Job Pack: Parent Advisor (North West) x3

Thank you for your interest in this vacancy. The job pack consists of the following documents:

Application Form* Guidance Notes Job Benefit Details Background Paper Job Description/Person Specification Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

The closing date for applications is: 9.00am Monday 23rd May 2016 Interviews will be held in the North West Region on:

- Parent Advisor (NW): 8th June 2016 - Parent Advisor (Hospitals and Hospices NW): 8th June- Parent Advisor (SEND NW): 14th June

Please return a completed application form along with an equal opportunities monitoring form by the date stated above. It would be really helpful if you could save your documents in the following format ‘yoursurnameappform.doc’ and ‘yoursurnameequalopps.doc’. This is so that we can identify them easily in a group of applications and cut down on the processing time in sending them to the panel.

If you do not hear from us by the interview date it does mean that we have not been able to include you on our shortlist.

Completed applications should be emailed to: recruitment@cafamily.org.uk or sent by post to:

HR Recruitment209-211 City RoadLondon EC1V 1JN

Ella MagalHR Advisor

* Download from our website www.cafamily.org.uk or from the advert location

Guidance Notes for Applicants

Filling in the application form

Please complete all parts of the application form. (CVs will not be accepted in place of an application form). Show clearly how your experience, knowledge, skills and abilities are relevant to the requirements of the

person specification. Give full details of your duties in your present or most recent job. This may be a voluntary role. Do not miss

out experience gained in previous jobs, but select the most relevant points. Also include details of any skills or experience gained from voluntary, committee or community work, etc.

Use extra sheets if necessary, noting your name and the post you have applied for at the top of each sheet. Check the closing date to allow time for your application to reach us. We suggest you keep a copy of your completed application. Contact a Family does not usually acknowledge receipt of application forms unless specifically requested and

a stamped, self-addressed envelope is enclosed. Please note that if you have not been contacted by the advertised interview date then unfortunately you have not been successful in your application.

Short-listing

When short-listing we will be looking for evidence that you have the knowledge, experience, skills and abilities to do the job as detailed in the job description and person specification. These provide the essential criteria against which your application will be assessed. The short-listing panel will not have access to the monitoring details you provide.

Disabled candidates

Contact a Family welcomes applications from disabled candidates. Please make us aware of any reasonable adjustments we may need to make for you as a disabled person and particularly address any special requirements you may have if you are invited for interview.

Equal Opportunities Monitoring

For statistical purposes please complete and return the monitoring form. As stated above the form will be detached from your application form before the short-listing exercise.

Criminal Record Declaration and the Criminal Records Bureau & Central Registered Body in Scotland Disclosure Service

The declaration must be completed. Contact a Family is an organisation that provides services for families of children with disability. You will appreciate therefore, that Contact a Family must be particularly careful to enquire into the character and background of applicants for appointments to posts that (a) involve contact with children or supervise those who have contact with children, (b) who are in positions of trust and influence and (c) who, by virtue of the authority and responsibility inherent in the post they hold, might be expected to be positively suitable to work with children. Seeking this information is not, in anyway, to reflect upon applicants integrity but is necessary to protect the vulnerable and to assist us in making safe recruitment decisions. If you wish to check any aspect of this, further details are available on the DBS website www.dbs.gov.uk or their DBS information line 0870 909 0811. The declaration form is not part of the short-listing process

We aim to make the application process as straightforward as possible. If you have any further questions regarding your application, the Disclosure or monitoring processes, or require any further general guidance or information about Contact a Family please contact a member of our Human Resources Department 020 7608 8766 or email recruitment@cafamily.org.uk

Thank you for applying to Contact a Family.

Staff Benefits

Information Salary

NJC scale points 26 - 30 currently £22,937 - £26,292 (pro rata £11,468.50 - £13,146.50). The pay range is drawn from the NJC scales appropriate to the not-for-profit sector. Incremental progress where appropriate occurs on the yearly anniversary of the start date.

Annual Leave 25 days pro rata per annum plus one extra day for each completed year of service up to a

maximum of 30 days after five year service. Holiday year runs January – December.

Concession Leave 3 days a year for the period of office closure between Christmas and New Year. Pro rata for

part time employees.

Contract - Parent Advisor (NW) – Permanent - Parent Advisor (Hospitals and Hospices) – fixed term until 30/09/2018 - Parent Advisor (SEND) – fixed term until 31/08/2018

Hours of Work 17.5 hours a week (for each role) at 0.5 FTE. Normal office hours (9-5) are observed but

flexibility can be arranged in most areas of work. Family Friendly and Work Life Balance policies are observed.

Pension Scheme Private pension scheme available through Friends Life. 1% contribution rate for employee

and employer.

Employee Assistance Programme Covering employees and their families, a full EAP free counselling service is provided through

Health Assured.

Season Ticket Loan Yearly season ticket purchase available after six months satisfactory service, repayable over a

ten month period.

Contact a Family Equal Opportunity Monitoring Form

The completion of this form is voluntary, but the information it contains helps us to monitor and improve our equal opportunities policies and procedures. This sheet is removed from the application form before the short-listing process, thus ensuring that all short-listing is based on merit.

1. Full Name:

2. Job Applied For:

3. Date of Birth 4. Marital Status

5. Gender: Male / Female (delete as appropriate)

6. Nationality:

7. I belong to the following ethnic grouping: (tick as appropriate)

A: WhiteA1: BritishA2: IrishA3: Any other white background (please specify)

B: Of Mixed Race:B1: White and Black CaribbeanB2: White and Black AfricanB3 : White and Asian B4: Any other mixed background (please specify)

C: Asian or Asian British:E1: Indian E2: PakistaniE3: BangladeshiE4: Any other Asian background (please specify)

D: Black or Black British:D1: CaribbeanD2: AfricanD3: Any other black background (please specify)

E: Chinese: F: Any other ethnic group (please specify)

Please note that Contact a Family is committed to making reasonable adjustments to allow candidates with a disability to meet the requirements of the role.

8. Do you consider yourself to have a disability? Yes / No 9. Do you have any disability for which special arrangements should be made, either in an

interview or employment situation? If so, please specify the nature of the disability and your requirements:

10. Are you a carer of a child under the age of 18: Yes / No

I understand that this information may be stored and processed as part of the Contact a Family Monitoring of equal opportunities and I give my consent to my details to be used for this purpose.

Signed: ……………………………………………. Date: ……………………………………

ROLE 1 – PARENT ADVISOR ( NW)

Contact a Family Job Description

Job Title: Parent Adviser

Responsible To: Regional Development Manager - North West

Department and location Department of Family Support Services

This post will be home-based with travel across the region

Hours of Work 17.5 hours per week. Travel across the region may be required on a regular basis and occasional overnight stays are possible.

Salary:NJC Points 26 - 30 (pro-rata) £22,937 – £26,293 (pro rata £11,468.50 - £13,146.50)

Annual leaveEntitlement 5 weeks a year plus one day for each additional year served up to a

maximum of 6 weeks (pro rata for part-time employees) See the Staff handbook for details

Job Purpose:1. To work with families with disabled children across Contact a

Family regional area to ensure they have access to information and support

2. To support parents to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to make decisions which are right for their families

3. To work in collaboration with professionals to improve understanding of the needs of families with disabled children and ensure services meet these needs.

4. Support with design and delivery of a programme of workshops to both parents and professionals that empower, inform and build confidence. Topics may include behaviour that challenge us, coping and support, sleep, siblings, financial support, moving to adulthood

Main Duties: Work with families and professionals 1. Work with parents of disabled children across the Contact a

Family to understand the issues and barriers families face and design support to meet these needs.

2. Ensure the provision of good quality information and support to parents and professionals working with families

3. Design and deliver a programme of workshops to both parents and professionals that empower, inform and build confidence.

4. Respond to enquiries for information and advice from parents and professionals, signposting on to other organisations where appropriate.

5. Develop and provide a programme of drop in surgeries at various outreach locations in the region, targeting families in need such

as isolated families.

6. Where appropriate, visit individual families to provide 1-2-1 support.

7. Actively gather information on local services and explore the most effect ways to disseminate this across the designated location

8. Liaise with local parent support groups. Link parents to local groups, support groups through the provision of advice and information and, help groups to reach new parents.

9. Add and maintain information on services in the area on the Contact a Family central database.

10. Maintain accurate up to date records of work.

11. Ensure that Contact a Family Safeguarding policy is adhered to

12. Participate in family events and information events to promote the work of Contact a Family

13. Monitor and evaluate the impact of the service using the common outcomes framework and use this information to inform the development of the work.

Interagency Work1. Work in partnership with health, Local Authority and voluntary

agencies to ensure that families social, emotional and practical needs are recognised and responded to wherever possible.

2. Work with the Regional Development Manager and team to actively seek ways to improve partnership working with other agencies in order to provide a seamless and co-ordinated service to children and families.

3. Contribute to representing Contact a Family’s work in the area at a strategic level, where appropriate.

Team Work1. Work collaboratively with staff and volunteers across the team to

deliver a consistent coordinated service. 2. Attend and actively contribute to team and cluster meetings to

share information and for joint planning and delivery of services3. Attend regular supervision and annual appraisal. Utilise training

and development opportunities to develop your skills. 4. Maintain regular contact with Contact a Family’s National office

and to attend meetings when necessary.5. Maintain accurate and up to date records of work using Contact a

Family’s systems and procedures. General: :

a) Our aims and objectives are set out in the current Strategic Plan. Policies such as Equal Opportunities, Health & Safety etc., are in the Staff Handbook. Staff are expected to work within these aims, policies and procedures and to ensure that they are followed by all staff for whom line management responsibility is held.

b) The post-holder will be expected to assist with any reasonable administrative duty at the request of the line manager for the post.

c) All members of staff are expected to participate in appropriate team meetings held to discuss particular topics. Staff are also expected to attend training events relevant to their specific responsibilities.

d) All staff have supervision meetings, receive support and annual appraisal incorporating their training and personal development needs.

e) Ensure that Contact a Family Safeguarding policy is adhered to.

This is a description of the job as it currently stands. It is the practice of the organisation to periodically examine job descriptions and to update them to ensure that they relate to the role as it is being performed. All changes are discussed with employees before they are implemented.

Person SpecificationThe person appointed will be expected to have the key essential skills, knowledge and experience listed below. The items under the heading ‘desirable attributes’ will also be useful for Contact a Family and the post holder. However, candidates who do not have these desirable attributes should not be deterred from submitting an application.

Job Title: Parent Adviser Competencies

Essential skills, knowledge and experience

Accountability: Takes responsibility for own behaviour and the consequences of own actions and acts in accordance with organisational standards.

Communication and influence: Gives and receives information effectively, persuades others and negotiates to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Delivering results: the ability to achieve objectives and ensure high quality results.

Teamwork and collaboration: The ability to work effectively with others in order to achieve a shared goal.

Relationship building: The ability to develop, maintain and strengthen partnerships with others inside or outside the organization that are of mutual benefit.

1. Experience of working with, and supporting, families who have disabled children.

2. Good listening skills and empathy skills and an ability to deal with situations calmly and sensitively.

3. In depth knowledge and experience of the issues and concerns that affect families who have disabled children e.g. Benefits, leisure provision, education, short breaks.

4. Ability to plan and deliver workshops and disseminate information for parents and professionals

5. Experience of delivering training or workshops to groups.

6. Good up to date knowledge of current initiatives and legislation relevant to disabled children and parent carers.

7. Ability to communicate clearly with a wide range of people including parents, social workers, health professionals and colleagues from other voluntary and statutory organisations.

8. Experience of working closely with colleagues from other organisations in both voluntary and statutory sectors

9. Willingness to work in collaboration with colleagues across the organisation and area to improve how services are designed and delivered to support families.

10. Good organisational and administrative skills e.g. word processing, short report writing, evaluation, monitoring and diary planning.

11. Experience of safeguarding children and young people and a commitment to equal opportunity practice.

12. Ability to be proactive and to work on own initiative and as part of a team

13. Ability to travel within region and occasional attend organisational wide meetings in London or other locations.

14. Ability to work occasional out of office hours such as evening and weekend events

15. Hold a full clean driving licence.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience

1. Knowledge of the North West region and statutory and voluntary support services for families.

2. Experience of developing or supporting groups and group work activities.

3. Experience of compiling newsletters/ebulletins

ROLE 2 – PARENT ADVISOR (HOSPITALS AND HOSPICES, NW)

Contact a Family Job Description

Job Title: Parent Adviser – Hospitals and Hospices Project

Responsible To: Regional Development Manager – North West

Department and location

Department of Family Support Services

This post will be home-based

Hours of Work 17.5 hours per week. Travel across the region may be required on a regular basis and occasional overnight stays are possible.

Salary: NJC Points 26 - 30

£22,937 – £26,293 (pro rata £11,468.50 - £13,146.50)

Annual leave

Entitlement

5 weeks a year plus one day for each additional year served up to a maximum of 6 weeks (pro rata for part-time employees) See the Staff handbook for details

Job Purpose: To work with families with disabled children in the North West to ensure they have access to information and support with a focus on developing our work with hospitals and hospices across the region

To support parents to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to make decisions which are right for their families

Support with design and delivery of a programme of workshops to both parents and professionals that empower, inform and build confidence. Topics may include behaviour that challenge us, coping and support, sleep, siblings, financial support, moving to adulthood

Main Duties: Work with families and professionals

Work with parents of disabled children across Contact a Family to understand the issues and barriers families face and design support to meet these needs.

Ensure the provision of good quality information and support to parents and professionals working with families.

Design and deliver a programme of workshops to both parents and professionals that empower, inform and build confidence.

Respond to enquiries for information and advice from parents and professionals, signposting to other organisations where appropriate.

To work in collaboration with hospitals and hospices across the region. To build on the learning from our work in the Midlands, London and the North East to develop a service to reach and support families.

Provide a programme of drop in surgeries at various outreach location in the region, targeting families in need such as

isolated families.

Actively gather information on local services and explore the most effect ways to disseminate this across the designated location.

Liaise with local parent support groups. Link parents up with local support groups. Support local groups through the provision of advice and information and help groups to reach new parents.

Add and maintain information on services in the area on the Contact a Family central database.

Maintain accurate up to date records of work.

Ensure the Contact a Family Safeguarding policy is adhered to.

Participate in family events and information events to promote the work of Contact a Family.

Monitor and evaluate the impact of the service using the common outcomes framework and use this information to inform the development of the work.

Interagency Work

Work in partnership with health, Local Authority and voluntary agencies to ensure those families’ social, emotional and practical needs are recognised and responded to wherever possible.

Work with the Regional Manager and team to seek ways to improve partnership working with other agencies in particular with hospitals and hospices in order to provide a seamless and co-ordinated service to children and families.

Contribute to representing Contact a Family’s work in the area at a strategic level, where appropriate.

Team Work

1. Work collaboratively with staff and volunteers across the team to deliver a consistent coordinated service.

2. Attend and actively contribute to team and cluster meetings to share information and for joint planning and delivery of services.

3. Attend regular supervision and annual appraisal. Utilise training

and development opportunities to develop your skills.

4. Maintain regular contact with Contact a Family’s National office and to attend meetings when necessary.

5. Maintain accurate and up to date records of work using Contact a Family’s systems and procedures.

Other duties

1. Support with office administration.

2. Develop and maintain a monthly e-bulletin and send out to families and professionals.

General: f) Our aims and objectives are set out in the current Strategic Plan. Policies such as Equal Opportunities, Health & Safety etc, are in the Staff Handbook. Staff are expected to work within these aims, policies and procedures and to ensure that they are followed by all staff for whom line management responsibility is held.

g)The post-holder will be expected to assist with any reasonable administrative duty at the request of the line manager for the post.

h)All members of staff are expected to participate in appropriate team meetings held to discuss particular topics. Staff are also expected to attend training events relevant to their specific responsibilities.

i) All staff have supervision meetings, receive support and annual appraisal incorporating their training and personal development needs.

j) Ensure that Contact a Family Safeguarding policy is adhered to.

This is a description of the job as it currently stands. It is the practice of the organisation to periodically examine job descriptions and to update them to ensure that they relate to the role as it is being performed. All changes are discussed with employees before they are implemented.

Person SpecificationThe person appointed will be expected to have the key essential skills, knowledge and experience listed below. The items under the heading ‘desirable attributes’ will also be useful for Contact a Family and the post holder. However, candidates who do not have these desirable attributes should not be deterred from submitting an application.

Job Title: Parent Adviser Competencies Accountability: Takes responsibility for own behaviour and the

consequences of own actions and acts in accordance with organisational standards.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience

Communication and influence: Gives and receives information effectively, persuades others and negotiates to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Delivering results: the ability to achieve objectives and ensure high quality results.

Teamwork and collaboration: The ability to work effectively with others in order to achieve a shared goal.

Relationship building: The ability to develop, maintain and strengthen partnerships with others inside or outside the organization that are of mutual benefit.

1. Experience of working with, and supporting, families who have disabled children.

2. Good listening skills and empathy skills and an ability to deal withsituations calmly and sensitively.

3. Knowledge and experience of the issues and concerns that affect families who have disabled children e.g. Benefits, leisure provision, education, short breaks.

4. Ability to plan and deliver workshops and disseminate information for parents and professionals.

5. Experience of delivering training or workshops to groups.

6. Good up to date knowledge of current initiatives and legislation relevant to disabled children and parent carers.

7. Ability to communicate clearly with a wide range of people including parents, social workers, health professionals and colleagues from other voluntary and statutory organisations.

8. Experience of working closely with colleagues from other organisations in both voluntary and statutory sectors.

9. Willingness to work in collaboration with colleagues across the organisation and area to improve how services are designed and delivered to support families.

10. Good organisational and administrative skills e.g. word processing, short report writing, evaluation, monitoring and diary planning.

11. Experience of safeguarding children and young people and a commitment to equal opportunity practice.

12. Ability to be proactive and to work on own initiative and as part of a team.

13. Ability to travel within region and occasional attend organisational wide meetings in London or other locations.

14. Ability to work occasional out of office hours such as evening and

weekend events.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience

Knowledge of the North West region and statutory and voluntary support services for families.

Experience of developing or supporting support groups and group work activities.

Experience of working with hospitals or hospices.

ROLE 3 – PARENT ADVISOR (SEND – NW)

Contact a FamilyJob Description

Job Title: Parent Advisor

Responsible For: No line management responsibilities

Responsible To: Regional Development Manager (North West)

Location: Home based with regular travel throughout the region

Hours of work: 17.5 hours per week. Working pattern to be agreed.

Normal office hours are 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday.

Occasional evening and weekend working maybe required.

Salary: NJC scale points 26 - 30 currently £22,937 - £26,292 (pro rata £11,468.50 - £13,146.50).

Annual leave entitlement:

Actual entitlement for part time role working 17.5 hours per week:

12.5 days per calendar year plus one day for each additional year served.

Job Purpose: To work with families with disabled children and ensure they

have access to relevant information and support with a focus on equipping them with the information, skills and confidence to participate in the new SEN systems being implemented across England through the period 2014-2018

To support parents to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to make decisions that are right for their families

To work closely with statutory and voluntary services in order to improve services to families, and increase the take up of services and entitlements.

Main Duties:1) Work with parents of disabled children across Contact a

Family to understand the issues and barriers families face and design support to meet these needs.

2) Ensure the provision of good quality information and support to parents and professionals working with families.

3) Respond to enquiries for information and advice from parents and professionals and to link families with other families, support agencies and services as appropriate to the individual needs of the family and their disabled children.

4) Design and deliver a programme of workshops and information sessions across the region to both parents and professionals on a range of relevant topics that empower, inform and build confidence.

5) To recruit, support and manage volunteers to support the delivery of the SEND project to engage harder to reach families and engage parents.

6) To facilitate focus groups of parents to share experiences and identify the impact of the system reforms for families. Identify and draft case studies that illustrate challenges and good practice and share these.

7) Identify and actively gather information on local services and explore the most effective ways to disseminate this across the designated area

8) Liaise with local parent support groups. Link parents to local groups. Support groups through the provision of advice and information and help groups to reach new parents.

9) Add and maintain information on services in the area on the Contact a Family central database.

10)Carry out administration and maintain accurate up to date records of work.

11)Ensure the Contact a Family Safeguarding policy is adhered to.

12)Participate in family events and information events to promote the work of Contact a Family.

13)Monitor and evaluate the impact of the service using the common outcomes framework and use this information to inform the development of the work.

14)To contribute to relevant meetings and forums to advance the work of Contact a Family.

Interagency Work

1) Work in partnership with health, Local Authority and voluntary sector colleagues to ensure family’s social, emotional and practical needs are recognised and responded to wherever possible.

2) Work with the Regional Manager and team to actively seek ways to improve partnership working with other agencies in particular with providers of the Information, Advice and support services, Independent supporters, other voluntary organisations and parent carer forums in order to provide a seamless and co-ordinated service to children and families.

3) Build relationships with other organisations where appropriate to further the work of Contact a Family.

Team Work1) Work collaboratively with staff and volunteers across

the team and organisation to deliver a consistent coordinated service.

2) Attend and actively contribute to team and regional cluster meetings to share information and for joint planning and delivery of services.

3) Attend regular supervision and annual appraisal. Utilise training and development opportunities to develop your skills.

4) Maintain regular contact with Contact a Family’s national office and attend meetings when necessary.

Cross functional duties:

1) To work with colleagues in order to produce appropriate information and publicity materials for all families including translated materials when deemed appropriate.

2) Participate in forums and meetings as required by the role.

3) To keep up to date with relevant developments, policies and guidance.

4) Share relevant information with colleagues.

5) To support and participate in events and activities as appropriate.

6) Contribute to the regional newsletter / ebulletin.

General:

A) Deliver in accordance to the organisations aims and objectives as set out in our current Strategic Plan.

B) Adhere to and work within the organisational policies and procedures such as Equal Opportunities, Health & Safety etc.

C) Assist with any reasonable administrative duties at the request of the line manager.

D) All members of staff are expected to participate in team meetings and organisational events.

E) Staff are expected to attend training events relevant to their specific responsibilities.

F) All staff have supervision meetings, receive support and annual appraisal incorporating their training and personal development needs.

G) Ensure that Contact a Family Safeguarding policy is adhered to.

This is a current description of the job (March 2016). It is the practice of the organisation to periodically examine job descriptions and to update them to ensure that they relate to the role as it is being performed. All changes are discussed with employees before they are implemented.

Contact a FamilyPerson Specification

The person appointed will be expected to have the key essential skills, knowledge and experience listed below. The items under the heading ‘desirable attributes’ will also be useful for Contact a Family and the post holder. However, candidates who do not have these desirable attributes should not be deterred from submitting an application.

Job Title: Parent Advisor

Competencies

Essential

Accountability: Takes responsibility for own behaviour and the consequences of own actions and acts in accordance with organisational standards.

Communication and influence: Gives and receives information effectively, persuades others and negotiates to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Delivering results: the ability to achieve objectives and ensure high quality results.

Teamwork and collaboration: The ability to work effectively with others in order to achieve a shared goal.

Relationship building: The ability to develop, maintain and strengthen partnerships with others inside or outside the organization that are of mutual benefit.

1) Experience of working with, and supporting, families who have

experience

Essential knowledge

Other essential criteria

disabled children.

2) Good listening skills and empathy skills and an ability to deal with situations calmly and sensitively.

3) Experience of the SEND systems and understanding of the SEN code of practice

4) Experience of developing or supporting support groups and group work activities

5) Experience of delivering training or workshops to groups

6) Good up to date knowledge and awareness of current initiatives and legislation including the Children and Families Act and changes to the current systems for families of disabled children and their families

7) Knowledge and experience of the issues and concerns that affect families who have disabled children e.g. Benefits, leisure provision, education, short breaks.

8) Ability to communicate clearly with a wide range of people including parents, social workers, health professionals and colleagues from other voluntary and statutory organisations.

9) Experience of working closely with colleagues from other organisations in both voluntary and statutory sectors

10) Willingness to work in collaboration with colleagues across the organisation and area to improve how services are designed and delivered to support families.

11) Good organisational and administrative skills e.g. word processing, short report writing, evaluation, monitoring and diary planning.

12) Experience of safeguarding children and young people and a commitment to equal opportunity practice.

13) Ability to be proactive and to work on own initiative and as part of a team.

14)Willing and able to regularly travel across the region and occasionally travel nationally.

15)Ability to work flexible, occasional out of office hours including evening and weekend events as required.

16) Hold a full clean driving licence.

Desirable knowledge and experience

1) Knowledge of local regional area and local services for families.

2) Experience of managing and supporting volunteers

3) Knowledge and experience of working with hard to reach communities within the region.