wchn consumer and community newsletter – issue 16, august … · 2017-02-28 · provide...

14
Consumer and Community Engagement Unit Update 1. Issue 16 August 2016 Consumer & Community Newsletter Community Engagement Unit I often say that our consumers are increasingly being seen as “makers and shapers” rather than “users and choosers”. So how can we continue our work to enhance our partnerships with those consumers and their families? According to the George Institute for Global Health and the Consumers Health Forum of Australia, there are seven things that organisations can do: 1. Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3. Consider the whole person, including informal supports, in treatment planning. 4. Give thought to continuity and treatment flow from symptoms diagnosis treatment recovery. 5. Build trust through respectful communication. 6. Inform and co-decide with consumers and families. 7. Develop a governance structure to plan, design, re-design, future proof, analyse and collaborate with the public. Getting this right, requires organisations to be developmentally and culturally appropriate in their methods. When I review these seven recommendations against what we are doing in the person and family centred care space, I feel very confident that we are taking a systematic approach. This month, I had an email from a consumer and his family about the care they received while in Kate Hill Ward. The family talked about confusion, angst and anxiety quickly transforming into confidence. Their confidence in the health care system grew as the information was shared and they became involved in the decision-making process. The family, which subsequently joined our Consumer Register, received validation and empathy from health care staff. Our staff provided input, supported by evidence-based knowledge and best practice and listened to the experiences of the whole family through the treatment process. To be a mover and a shaker does not always require the movement of mountains, most of the time it requires a considered communication approach and valuing multiple factors in health care provision. Allan J Ball Manager, Consumer and Community Engagement

Upload: others

Post on 06-Aug-2020

0 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

Consumer and Community Engagement Unit Update

1.

Issue 16 – August 2016

Consumer & Community Newsletter

Community Engagement Unit

I often say that our consumers are increasingly being seen as

“makers and shapers” rather than “users and choosers”. So how

can we continue our work to enhance our partnerships with those

consumers and their families?

According to the George Institute for Global Health and the

Consumers Health Forum of Australia, there are seven things that

organisations can do:

1. Provide accessible care to consumers and families.

2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care.

3. Consider the whole person, including informal supports, in treatment planning.

4. Give thought to continuity and treatment flow from symptoms – diagnosis – treatment –

recovery.

5. Build trust through respectful communication.

6. Inform and co-decide with consumers and families.

7. Develop a governance structure to plan, design, re-design, future proof, analyse and

collaborate with the public.

Getting this right, requires organisations to be developmentally and culturally appropriate in

their methods. When I review these seven recommendations against what we are doing in the

person and family centred care space, I feel very confident that we are taking a systematic

approach.

This month, I had an email from a consumer and his family about the care they received while

in Kate Hill Ward. The family talked about confusion, angst and anxiety quickly transforming

into confidence. Their confidence in the health care system grew as the information was

shared and they became involved in the decision-making process. The family, which

subsequently joined our Consumer Register, received validation and empathy from health

care staff. Our staff provided input, supported by evidence-based knowledge and best

practice and listened to the experiences of the whole family through the treatment process.

To be a mover and a shaker does not always require the movement of mountains, most of the

time it requires a considered communication approach and valuing multiple factors in health

care provision.

Allan J Ball

Manager, Consumer and Community Engagement

Page 2: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

Consumer opportunities in August

Trauma Informed Care Committee

Trauma Informed Health Care is about appreciating that service users may have experienced

physical/emotional and psychological trauma as a child, young person or adult.

By ensuring a safe, validating and empowering environment, we can minimise the potential

for anyone to feel re-traumatised when they use our services. The Women’s and Children’s

Health Network has set up a committee to oversee the development of a Trauma Informed

Care (TIC) approach within its hospital and community settings.

Expressions of interest are now being called for individuals to be members of this committee.

The required skills, aptitude and knowledge for membership include:

Lived experience of physical/emotional and psychological trauma and an understanding of

the common ongoing physical, mental and emotional health impacts of trauma.

Capacity to contribute a consumer’s perspective to the development of an inclusive TIC

approach across WCHN.

Capacity to feel emotionally and psychologically safe within a context of broad based

committee discussions about trauma in relation to women, children and young people

within WCHN.

Capacity for self-care and to ask for emotional assistance if needed.

Expressions of interest close 20 August 2016. For more information, please contact Allan.

Join Basecamp and be part of our consultation team

Join Basecamp by emailing Allan with “sign me up” in the

subject line. Full details, including the code of conduct, will be

provided. Basecamp gives you access to latest reports and

literature focusing on consumer and community engagement.

It also is a space to close feedback loops, so you can see

what impact your feedback had. This month on Basecamp

you will be asked to provide feedback on the Child and

Family Health Service model of care.

Community forum: Research review

This forum is aimed at caregivers and community members who have

participated in research trials in the last 18 months or are interested in

the future of research at the Women’s and Children’s Health Network.

Key questions that will be asked include:

What are the research possibilities for the Network?

What future research opportunities are there?

How should consumers be involved in future research?

Date: 3 August 2016

Time: 10am – 12pm

RSVP: Contact Allan by email or call 8161 6935

Reimbursement will be provided to participants.

Page 3: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

Consumer panel

The Network is seeking five consumer and community members to share their decision

making experiences on care planning, navigating the hospital, staff communication, and

discharge or transition planning. You need to be confident to speak to a large audience.

Two places are left.

Date: 23 September 2016

Time: 8am-9am

RSVP: Contact Allan by email or call 8161 6935 to express your interest in

participating.

Reimbursement will be provided to participants.

Consumer Representative Training

Public Speaking: Confidence in your practice in meetings and the

workplace.

Date: Wednesday 24 August

Time: 10am-11:30am

RSVP: Contact Allan by email or call 8161 6003 by Friday 12 August.

Limited spaces available.

Save these dates! August 2016

1 Newsletter launched.

6 Gurdwara Sahib Prospect. 16-18 King Street. Cultural Tour for

Staff and Consumers.

8 Health Literacy Group.

10

10

Cultural Round Table.

Children and Teen Face-Painting Feedback on the Play Deck

of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. 11am – 2pm.

12 Consumer Feedback and Improvement Group.

23

24

25

26

Person and Family Centred Care Network.

Consumer Training: Public Speaking. RSVP required.

Consumer Coffee Club. Level 2 of the Women’s and Children’s

Hospital. Open to all consumers, between 10am – 11:30am.

Consumer and Community Partnership Council.

Page 4: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

Basecamp crowdsourcing consultations

This month consumers have the opportunity to comment on the future of research for the

Network; priority areas and research focus points that could be strengthened and also a new

organ donation brochure.

E-Journal Club for August will be a report on leading change in primary health care, a

discussion about how primary health networks can help improve the Australian health care

system.

To join Basecamp and have you say or join the E-Journal Club email Allan with “sign me

up” in the subject line.

You said – we listened – we did

Disability Action Plan

The Women’s and Children’s Health Network’s (WCHN) Disability Access and Inclusion Plan

2016-2019 has now been launched.

The plan is one of the significant pieces of documentation that has gone through a consumer

engagement process, with our consumer representative Kathy playing a critical role in the

development as member of the project advisory group for the plan.

The plan has been shaped by direct consumer feedback through Basecamp, consumer

committees and consumer interviews.

Through this plan, the WCHN will continue to uphold the rights of people living with disability

to access the services and programs we deliver, and to foster a work environment which is

genuinely inclusive.

The action plan will be monitored through the Consumer and Community Partnership Council

in addition to monitoring at divisional and executive levels. Go online to view the plan.

Page 5: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

Youth Advisory Group

Members convened on 15 July and were busy from the first minute to the very last. There

were three special guests: Heather Baron (Regional Director of Allied Health, Complex and

Sub-Acute Care), Tanya Cheeseman (Consumer Representative for the Women’s and

Children’s Health Network) and Sandy Keane (Event Coordinator for the Women’s and

Children’s Health Network).

Heather spoke about the work that has been happening in the Network, particularly the

hospital, around supporting young people to transition from children’s to adult services. The

Network is aware this can be a big and complex step for young people, particularly as there

are lots of things to be aware of when making the transitions. Heather presented a number of

documents for comment and tools for the group to make into plain language versions. The

members provided detailed re-writing of one of the attachments to ensure it was youth

focused and written in plain English.

Tanya Cheeseman, a consumer representative from the Energetic Lived Experience

Consultancy Team (ELECT), presented the YES Survey which is an adult-based tool for

consumers in the mental health system to provide feedback. The YES Survey was developed

in 2010 by the National Consumer Experiences of Care project. The YES Survey stands for

Your Experience of Service (YES).

Sandy Keane explained what her role was in the Network. Sandy looks after special events in

the hospital and looks after children’s entertainment which uses a play-based philosophy.

Sandy also looks after any items that have been donated such as toys and gifts. Sandy was

invited to provide advice on the staging of the proposed Youth Health Conference.

The Youth Advisory Group put the final touches on a new guide to help children and young

people explore with confidence the spaces and places in the hospital. They have been

working hard for the last six months initiating, designing and writing this guide. The guide is a

result of 60 hours of interviewing staff, reviewing spaces, taking photographs and doing layout

and design.

The group endorsed a recommendation for the guide to be considered by the Consumer and

Community Partnership Council and launched this month.

Kids Klub: Future of research

A total of 15 children joined the Manager, Consumer and Community Engagement over two

sessions to understand the possibilities of what research could look like for the Network in the

future.

The concept of research was tricky at first for some of our young minds to grasp, but by using

familiar concepts and words associated with schools, classrooms, teachers and study, the

participants began to burst with creativity.

Page 6: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

Our youngest participant was four and our

oldest was 12. Most of children had

participated in a recent WCH research trial.

Children were asked to build Lego

classrooms or Lego superhero labs. They

were asked questions about why research

matters, what involvement children should

have in research and how research should

be promoted.

There were so many great ideas including:

The Network needed to have a “big

question” poll where children and their parents could choose what questions the hospital

or community sites should investigate.

A young inventors or young scientists group should be established where children are

routinely asked to comment on research studies, priorities or aims.

The hospital should be considered a classroom, where there are rules for everyone to

participate in making sick children better.

There was a strong emphasis on participation. There is a view that children are interested and

want to know more.

The information that was gathered at the Kids Klubs on 14 July will be married with feedback

from the Youth Advisory Group, Basecamp and an adult focus group held on 3 August.

Trauma Informed Care Training

On 12 July, a group of 15 consumer representatives and volunteers joined Angela Powell and

Helen O’Grady from Yarrow Place to learn more about trauma-informed care. The two- hour

workshop introduced the concept of trauma and how the responses to trauma vary from

person to person.

The participants all have direct contact with our consumers and their families in varying roles

from the Coffee Club to the Volunteer Guides Team. The training is important for those with

direct contact with families in the hospital and community sites to understand why a person

and family centred care communication approach is recommended and supported by the

research literature. Participants were keen to learn more about trauma-informed care and

have recommended training in compassion fatigue.

If you would like to participate in training or have thoughts on what training would benefit your

role as a consumer representative, please contact Allan.

Page 7: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

Fairy-Face painting

Sarah (aka Fairy-Bell the fairy-face painter) joined 15

consumers and their families on Monday 4 July to learn

more about the strengths, suggestions and ideas from

children on Kate Hill Ward, Campbell Ward and the

oncology clinic and ward (Michael Rice Centre).

Fairy-Bell stepped outside her usual space to provide a

supplementary developmental approach to hear from

children. Fairy-Face painting allows children to have an

experience whilst sharing their experiences in the ward.

Providing feedback is done on a voluntarily basis. Children

can choose to be painted with petals on the arm, a snake

on the cheek or even a full-face superhero design whilst

Sarah uses an appreciative inquiry approach to get an

understanding of what is working well on the ward. Sarah,

who is a consumer and mother of three, writes up the

information in a report and presents it to the wards. The

wards will use the information collected from children to

advance the care that is provided.

Children told Fairy Bell that it was really important to have

things to do on the ward to fight boredom and that the

fundamental principles to deliver care are “fun nurses and

doctors who smile”.

This is Madeline, one of our consumer champions, giving

feedback and being decorated in a beautiful rainbow.

Hospital Cultural Audit

A fundamental principle of the of the action plan connected to Consumer and Community

Engagement and Responsiveness Strategy 2015 – 2018 is to ensure that the Health Network

delivers culturally safe, welcoming and appropriate services.

In July, the hospital and community sites audited the cultural appropriateness of our

environment, with the aim of assessing how strongly the organisation is living its principle of

diversity. The aim of the audit was to demonstrate the strength of a welcoming environment

that recognises the importance of the cultural beliefs and practices of Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander people and those from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.

Two checklists were used ‒ the SA Health-based Aboriginal Cultural Inclusion Checklist and a

WCHN locally designed Cultural Inclusion Checklist. Three consumers, joined Cathy Leane,

Manager, Strategic Partnerships (Aboriginal Health Division) and Allan Ball to complete the

audit.

A report, with a list of recommendations for quality

improvements, will be written in August and presented

to divisions and the Consumer and Community

Partnership Council.

Auditing team

Page 8: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

NAIDOC Week (3-10 July)

Songlines: The Living Narrative of Our Nation

NAIDOC is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and

achievements and is an opportunity to recognise the contributions that Indigenous Australians

make to our country and our society. During the week, WCHN supported a number of

activities to recognise Aboriginal health and Aboriginal people in South Australia.

The events that took place included:

Wednesday 6 July - WCHN Grand Round with presenters Stephanie Brown, Senior

Principal Research Fellow, Healthy Mothers Healthy Families Research Group, Murdoch

Children’s Research Institute, and Deanna Stuart-Butler, Manager Aboriginal Family

Birthing Program, WCHN. The topic was “Improving Aboriginal women’s experiences of

care by working together. Celebrating a decade of working together to implement and

evaluate changes in maternity care to benefit Aboriginal families. Findings of the

Aboriginal Families Study and how they have informed the development of the new AMIC

program at WCHN were also presented.

NAIDOC Family Fun Day (Friday 8 July) - WCHN staff joined other members in the

community at Tarntanyangga (Victoria Square) to march to Parliament House followed by

a bus ride to Victoria Park where WCHN joined over 40 community stall holders from

government and non-government organisations to provide information to the community.

At Victoria Park there were also dedicated zones including men's, women's, Elders, Be

Active, small business and children's zones, focusing on information relevant the target

population.

The WCHN staff provided a host of information from the Aboriginal Liaison Service, MY

Health, Women’s Health Service, Child and Family Health Service and Child and

Adolescent Mental Health Service, as well as the Consumer and Community Engagement

Unit. The Manager, Consumer and Community Engagement joined with Aboriginal Health

Division colleagues and members of the Reconciliation Subcommittee to talk with

consumers and other members of the community. A number of requests for information

about the Parent Easy Guides and how to access hospital services were noted and there

was a significant promotion of upcoming community consultations and the consumer

mailing list.

Watch this space for further developments regarding an Aboriginal Community Engagement

Strategy for the Network. To find out more please email Allan.

Rainbow Serpent captures the spirit of NAIDOC Week

More than 100 children at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital helped create a 10-metre

mural of a Rainbow Serpent as part of the hospital’s NAIDOC Week celebrations this year.

The Rainbow Serpent is made up of handprints that have been decorated by the children

themselves, both inpatients and outpatients of the hospital, and currently adorns the wall

between the Aboriginal Liaison Unit and the Starlight Express Room.

The story of the Rainbow Serpent is an ancient part of the Dreaming in many mainland

Aboriginal nations and represents creation, regeneration, fertility and abundance. The

Rainbow Serpent is the protector of the land, its people, and the source of all life.

Page 9: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

Creation of the mural was an initiative of the

Aboriginal Liaison Unit, in collaboration with

the Starlight Captains at the Starlight Express

Room.

NAIDOC Week was officially opened at the

hospital by Jamie Goldsmith, a local Kaurna

man, who held a children’s workshop on

Aboriginal culture at the Starlight Express

Room. Jamie played his didgeridoo and

talked to the children about the traditions

surrounding the didgeridoo.

This important week was commemorated in all parts of the Network.

Cultural Round Table

One of our largest Cultural Round Tables unfolded last month, with the Round Table

membership growing to over 30. The group is responsible for providing expert advice and

consultation to the Consumer and Community Partnership Council on a range of matters

relating to the strength of cultural and linguistically diverse practice in the Women’s and

Children’s Health Network.

Two actions to come from this group included the strengthening of the cultural education tours

for staff and consumer representatives, and developing the checklist for the cultural audit that

followed the meeting. The group also had an opportunity to provide its first submission to

Basecamp, the Network’s crowdsourcing website for consultation. The group was asked

about visiting hours on Postnatal Ward and the guidelines that needed to be in place

surrounding those who visit and stay. The next Cultural Round Table will be held on 10

August. A report on the cultural audit will be tabled at that meeting and consultation on the

future of research for the Network will also be discussed.

If you are passionate about cultural competency in healthcare, you are welcome to join the

Round Table. It is open to consumers, families, community members from the Government

and Non-Government sectors and staff of the Network. The focus of discussions is

strengthening healthcare practice for neonates, babies, children, teenagers, women and

families.

To find out more or be part of the Round Table contact Allan.

Call to staff – Education cultural tours

An education cultural tour is a targeted one to two-hour meeting with community members to

learn about cultural customs, beliefs, traditions and practices.

The Network is invited into a community space, such as a place of worship or community

centre, to meet with families of a certain cultural background and to participate in a respectful

dialogue to strengthen healthcare practices. By entering into a community space, we are

demonstrating a commitment to learn within an environment which is safe for our consumer

and community members.

Tours may involve participating in cultural practices and the sharing of food. Those who

attend are encouraged to ask questions to strengthen their knowledge and to share this with

their work teams. All cultural tours are underpinned by a philosophy of "appreciative inquiry",

where staff are encouraged to frame thoughts or questions in a positive manner

to solicit meaningful information to embed into local health care practice.

Page 10: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

Who can attend?

Women’s and Children’s staff and consumer representatives

Details for the next tour

6pm-7pm August 6 at Gurdwara Sahib Prospect, 16-18 King Street, Prospect.

RSVP: Contact Allan by email or call 8161 6935.

Allied Health: Listening Posts

Over the past seven weeks Ruby, one of our community

representatives, has been supporting Allied Health to use a

survey tool to investigate communication practices in four of the

Allied Health sites.

The Manager, Consumer and Community Engagement sat down

with Ruby and asked her about her experiences of using the

Listening Post format.

What is the purpose of the Listening Post?

Listening Post was used to gain consumer feedback for the Allied Health departments of

WCH. Using a consumer to conduct the survey meant patients and parents could openly

express their feelings.

How many hours did you contribute?

Over seven weeks, I contributed 56 hours.

How many consumers or caregivers were seen?

I'm unsure exactly how many people and families I saw throughout the seven weeks, but I

would estimate over 50 consumers gave written feedback, with a number more giving verbal

feedback.

What were your observations and thoughts about the Listening Post model?

The Listening Post was a great method to collect and collate the feedback from consumers. It

was easy to use and asked relevant questions. The survey format was simple and effective

and the addition of cartoons for children broadened the target audience.

What skills did you have to use? What skills did you use that were a surprise to you?

Communication skills were most used during my time, and active listening was a major skill

that I found very useful. Listening and acknowledging patients' situations to understand their

feedback comments was a highlight

What were your key takeaway messages or impressions from the Listening Post?

Everyone's experience at the WCH is different. Children and parents may go through similar

medical treatments but each family really reacts to the situation differently. Also, the positive

impact the allied health professionals had on the children was lovely to see. I heard stories of

how accommodating and helpful the therapists are and how much of an impact they have had

on the children's lives.

Page 11: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

If another consumer representative was thinking about participating as a surveyor,

what advice would you give them?

The Listening Post was a great way to connect with other consumers of the hospital in a

relaxed manner. I would definitely recommend undertaking a role as a surveyor. My

knowledge of the hospital as a business grew whilst I was also able to assist with running a

stress- free consumer experience.

The future of consumer engagement in health

Seven hours away by plane, the future of health care and consumer engagement can be

found at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Singapore.

On Friday, 18 June the Manager, Consumer and Community Engagement met with staff of

the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital to learn about consumer engagement in health care

planning and the role consumers are playing in innovative service design.

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital is an 830-bed referral centre, providing tertiary services

to handle high-risk conditions in women and children. More than 600 specialists adopt a multi-

disciplinary and holistic approach to treatment, and harness compassion, medical innovations

and technology to deliver the best care possible. Accredited by Joint Commission

International as an Academic Medical Centre, KK believes that world-class clinical training

and research are imperative in raising the standard of care. Hence, the Hospital has adopted

a culture of innovation as it strives for world-class clinical leadership.

The hospital is making deliberate strides to shift the emphasis of involvement of the consumer

from a position of passivity to pro-active involvement in their health care decisions. They

have adopted a business mentality to ensure that health care provision uses contemporary

and the most up to date technology together with a comfortable healing environment and staff

driven by person and family centred care.

The best examples of person and family centred care in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital

are:

Electronic check-in booths are located in most consumer waiting areas and wards

providing a standard electronic start point for consumers to self-register for their

appointments. The system cuts down the queues and empowers the consumer to be in

control. The system is easy to use, available in four languages and borrows features from

other electronic stations such as those in airports and movie theatres.

TV screens are used to keep the consumer informed about where they are in clinic

queues. At the hospital’s pharmacy, TVs were also used to provide real-time information

on average waiting times and the number of consumers waiting for medication.

Clear public displays. KK limits the information on its public displays to key messages.

The hospital uses QR codes to enable consumers and visitors to obtain more information

and/or A5 takeaway leaflets.

Room design. Rooms have a sense of comfort, cleanliness and warmth.

The Emergency Department displays health promotion messages, featuring large

infographics, electronic media and large sticker graphics. The information was easy to

follow, relevant and could be read from a distance. In a country with multiple languages,

using the health literacy principle of incorporating symbols and images underpins the

hospital’s approach to delivering quality communications.

Hospital shops. On the ground floor of the hospital there is a mall which provides a one-

stop shopping experience with retail and food outlets available. All food outlets must align

with hospital policy on serving nutritional foods. All foods and menus have labels showing

energy content, similar to what you would see at a fast food chain in Australia.

Page 12: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

Social media. The hospital has used social media since 2010, primarily You Tube and

Facebook, enabling it to connect with the community in a meaningful way.

Virtual tour of wards and Delivery Suite. Children and families are provided with

virtual online tours, enabling them to familiarise themselves with the wards/delivery suite

area before admission. This feature, which has also been adopted by some hotels,

ensures the consumer is well informed and all efforts are made to reduce anxiety prior to

coming into the hospital.

TV screens used to inform consumers

on waiting times

Pharmacy waiting areas

Women’s Assessment triage desk

Electronic Sign-In Kiosk

Children’s administration and waiting area

Judith Wee (KK Manager Community and

International Relations) and Allan Ball (WCHN

Manager, Consumer and Community Engagement)

Page 13: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

Healthy Focus Winter 2016 edition out now

The Winter 2016 edition of the Women’s and Children’s Health

Network’s Healthy Focus magazine is now available at

www.wchn.sa.gov.au/HealthyFocus/Issue29.html, or click on the

image below.

If you have any feedback or comments about this edition, or

suggestions for stories for future editions of Healthy Focus, please

contact Tim Boord at [email protected].

Consumer Rewind – a spotlight over the last

31 days

School Ambassador Program was reviewed for Term 2 as part of an ongoing

evaluation of its impact and ability to meet the intended outcomes. Consumers are

supporting the Hospital School and Consumer and Community Engagement Unit to plan

for Term 3, which will include two new schools and involve participation by three WCHN

divisions.

Three consumers participated in a cultural inclusiveness audit of Hospital spaces and

places on the 12 July.

On 15 July, 16 members of the Youth Advisory Committee met and consulted on

adolescent transitions with Heather Baron, Regional Director Allied Health, Complex and

Sub-Acute Care. The committee also discussed the Mental Health Survey questions with

Tanya Cheeseman, consumer representative for ELECT and also worked with WCHN

Events Coordinator Sandy Keane to continue planning for a Youth Health Conference in

2017.

On 4 July, Sarah (aka Fairy Bell) attended her first ward visits to do Fairy Face

Painting.

Sharon interviewed families who have benefited from the donation of equipment to the

hospital, made possible through funds raised by the Friends of WCH Inc. Sharon’s

interviews with two families have been developed into short videos promoting our

commitment to person and family centred care. Thank you also to Dr James Rice and

Vicki Bruce from the Paediatric Rehabilitation Department for their assistance with this

project.

A sub-committee of the Person and Family Centred Care Network Committee met

to consolidate the feedback from Basecamp and WCHN staff. Twelve people contributed

to the final operational action plan for implementation of the Person and Family Centred

Care Charter. The action plan is expected to be endorsed at the August meeting.

Two consumer representatives participated in an audit of the Family Escalation of

Care promotional material and wrote a report for the Executive Leadership Committee.

15 consumer representatives and volunteers attended the inaugural Trauma-Informed

Care training opportunity with Yarrow Place staff members Angela Powell and Helen

O’Grady.

Listening Posts occurred in the community at MY Health North, Adelaide Training

Centre and My Health West. A feature of the Listening Posts in July was a focus on

hearing from young voices and vulnerable population groups.

Coffee Club, hosted by Tara and Sharon, continues to grow from strength to strength.

The group met again on 28 July.

Page 14: WCHN Consumer and Community Newsletter – Issue 16, August … · 2017-02-28 · Provide accessible care to consumers and families. 2. Use evidence to provide appropriate care. 3

Allan continues to work in partnership with the Best Practice Spotlight Committee,

which is looking at the roll out of person and family centred care. He is also a member of

the White Ribbon Steering Committee, which aims to promote a safe workplace free

of violence towards women. Allan spoke at SA Health’s CE Forum on 20 July about

consumer engagement in the Network and on the same day met with the Country

Health Local Health Network staff to speak at a capacity building session. Allan and staff

from Pharmacy spoke at the Medication Safety Annual Conference organised by

Children’s Healthcare Australasia (CHA) at the Adelaide Zoo. Allan presented on the

Consumer and Community Engagement model for the Network and used the example of

the citizen jury verdict about a medication safety checklist as a project initiated and

implemented by consumers. Allan also attended a workshop hosted by CHA on the

impact of the new National Health and Safety Quality Standards for children and

young people

For more information

Consumer and Community Engagement Unit

Women’s and Children’s Health Network

72 King William Road

North Adelaide SA 5006

Telephone: 8161 6935

Email: [email protected]

www.wch.sa.gov.au

© Department for Health and Ageing, Government of South Australia. All rights reserved.

All information was accurate at the time of printing, dates and times may vary.