Priorities achieved 2015-2020

Our first framework and priorities

Partnerships take time. Relationships build and respect grows as staff and Consumer Representatives partner in activities focused on shared goals.

The first Community and Consumer Engagement Framework was launched in October 2014. The framework's first four priorities were set by the Western Sydney Local Health District Board. The 2014 priorities were:

1. Establish information management systems to support and strengthen engagement activity.
2. Progress consumer and community involvement on committees.
3. Promote partnerships for engagement, including Western Sydney Medicare Local (now WentWest), consumer organisations, Aboriginal Medical Service Western Sydney and NGOs.
4. Implement a universal tool across Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) to gather community and consumer feedback.

Priorities achieved 2015-2020

We achieved our inaugural four priorities by:

• progressing a number of systems to enhance partnerships, including shared platforms and time-keeping apps.
• implementing the 'My Experience Matters' online survey tool in 2016.
• initiating a Hospital Community Council for each of the WSLHD hospitals since 2019, which provided their worth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• mentoring Consumer Representatives and community leaders on how to use Microsoft Teams to enable shared conversations, libraries, co-design of documents and more in 2021.
• recruiting Consumer Representatives as members of committees across WSLHD, covering governance, operational and steering committees.
• forging meaningful relationships into the Western Sydney community, especially with the Western Sydney Primary Health Network (now WentWest), the Western Sydney Community Forum, The Parramatta Koori Interagency, and other key organisations.

Systems developed 2015-2020

• Recruited Consumer Representatives who collaborate with staff, are able to understand and work with the complexity of delivering public health in Western Sydney.
• Ensured diversity among the community of Consumer Representatives and community leaders to reflect the population of Western Sydney.
• Identified solid recruitment sources to systematically plan for succession of Consumer Representatives.
• Built Consumer Representatives' capacity to partner with WSLHD staff.
• Supported Consumer Representatives and community leaders in their activities across WSLHD.
• Built the capacity of staff to partner with Consumer Representatives and community leaders.
• Evaluate partnership activities between Consumer Representatives and staff members.
• Use data from the Consumer and Community Partnership program to influence how we support staff in their partnerships with Consumer Representatives so that the quality and safety of public health in Western Sydney improves continuously.

"Citizens are vitally important co-producers of public value. Public institutions need to listen. Listen, think and, only then, act. A willingness to listen and deliberate is not something that comes easily. Our politicians and those supporting them are far better at providing the perception of engagement than offering the real thing."

John Alford - Professorial Fellow, Melbourne School of Government