The Member and Volunteer Program Team at the State Office is currently working on a project to review and update the Vincentian Visitation Guidelines. The goal is to develop a comprehensive Conference Visitation Guideline that offers a consistent framework and a repository of tools to standardize visitation practices across Conferences.  The key objectives of the project are to: 

• Consolidate the Vincentian Visitation Guideline and Toolkit, WeCare framework, and other relevant resources, into a single document.

• Establish a framework and repository of tools to implement benchmark visitation practices across NSW.

• Provide one point of reference that supports members, volunteers, and staff to provide quality services and referrals.

To ensure the updated guidelines are informed by current good practices and experiences of the members, three consultations were conducted in May 2024, involving 35 members from 10 Central Councils. During these sessions, members shared both the good practices and challenges they encounter while providing assistance to the people. They also provided feedback on their experiences with the Vincentian Visitation Guideline, and the We Care Framework, highlighting areas that worked as well as needed updating.

The Vincentian Visitation Guidelines, last updated in 2021, promotes good practices in how the Society responds to the needs of the people we assist and our members. The WECARE framework, developed to guide how Conferences deliver assistance, breaks down the steps involved in interactions with people we assist. It was piloted in 2017 in three Central Councils - Bathurst, Lismore, and Parramatta – and finalised in 2019. However, the framework has not yet been implemented.

The project is guided by a working group that includes staff from various directorates and Bathurst Central Council President, Marina Gray.

The draft guideline is currently under review by the relevant directorates of the Society. The final draft will be submitted to the State Council for review and approval, with completion expected by the end of this year.