A KEY agency that has provided services and support to Mallee communities for almost 30 years is inviting community input into planning for the organisation's future role and programs.
Mallee Accommodation and Support Program (MASP) is developing its next three-year strategic plan and chief executive officer Vince Wilson said the organisation was looking for feedback on what the community sees as important priorities for its future direction.
MASP operates in the Mildura, Swan Hill, Wentworth, Balranald, Buloke and Gannawarra local government areas, and delivers a range of programs aimed at providing appropriate and cost-effective services for children, young people, adults and families in need.
"Our communities have a really good understanding that MASP drives important initiatives and supports particularly around homelessness – but the range of services we provide, and those that we can potentially deliver in the future, is so much broader than that," Mr Wilson said.
"Housing affordability and housing insecurity is, of course, one of the biggest challenges we're facing but MASP also plays a critical role for people in need in all sorts of areas, including youth services, disability supports, social enterprises, foster care and mentoring programs," he said.
"We're now at the point of considering our next strategic plan and that means we should look back at how we're doing, but more importantly, we need to look forward and evaluate what our future role should be.
"To do that effectively we need to listen to what the community feels is important."
Mr Wilson said MASP was currently distributing a survey to begin a dialogue with the community on future services.
"We think it's important that people have a chance to say what's working well, but also what might be missing in their local area in terms of community services options," he said.
"There are some needs that are very well-serviced by MASP and other providers, but there are possibly other areas of need that are being missed completely in some or all of our communities.
"We want to hear the full range of views so that we are as effective as we can be in genuinely making a difference both the people who access our services, and to our wider communities."
The survey is available at masp.org.au, by request or via the organisation's social media channels and will be available until June 16.
