Many organisations are taking responsibility for developing links into the community alongside public sector agencies. This may involve working with local community associations and representatives as well as cross-departmental government bodies. The aims can include: 'Joined-up' services Exchange of best practice Pooling resources Achieving best value Cutting through the red tape to achieve real change and direct action requires perseverance and an ability to manage expectations. Effective community networking can help to build useful alliances, enabling a holistic approach to particular problems and challenges through sharing skills and resources. We can offer the expertise to assist in building community partnerships, identifying key stakeholders, providing the framework and structure for the group and designing the support systems to ensure positive outcomes are achieved.