Comprehensive Good Shepherd services

In Taiwan Good Shepherd services are well established in almost every part of the country - all developed since 1987.  Now the sisters continue a process begun in 2015 of developing lay leadership at every level.

 

Large scale map of Good Shepherd Taiwan

Click here - Good Shepherd Foundation 2018

Background

When Good Shepherd Sisters arrived in Taiwan in 1987 and offered their experience of working with girls in need in other parts of the world, government, Church authorities, women’s groups, and others who knew of this work were very supportive and welcomed the sisters.

The sisters began to serve the needs of street youths, high-risk children and youth. They also set up Learning Centres for young people engaged in risky behaviours. In 1995 Taipei City Social Welfare offered Good Shepherd an outreach centre for children and youth in crisis and this work developed and grew down the years.

As the sisters realized that many girls came from families affected by domestic violence, they began to help the mothers first. The Government provided facilities and entrusted the sisters to run shelters and later placement services for women and their children in crisis.  

In providing shelter services Good Shepherd found that the victims of foreign spouses were increasing rapidly around 2003. So, with government support, Good Shepherd started to provide community services for foreign spouses and their families.

In the shelter it became clear that some foreign women came to Taiwan in the name of marriage, but in reality it was human trafficking. Good Shepherd started to hold public hearings, provide prevention and protection, through media, education, and advocacy to raise public awareness and promote international regional cooperation to prevent human trafficking.

Key stages of development

1. 1987 - 1991.  Three sisters started the ministry: Sister Emmanuella Dunne, Sister Fidelma Haverty, and Sister Therese Thong.

2. 1992 - 1995.  Sisters continue managed works with very few staff to help.

3. 1996 - 2006.  With the help of Ms. Nancy Wang, fundraising became professional, services expanded, more skilled and qualified workers were recruited. With sisters still in the centre of management, much effort was put into training.

4. 2006 – 2012.  Sisters remained in management roles: promoting Good Shepherd mission, core values, and lay partnership. Effort was put into staff development and leadership training of 6 service areas, emphasizing the role of area supervisors.  Six area supervisors were entrusted with more responsibility. In 2008, Dr. Ou Chin-Der was elected the chairman of the Board, and Board members became increasingly active.

5. From 2013, the process of transferring governance of board and management of services to lay Mission Partners, working with the Sisters, continued.

Governance structures

This process has involved the sisters putting in place new Governance structures, inviting lay Mission Partners to take up roles of leadership, so as to ensure the continuity of Good Shepherd ministries into the future. Over the years, Sisters have put a great deal of effort into training hundreds of lay workers and especially lay leaders.

Now the Good Shepherd Foundation in Taiwan is restructuring to further develop team Governance structures  to meet present day needs. 

Current Structure 2018

We have 39 works located in 12 states in Taiwan. There are 12 district (state) directors. The CEO supervises the district directors in North and Central Taiwan and the deputy CEO supervises those in East and South Taiwan.  The directors of state working with CEO and deputy CEO share responsibility for the running of the foundation as following:

CEO, helped by deputy CEO, is accountable to the Board, with the following responsibilities:

1. Represents the Foundation and attends meeting internationally, locally, and central level.

2. Knows the Foundation through monthly meetings with District Directors as well as visits to Homes/Centers.

3. Evaluation of district directors and specialists.

4. Is overall responsible for the various departments – administration, finance, personnel, IT, Fundraising.

District directors are accountable to CEO and Deputy CEO, with the following responsibilities

1. Supervise the Homes/Centers within her/his district(state).

2. Relations with state Government /NGOs /Community Services / the public, and attends meetings at state level.

3. Staff/Service Development.

4. Evaluation of service and staff.

5. Support other district directors as needed due to their expertise in special field.


CEO, Deputy CEO, and District Directors are responsible for the following

1. Maintaining a high quality of service – Social Work with Good Shepherd Values.

2. The district Directors is responsible to access the annual plans and budget as well as the annual financial report and services of each of the home/center. The District Directors forward it to the CEO/deputy CEO who present these to the Board who makes the final decision.

3. Mission/ Spirit/ Partnership /Formation.

Board of management and Good Shepherd Foundation

There is continued focus on mission development and core values of Good Shepherd Sisters. Sister Clare Nolan came to Taiwan in 2017 to lead workshops for 90 Good Shepherd senior staff. Sr Clare highlighted the importance of keeping pace with international Good Shepherd.

Joan Wu, R&D specialist, is the liaison working with CEO, deputy CEO, and 12 district directors to keep pace with Good Shepherd development worldwide. Comprehensive information and formation is passed on to every worker. In April 2018, we will have a three day workshop planned jointly by CEO, deputy CEO, district directors, and R&D specialist.  This group will plan directions and modules to be used by district directors who are responsible to form all staff. 

Good Shepherd Social Welfare Foundation

There are 6 Good Shepherd Service Areas:

• Service for Children & Youth since 1987

• Service for Aboriginal Families since 1987

• Service for Woman & Children in Crisis since 1991

• Service for Single Parent & Adoption since 2001

• Service for Foreign Spouses & their Families since 2003

• Service for Anti-Human Trafficking since 2003

Value of the new structure

District directors are trained not only in Social Work expertise with Good Shepherd Values but also from supervising heads of Homes/Centers in the necessary areas of management, administration, leadership. They develop these works by negotiating with government, NGOs, and the public. When a CEO is needed, district directors are aware of what this work entails and time can be spent to select a suitable CEO. 

 

The hope for the future

Hope for the future is that Good Shepherd Foundation Taiwan will retain

Continued focus on mission development 

Core values of Good Shepherd Sisters

Importance of keeping pace with international Good Shepherd

 

 

(Description of New Structure submitted by Joan Wu, R&D specialist 2018)