The restructuring of WA human services and its implications for the not-for-profit sector
Western Australia provides an interesting case study of the outsourcing of human services to the not-for-profit (NfP) sector. This article presents and discusses some of the key themes that emerged from a recently completed research project examining one large NfP in Western Australia. Key themes in...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Australian Council of Social Service
2014
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| Online Access: | http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=786023075696113;res=IELAPA http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/32530 |
| _version_ | 1848753689189154816 |
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| author | Fitzgerald, Scott Rainnie, Alistair Goods, Caleb Morris, L. |
| author_facet | Fitzgerald, Scott Rainnie, Alistair Goods, Caleb Morris, L. |
| author_sort | Fitzgerald, Scott |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Western Australia provides an interesting case study of the outsourcing of human services to the not-for-profit (NfP) sector. This article presents and discusses some of the key themes that emerged from a recently completed research project examining one large NfP in Western Australia. Key themes included the recruitment and retention of staff linked to pay and changing funding arrangements, and the sector becoming increasingly corporatised in outlook and goal orientaiton. Despite evidence that the shifting policy and funding environment within the NfP sector has had some negative consequences, the research findings highlight a degree of agency within which organisations can resist or counterbalance these changes. Efforts to avoid this trend, however, are reliant upon a number of factors; for example, a strong commitment to vision and mission supported by skilled leadership and adequate resourcing. Significantly, these factors are unlikely to be readily available, particularly for smaller NfPs. This discrepancy in organisational capacity is set to become more conspicuous with the potential introduction of ‘Big Society’ policies derived from the United Kingdom, and funding cuts proposed by the Coalition government. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:28:30Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-32530 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:28:30Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Australian Council of Social Service |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-325302017-01-30T13:31:23Z The restructuring of WA human services and its implications for the not-for-profit sector Fitzgerald, Scott Rainnie, Alistair Goods, Caleb Morris, L. outsourcing not-for-profit sector care work Western Australia provides an interesting case study of the outsourcing of human services to the not-for-profit (NfP) sector. This article presents and discusses some of the key themes that emerged from a recently completed research project examining one large NfP in Western Australia. Key themes included the recruitment and retention of staff linked to pay and changing funding arrangements, and the sector becoming increasingly corporatised in outlook and goal orientaiton. Despite evidence that the shifting policy and funding environment within the NfP sector has had some negative consequences, the research findings highlight a degree of agency within which organisations can resist or counterbalance these changes. Efforts to avoid this trend, however, are reliant upon a number of factors; for example, a strong commitment to vision and mission supported by skilled leadership and adequate resourcing. Significantly, these factors are unlikely to be readily available, particularly for smaller NfPs. This discrepancy in organisational capacity is set to become more conspicuous with the potential introduction of ‘Big Society’ policies derived from the United Kingdom, and funding cuts proposed by the Coalition government. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/32530 http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=786023075696113;res=IELAPA Australian Council of Social Service restricted |
| spellingShingle | outsourcing not-for-profit sector care work Fitzgerald, Scott Rainnie, Alistair Goods, Caleb Morris, L. The restructuring of WA human services and its implications for the not-for-profit sector |
| title | The restructuring of WA human services and its implications for the not-for-profit sector |
| title_full | The restructuring of WA human services and its implications for the not-for-profit sector |
| title_fullStr | The restructuring of WA human services and its implications for the not-for-profit sector |
| title_full_unstemmed | The restructuring of WA human services and its implications for the not-for-profit sector |
| title_short | The restructuring of WA human services and its implications for the not-for-profit sector |
| title_sort | restructuring of wa human services and its implications for the not-for-profit sector |
| topic | outsourcing not-for-profit sector care work |
| url | http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=786023075696113;res=IELAPA http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/32530 |