OPEN ACCESS MEETINGS: A Tangible Approach to Engagement
Tracks
Ballroom 1
| Tuesday, October 16, 2018 |
| 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM |
Speaker
Mrs Jennifer Coote
District Consumer And Carer Coordinator
Western NSW Local Health District
OPEN ACCESS MEETINGS: A Tangible Approach to Engagement
Abstracts
Subsequent to a whole of service transformation to realign our practice with a recovery orientated model, we identified a need to broadly consult with consumers and carers. Undertaking a series of open access meetings ‘Coffee and Conversation’ is an opportunity for consumers and carers to meet their local decision makers.
WNSW LHD covers an area of 246, 676 square kilometres and boasts the largest rural mental health service in Australia with 11.1% of our population being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Open Access Meetings are a chance to engage locally with communities, reflecting on their needs and identifying service engagement opportunities early.
Main findings:
- Identified people who are keen to engage in more formal feedback mechanisms who we had not previously been able to reach.
- People attending reflected our diverse & remote population, including people who reported the necessity to travel over 400km to access specialist services.
- The need to simplify services and access mechanisms for people. Projects that are being developed as a result of the meetings are family and carer rooms, waiting rooms and consumer and carers interested in peer work opportunities. Additionally, we have identified prospective experience based co-design projects.
- Senior management value consumer and carer engagement with the project continuing to be rolled out across the District.
- Local management and staff are able to explain the service model to the community and to reflect on service provision and how this meets the needs of consumers and carers. Whilst formal feedback mechanisms (such as YES) have their value, the power of ‘telling your story’ to a decision maker should never be disregarded.
The outcomes of the meetings are never what you expected and always present an opportunity for future engagement and enhancements in service provision.
Key Learnings:
1. The power and reach of informal engagement.
2. The benefit to the person in telling their story and feeling that they have been heard.
3. The positive impact hearing peoples' stories can have on clinicians and managers
WNSW LHD covers an area of 246, 676 square kilometres and boasts the largest rural mental health service in Australia with 11.1% of our population being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Open Access Meetings are a chance to engage locally with communities, reflecting on their needs and identifying service engagement opportunities early.
Main findings:
- Identified people who are keen to engage in more formal feedback mechanisms who we had not previously been able to reach.
- People attending reflected our diverse & remote population, including people who reported the necessity to travel over 400km to access specialist services.
- The need to simplify services and access mechanisms for people. Projects that are being developed as a result of the meetings are family and carer rooms, waiting rooms and consumer and carers interested in peer work opportunities. Additionally, we have identified prospective experience based co-design projects.
- Senior management value consumer and carer engagement with the project continuing to be rolled out across the District.
- Local management and staff are able to explain the service model to the community and to reflect on service provision and how this meets the needs of consumers and carers. Whilst formal feedback mechanisms (such as YES) have their value, the power of ‘telling your story’ to a decision maker should never be disregarded.
The outcomes of the meetings are never what you expected and always present an opportunity for future engagement and enhancements in service provision.
Key Learnings:
1. The power and reach of informal engagement.
2. The benefit to the person in telling their story and feeling that they have been heard.
3. The positive impact hearing peoples' stories can have on clinicians and managers
Biography
Jennifer is the District Consumer and Carer Coordinator for WNSW LHD. Jennifer has a background of working in mental health and disability services for 20 years and is passionate about advocating for consumers and carers to be involved in their care and the care of their loved ones. Jennifer is thrilled to be involved in this phase of health service provision as consumers and carers increasingly agitate for the right to partner with the health service in their own care.
Mrs Kelly Leonard
Family and Carer Coordinator
Western NSW Local Health District
OPEN ACCESS MEETINGS: A Tangible Approach to Engagement (CO-PRESENTER)
Abstracts
See Jennifer Coote
Biography
Kelly is the District Family and Carer Mental Health Program Coordinator for WNSW LHD. Kelly has spent the last 8 years supporting Carers across the District, with the last 4 years being involved in the Integrated Care initiative. Kelly is passionate about a collaborative integrated health care model were consumers, carers and their health care providers work together for better health outcomes.
*Program is subject to change
