues such as parenting, and working with children and young people, mental health issues, drug and alcohol, grief and loss. It is an experiential course and gives practitioners many opportunities for reflecting on their practice and learning new skills for working with clients and for implementing these ideas into their agency.

Participants: The workshops have been running for several years now and they are targeted at practitioners from NGOs and statutory agencies who are interested in advancing their practice and seeking new ways to work with individuals and groups. It has a broad focus on strengths approaches and community development approaches and enables participants to develop their skills in working with individuals and groups. In the past we have had participants from health, mental health, welfare, disability, education and a wide range of practitioners from support workers, social workers, managers, teachers, policy makers and funders. A major focus is on building collaborative practice and being able to work across agencies and disciplines. We always receive excellent feedback from participants who take their skills back to their agencies. Many comment on the relationships they build with other participants that are often maintained when they return to their workplaces.

The facilitators: The facilitators are highly experienced practitioners and the workshop is held on site at Te Aroha Noa, Palmerston North, so that participants are able to observe the implementation of the change strategies presented in the workshop.

This workshop can be counted as continuing professional education and participants receive a certificate to confirm their participation in this workshop. If you would like more information on the content of the course please contact: Robyn Munford on [email protected] or Bruce Maden on [email protected]. For information about registration please contact Sheryl Kirikiri on [email protected].