SWCP Community

The Challenge

TaylorCare Group needed a way to connect with Australia’s social work, counselling, and psychology professionals, a community of over 11,000+ members who needed professional support, networking opportunities, and career guidance. The role involved managing this vibrant Facebook community whilst coordinating regular in-person networking events, creating meaningful connections that would benefit both community members and TaylorCare’s recruitment business.

What I Delivered

I managed the SWCP (Social Work, Counselling & Psychology) Community for 18 months, combining strategic online community management with regular networking events.

Daily tasks included moderating discussions among 11,000+ members across diverse backgrounds and experience levels, responding to questions, facilitating meaningful conversations, and connecting members facing similar challenges. The community received daily content including job opportunities, industry news, discussion prompts, and member success stories whilst enforcing community guidelines fairly to maintain a welcoming atmosphere. Beyond online engagement, I hosted regular SWCP Meet & Mingle events bringing together 30-80 professionals per event for networking sessions, professional development workshops, panel discussions, and career connection opportunities. All event logistics were managed including venue selection, catering, registration, and promotional materials, creating spaces where early-career professionals and industry veterans could connect authentically.

The Business Impact

For TaylorCare’s recruitment business, the community provided direct access to 11,000+ qualified candidates in one engaged network, creating an instant talent pipeline. Members regularly found jobs through the community and recommended TaylorCare to colleagues, whilst the active community presence positioned TaylorCare as the connector in Australia’s social work sector. Daily community interactions provided real-time market intelligence on what professionals valued, enabling TaylorCare to refine their recruitment strategies effectively.

For community members, the value was equally significant. They found jobs, mentors, and lifelong professional connections through both online discussions and in-person events. Members felt genuinely supported during career challenges and had a safe space to discuss industry frustrations, celebrate professional wins, and build relationships that extended beyond networking. The regular events became something professionals actually looked forward to attending, which is a rare achievement in professional networking.

Key Challenges & Solutions

Moderating diverse perspectives across 11,000+ members required maintaining respectful dialogue when passionate professionals disagreed. Social workers, counsellors, and psychologists care deeply about their work, so I implemented clear community guidelines and consistent, fair moderation whilst encouraging healthy professional debate.

Serving everyone presented another challenge. The community spanned early-career professionals to 20-year veterans, so content had to provide value to both groups without alienating either. Content types, discussion topics, and event formats were varied to ensure all experience levels felt represented and supported.

Balancing online and offline engagement meant ensuring remote members didn’t feel excluded. Not everyone could attend in-person events, so I shared comprehensive event highlights, key takeaways, and professional insights back into the online community, ensuring all members benefited regardless of their location or schedule.

What I Learned

This experience taught me that successful communities require genuine value creation. The most engaged online communities aren’t broadcast channels where organisations push content, but rather spaces where members actively help each other. Facilitating connections and setting the tone was important, but the community’s real value came from members supporting one another through career challenges, sharing resources, and building authentic professional relationships.

I learned that responsiveness builds lasting trust. Replying quickly to member questions, acknowledging contributions, and making people feel heard created trust that encouraged deeper participation and more vulnerable professional conversations. This responsiveness transformed passive community observers into active participants who felt invested in the community’s success.

The project demonstrated that online and offline engagement create synergy. The Facebook group kept conversations active 24/7, providing continuous professional support and networking opportunities. The in-person events transformed digital connections into real friendships and professional relationships, adding depth that online interaction alone couldn’t achieve. Together, these channels created something more valuable than either could deliver independently.

Most importantly, I discovered that people remember how you make them feel. Members messaged months after events to share they’d found their dream job, met a career-changing mentor, or finally felt less alone in their professional challenges. That emotional impact created loyalty and advocacy that no marketing campaign could replicate, turning community members into genuine TaylorCare advocates who actively promoted both the community and the recruitment services to their networks.