WELCOME
Facilitating meaningful public participation
As the Director, Consumer and Community Engagement, my role is to assist
consumers and members of the community to influence decisions in the organisation
and care practices. There is a growing use of public participation processes in the
community; but in healthcare, the engagement role differs from that in other
government and non-government institutions. In typical public participation
arrangements, engagement serves four areas:
Orchestrating, commissioning and guiding participation to help make decisions
Designing and facilitating methods to ensure citizen dialogue occurs
Building capacity of organisations to partner with the community
Theorizing, evaluating, reflecting, evaluating and reporting on process and outcome
(Bherer et al. 2017).
In healthcare a fifth and significant dimension is applied; developing consumer and
carer governance structures and systems to ensure feedback is continuous and at
micro (bedside/counselling rooms), mezzo (ward, unit and service level) and macro
(procedure and policy level). In addition, the consumer and caregiver is a targeted
citizen who interacts within the health organisations community. For this reason;
illness and recovery must be appreciated and knowledge of clinical, medical and
therapeutic models must be applied when working in public engagement.
Consumers and carers use their lived experience, often underpinned by adverse or
traumatic events, to ensure better outcomes for others.
My role is to create meaningful exchanges to mobilise positive action. The role is
always searching for common ground by bringing together multiple ideologies and
idiosyncratic.
The Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN) is a public institution with a
mandate and responsibility to collaborate, co-design and partner.
Public participation is a series of ongoing interactions and cross-pollination of ideas
which assist us to continuously improve.
Allan Ball | Director Consumer and Community Engagement
Issue 30 February 2018
Tips for communicating
with children and young
people
School Ambassador
Program
Ruby’s vision
HUG 2017/2018
Consumer Governance
Person and Family
Centred Care monthly
Award winners
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
THE DETAILS FOR WHO
Consumer Orientation 5 February 9am – 1pm. Alan Crompton
Boardroom.
RSVP to Allan
Any new consumer or carer
representative or
representative who has not
participated in orientation
for more than 2 years.
Grand Rounds (Lecture series on
innovation, health and research)
28 February. Hear about communication
methods for children and young people with
complex needs from the Principal, Adelaide
West Special Education Centre.
All consumer and carer
representatives
CONSUMER VACANCIES
MONTH EVENTS BASECAMP
New vacancies click here. Event schedule for February click here. E-Book Club: Blue Voices
from Beyond Blue.
Consultation: 2 new
procedures for
commenting.
OTHER INFORMATION
Not a member of Basecamp? Visit our website to learn how to get involved. Invitations are open to WCHN staff,
consumers, caregivers, family members and community members. To provide feedback to the survey without
signing up to Basecamp click here
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Top tips for communicating with children and young people with complex communication needs
Written in partnership with a group of consumers, carers and parents from Adelaide West Special
Education Centre, with the support from Debbie Marshall, School Services Officer.
1. Ask the children how they are experiencing the
care, not just the caregiver.
2. Fast track, where possible, as other children and
parents may make judgements in waiting rooms.
Be aware that waiting rooms can be over
stimulating for children with autism spectrum
disorder.
3. Treat the child as a person first, rather than a
disability first.
Get down to their level (kneel down) particularly
for children in wheelchairs.
Talk them through procedures and explain what
is going on like you would with any patient.
4. Ensure there are facilities to charge
communication systems and electronic assistive
technologies used by consumers (e.g. iPads,
Eye Gaze)
5. Use ‘yes’ and ‘no’ symbols. Some children may
touch the symbol they would like or some may
look at it. Often caregivers will tell you how their
child can indicate ‘yes’ and ‘no’ responses.
6. It is a burden to repeat our stories. Clinicians
reading files and being up to date with information
and consistency in care is important.
7. Presume competence but give the patient time to
respond. Processing time increases under stress!
8. Err on the side of caution. Be thorough, do extra
tests and scans to be sure. A lot of our students
have extreme pain tolerance and can smile or
laugh when in pain (even with broken bones).
9. Maybe a coloured sticker or sign could be put on
a patient with Complex Communication Needs
file or bed head (similar to that of someone with
vision impairment or particular diet) so that
anyone who comes into contact with the person
easily sees they have specific communication
needs.
10. Encourage families and children to bring
communication systems to hospital and
appointments. Be open to having them there and
trying to use them.
11. Prepare and discuss questions and concerns
before planned appointments i.e. if a user of
augmentative and alternative communication has
a referral to see a neurologist after coming into
hospital for a seizure, maybe find a way to use
augmentative and alternative communication to
ask them if they have any questions.
CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT
“Ask the children how they are experiencing the care,
not just the caregiver.”
School Ambassador Program November 2017
Conversations with people with complex communication needs
By Lorna Fenech, Principal, Adelaide West Special Education Centre
In October 2017, Adelaide West Special Education Centre was pleased to have a visit from the Women’s and
Children’s Hospital School Ambassador Program team.
As a specialist communication school, students used their augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
systems to ask questions and communicate their opinions and feelings.
The use of AAC is an important part of our teaching and learning at Adelaide West, and our students use a range
of systems. The WCH School Ambassador team felt that the use of AAC at the hospital could be expanded and
Adelaide West is happy to support this.
The ability to communicate effectively is a basic human right and one of the fundamentals of being a human being.
People without a functional communication system are not only deprived of these rights and joys but are also
exposed to greater risks of abuse and failing to meet their potential than those who can communicate.
Learning to use AAC effectively requires competent communication partners and an understanding that the
process can take significant time to perfect, especially for those who are faced with additional challenges due to
physical or intellectual disabilities, trauma or other stresses.
Supporting communication with a range of resources, from very simple single symbols through to high-tech
systems that respond to eye gaze helps to acknowledge that people living with complex communication needs
have a voice that they can use to affect the conditions of their everyday lives.
Allowing sufficient processing
time for a response can be a
major hurdle for those of us
who are expert verbal
communicators. Normally, we
rephrase questions or try to
expand our communication if
we do not receive an answer
within three seconds. For
people with complex
communication needs, the
further processing time required
may mean that a response may
not be forthcoming for up to a
minute. Asking further
questions during this time can
confuse the issue as they then
stop processing the first
question and move onto the
second and never quite get to
the answer.
One of the simplest AAC tools
that we use at Adelaide West is
the symbols for “yes” and “no.”
Staff wear these symbols around their necks on elastic. This allows them to move the symbols to attract attention
or to enable students to reach and touch or look intently at the symbol they wish to use. Students who use
wheelchairs also have these symbols attached to the trays of their chair so that they are always accessible.
It can be a fine art to ask the right yes/no questions to elicit a good opinion or comment from someone who only
uses these symbols so Adelaide West staff often use these in conjunction with other aided language systems.
Aided language boards are a single page of visual symbols that provide more communication options. For
example, a page with a selection of body part images would enable a communication partner to ask: “You have a
pain. Where is it? Is it in your stomach, Yes or no? Your back, hip, arm etc?” – pointing every time to the
appropriate symbol and waiting for a yes/no response.
A low-tech form of AAC, which provides our
students with a wide range of vocabulary is
the Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic
Display (PODD) PODD communication
book. PODD books come in several
formats, each with increasingly complex
vocabulary.
The process of teaching the use of PODDs
involves staff modelling their use in many
different situations throughout the day.
Students then begin to learn to respond by
using single words to express themselves
but can then move on to produce phrases,
sentences and paragraphs using their
PODDs.
There are two main forms of high-tech
communication systems that Adelaide
West students use to communicate across
all aspects of their lives: iPads with speech
generating apps such as Proloquo2Go
and tablet devices that respond to eye
gaze. As with the PODDs, staff model the
use of these before students begin to use
them for themselves.
There are many other AAC devices and
systems used to support communication
for people with complex communication
needs. Regardless of the system, it is vital
for all communication partners to model
the use of the system and support the
individual user to make the best possible
use of their systems to participate fully in
communication interactions. Never worry
about not getting it right – have a go and
enjoy the communication!
Infection Control Posters
Pam our Consumer Representative from the Infection Control committee has been working with children to design
posters for the Women’s and Children’s Hospital that inform children what to do if they are feeling unwell.
Pam worked with students in years 4, 5, 6 and 7 (aged 9-12) through a staged art consultation approach. Pam
initially visited each class group to explain the intent of the posters, which stimulated some colourful conversations
around infections and health ailments like diarrhoea, coughing, nausea and runny nose. Two of the classes
integrated this learning into their health program and spent several lessons exploring infections, including from a
historic perspective. By leading with the question: “How can we, as the visitors/consumers of the hospital, support
the children already there to get better and not make their stay longer?” Pam worked with the children over a
number of weeks to make sure the posters they created were in line with the health literacy levels of children at our
hospital. The kids took ownership over the work, meeting during several lunch times to brainstorm images and
phrases. Students conducted desktop reviews, to look at world’s best literature before drawing and designing
layouts for consideration by the Infection Control Committee.
In January, Pam met with Rhys, Owen, Tahlia and Hayley from the WCHN
Kids Klub and Youth Advisory Group to conduct a poster audit of the Women’s
and Children’s Hospital. The poster allowed our young consumer
representatives to comment on the best placement of the posters to ensure
they are not just at “adult height” but can be read and understood a child or
teenager as well as from wheelchair height. Rhys said: ”Placement of the
posters is important because if they are too high kids cannot read them.”
Ruby’s Vision
When we tune into our children and young people, magic is sure to happen. A great example of this comes from
15-year-old Ruby, a young woman who has had more trips to our hospital than she would like to admit. Ruby who
has chronic asthma is “not the biggest fan” of the hospital and it has nothing to do with her treatment, WCHN staff
or experiences, but everything to do with the confusion that surrounds being unwell as a teenager.
During 2017, Ruby was inspired to develop a colouring book for other children suffering with chronic asthma.
“Hospital is kind of scary, and I know that other kids get scared too,” says Ruby.
”When kids are scared, they might avoid or delay coming into the hospital and that is dangerous because they
might become really unwell.”
When Ruby visits hospital, she makes many friends with children and other youth on the wards.
As a consumer researcher, Ruby wanted to do something important with this knowledge. When given the
opportunity through a social studies assignment within her school Ruby knew exactly what she wanted to do.
Ruby designed, authored and illustrated her own colouring book, to demystify the hospital experience for other
children.
Ruby used her hospital networks, friends and family and WCHN Respiratory Nurse Consultant Kate Roberts-
Thomson as experts to inform content of the colouring book.
Ruby has a very strong relationship with her nurse, Kate who feels strongly that there is not enough information
on education and awareness of asthma for children, written by children.
When presented with Ruby’s book, she was immediately wanted to know how it could be included in the hospital’s
overall education care plan.
Ruby said that the book followed the journey of Ella who represents “everyone who has come into the hospital”.
Valuing children’s
voices
“As every child gets scared of different things, the colouring book
is inspired by multiple perspectives to ensure that anxiety levels
or reduced through the conversation of child-centred information,”
she said.
In November 2017, Kate reached out to Allan Ball, Director,
Consumer and Community Engagement, seeking advice on how
the colouring in book could be more widely promoted.
“In a setting of increased interest in health literacy, the colouring
book has been designed at the beginning of a golden age of
consumer engagement in health information,” Allan said.
”A health-literate South Australia needs to be asking where does
the child and youth voice fit into the design and delivery of
information.”
Allan put Ruby and Kate in touch with the Awesome Foundation
Adelaide Chapter, which runs a monthly grant scheme. Their
motto “every month we give $1000 with zero strings attached.
Just the money awesome needs to turn concepts into reality”.
Ruby worked with Kate to prepare an application and in late
November 2017, Ruby was selected as the grant winner.
The design for the colouring book is currently being finalised.
On 18 November the Youth Advisory Group was asked to comment on the best method of distribution Ruby will
present her project at a showcase for the Youth Advisory Group in April as part of SA Youth Week. Well done to
Ruby, her family, Kate and all the children who inspired her vision.
Name badges for staff
Julie, a Masters Social Work
student with the Community
Engagement Divison, worked in
partnership with the Clinical
Practice Unit and women in
Outpatients to design a name
badge for staff in the Women’s
and Babies Division.
This follows a 2015 project in
which children designed badges
for staff that clearly displayed
their first name, with a welcoming
hello and a bright graphic.
Sixteen designs were uploaded to
Basecamp for consultation and
18 consumers helped select the
winning design which, will be
developed into name badges and rolled out from February 2018.
“A health literate South Australia needs to be asking
where does the child and youth voice fit into the design
and delivery of information”
Interpreter Symbol
In response to a consumer request, the Women’s and Children’s Health Network wards, services and
environments now have large interpreter symbols displayed. The aim is to make it even easier for members from
migrant, refugee and new arrival communities to understand their right to access an interpreter.
Volunteer Strategy
Our Volunteer Strategy was launched in September 2017 and as actions get completed, we want to regularly
update you on what has been achieved. After all, it is the community’s vision and feedback that underpins the
strategy.
Over the Christmas period a big shift occurred to realise the potential of person and family centred care.
Traditionally, the WCHN Volunteer Unit has had a dedicated Christmas/New Year break for all volunteers.
We want to provide opportunities for volunteers to continually enhance the healthcare experience of our
consumers, carers and families. Therefore, this year to realise the vision of the WCHN Volunteer Strategy and in
line with one of the key principles of person and family centred care engagement, volunteering continued over the
holiday period.
HUG 2017/2018
On 8 December, the Citizen Jury in
partnership with the Friends of WCH Inc.
kicked off the HUG 2017/18 season. In
2016/17 meal and gift vouchers were
provided to families in need as a response
to feedback from consumers and carers,
delivered via a verdict from the Citizen
Jury.
The initiative referred to as HUG (Helping
U Give) spreads kindness and happiness
to families in the Women’s and Children’s
Hospital (WCH) by surprising some
families with one of three types of
vouchers (for a coffee, to spend in one of
the shops or for a meal).
The 2016/17 initiative was so popular and
contributed so many random acts of
kindness that the Friends jumped on board (right away) to bring this to families this past Christmas.
“We have given a voucher today to a family who have been in PICU for over a week now and live near Murray
Bridge. (They live too close to Adelaide to be eligible for the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS) and are
doing it pretty tough.) The mum of the toddler was extremely grateful and the voucher put a big smile on her face.”
(PICU NURSE, 2017)
This season, 165 vouchers will be provided to nine wards. Members of executive joined the consumer Citizen Jury
to launch the season. Consumer representatives from the Citizen Jury lead the initiative in partnership with the
Friends. This is an authentic initiative co-designed with our consumers. One of our consumer representatives
from the Jury, Lil, raised over $600 through selling yoghurt for the HUG vouchers. What an effort!
YOU SAID – WE LISTENED – WE DID
Over the Christmas period, the Youth Advisory Group and Cultural Roundtable continued to meet.
Our overall numbers A golden moment
32 Members Engaged
1 Procedure Reviewed
2 Quality Improvements
3 Staff Training and
Development projects
planned.
Since the last meeting, Tahlia and Amelia have represented the YAG at
the 2018 International Carers’ Conference in Adelaide. Sarah Executive
Director, Mind Australia commented on the maturity demonstrated by the
YAG representatives at the conference.
"... I’d like to say how impressed I was by Amelia and Tahlia, and how
clearly they were able to articulate their experiences and the issues for
young people who are in caring relationships with people using hospital
services.”
To find out more about what happens in real-time, sign up to Basecamp. Visit our website to learn how to get
involved. Invitations are open to WCHN staff, consumers, caregivers, family members and community members.
Consumer
Group
Key themes and moments By numbers
Youth Advisory
Group
Developed a welcome
letter for new YAG
members.
Endorsed the Child and
Youth Engagement
Framework.
Provided feedback on
Know Your Rights
procedure.
Participated in training
session “How to construct
a critical question”.
Planned WCHN response
to SA Youth Week.
Welcomed Joseph to the
team.
4 reports 2 guest speakers
20 members 3 endorsements
Cultural
Roundtable
Provided feedback on
Know Your Rights
procedure.
Critically reviewed
consumer feedback and
the Person and Family
Centred Care Report
Card.
Planned for Cultural
Diversity Month.
3 reports 1 procedure review
12 members 1 endorsement
CONSUMER GOVERNANCE UPDATES
Aiming for the Stars
The members of the Consumer Governance have signed up to an ambitious agenda in 2018.
Consumer
group
Project outcomes
Consumer and
Community
Partnering
Council
Evaluation of the Consumer and Community Engagement 2015-2018 Strategy
Closing the Loop Campfire (reflections on 3 years of consumer engagement)
Consumer Engagement in WCH Clinical Sustainment Plan
WCHN Response to SA Health Strategic Plan
System Risk Analysis
Community Expos: Defence Families (February), Cultural Pop Up (March),
Reconciliation (June), Disability (October)
Youth
Advisory
Group
SA Youth Week Scavenger Hunt
2019 Youth Conference Plan with Child Protection Department
TUNE Staff Educational Video
Q&A Showcase
15 Steps Audit MY Health Christies Beach, Foyer
15 Steps Audit Rainbows Shops
Child and Youth Engagement Framework
Consultation Agenda with YACSA, Mental Health Commission, Child and Youth
Commissioner
Youth Volunteer Framework
Person and
Family
Centred Care
Steering
Network
Family Huddle Question Set
Family Huddle Adolescent Ward and Helen Mayo House (?)
Passion Projects 2018
Annual Listening Post – Partnerships
WABS Virtual Tour
Shared Decision Making Framework
Person and Family Centred Care Week
Annual Person and Family Centred Care Audit
Kids Klub 250 Kids consulting on WCHN response to SA Health Strategic Plan
Shared Decision Making TV Slides
Kids Shadowing
Health
Literacy Group
Drop the Jargon Report
Consultations on corporate communication documents
Healthy Focus co-design
Monitoring Health Literacy Procedure roll out
Reviewing the Kids Klub Terms of Reference and co-designing the graphic for the TOR; Live polling; YAG members reviewing the Child and Youth Framework draft
Cultural
Roundtable
8 procedure reviews with diversity in mind
Cultural Diversity Framework
Cultural Diversity Fitness Audit
Cultural Diversity Month
Citizen Jury Access and Flow project support
HUG 2018/19
2017 Feedback Analysis
Transitions (child to adult) Jury
CAMHS Safety and Quality Jury
CAMHS
Advisory
Group
CAMHS “Who are we?” information pack
TheMHS 2018 Conference Planning
CaFHS
Advisory
Group
CaFHS Consumer and Community Engagement Strategy
CaFHS Staff Orientation Consumer Input
Look back
Jason met with WCHN Corporate
Communications and Michel (Manager,
Metropolitan Youth Health) to continue to
support a destigmatisation campaign for young
parents by focusing on developing accessible
communications. The agreed next steps will be
to develop a co-written list of tips to support
healthcare workers partnering with young
parents, through a series of consumer campfires
in February 2018. A consumer campfire is a
focus group method aimed at maximizing
positive storytelling and building consensus on
solutions. The outcome of the consultation will
be a list of tips, and information provided by
consumers on the best way the organisation can
promote young parents stories.
Lana (Consumer Representative) worked with
researchers from the Robinson Research on the
2019 fellowship and scholarship research
projects.
Tahlia co-facilitated a student forum at Adelaide
University for her work on the steering
committee for Meningococcal B herd study.
Tara, Sharon and Emily joined other WCHN
staff to celebrate the SA Health Awards in
November. The Consumer Coffee Club was a
finalist in the Partnering with Consumers, Carers
and Our Community category. Although not the
overall winner of the award, the profile it
provided the program meant that the Minister of
Health talked personally with the three
consumers who convene the Coffee Club our
three coffee club convenors about its success
and the potential to translate its positive impact
to other parts of the Network. Check out the
video made about the Consumer Coffee Club.
(scroll down when on the web).
In November, 19 students and six parents from
Adelaide West Special Education Centre met
with doctors and nurses from Surgical Services,
Nursing & Midwifery Clinical Practice
Development Unit and Paediatric Medicine as
part of the School Ambassador Program.
During recess, parents and carers asked
questions to the panel of staff members,
including how the emergency department
manages complex and invasive health care, and
how communication devices can be used in all
settings of the Health Network. Medication
management tips were also discussed as was
the importance of doctors and nurses
addressing the child and not just the
parent. Participants conducted an honest
dialogue with staff.
Lily, Beth, Susan and Allan met to prepare the
agenda for the November Person and Family
Centred Steering Committee which included 14
items for consideration by members.
On 1 November, Allan was invited to consult on
consumer-centred quality improvements within
surgical services division to support shared
decision making and effective health literacy.
CONSUMER & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Tara attended the final SA Health Partnering
with Consumers and the Community Advisory
Group meetings for 2017. At the November
meeting a new self-reporting (feedback,
experience and incidents) electronic form was
discussed, the Australian Hospital Patient
Experience Question Set was endorsed with
provisions for children’s and young people’s
voices being respected and the patient
demographics work group (progress report) was
discussed, which includes the WCHN.
Allan participated in a consumer and
stakeholder review for a Cochrane Review on
consumer involvement.
As part of the action plan for the Person and
Family Centred Care Network for 2018, a new
gallery promoting person and family centered
care particularly the awards has been created in
the Women's and Children's Hospital. The
permanent gallery can be found in Zone F, Floor
1 (next to parent education and Queen Victoria
Lecture Theatre). It provides consumers, carers
and visitors enjoyable information, on the spirit
of our key principle.
Tara, Sharon, Emily and Kala worked with a
media production team to shoot a 60-70 second
video highlighting the work of the Consumer
Coffee Club for the SA Health Awards, and
subsequently to be used by WCHN to showcase
innovation in consumer engagement.
On 6 November, the Health Literacy Committee
convened for the final time in 2018. The group
learnt that the 24/7 guide was currently being
edited with the first draft to be provided at the
February meeting, prior to going to graphic
design. Teach back method fact sheets were
amended based on feedback received from the
group in August. Dr Rob Laing presented on a
health literacy project born from feedback from
children undergoing surgery. Dr Laing is a
Paediatric anaesthetist and has been
working to develop a web-based
communication tool to help kids with
anxiety coming into surgery at WCH. The
tool will provide practical steps focused on
calming the mind, and lots of useful hints
for families to build their own resources to
support their children.
The group learnt that the WCHN Drop the
Jargon consultation was half-way completed,
with 121 individual responses received for the
survey.
Themes emerging from the consultation are
quite broad and a lot of rich data has been
received that would enhance not just health
literacy but culture. We learnt that the WCHN
procedure for consumer health information was
in its final stage of consultation. In February a
plan to launch the document as well as the
plight for effective health literacy will be
discussed.
The organisation met with Relationships
Australia’s South Australia Multicultural
Manager to begin the conceptualisation of a
WCHN Diversity Framework.
Staff, consumers and carers took part in the
White Ribbon March in November to take a
stand against violence towards women and to
help promote a louder community voice.
On 7 November, the Person and Family
Centred Care Network Steering Group met, with
14 reports and two break-out discussions, the
conversations equally focused on celebrating
the 2017 success and planning for 2018. The
committee learnt that:
o 138 WCHN staff members have participated
in the Best Practice Spotlight Organisation
training since the start of 2017. 15% of the
Nursing and Midwifery workforce will
participate in the training by the end of 2018.
Lily (consumer chair) continues to provide
support as a co-facilitator.
o Surgical Services (Kate Hill and Newland
Wards) have hosted two Family Huddles,
making them the latest wards to implement
the model. In June 2018 the Family Huddle
model will be evaluated.
o Communication tools for children and youth
with complex verbal processing requirements
will be actioned in 2018, stemming from a
parent and child panel that 10 WCHN staff
attended as part of the School Ambassador
Program. In addition, the Principal of
Adelaide West Special Education Centre will
be working with members of her school and
our extended WCHN communities, to
develop a top 10 practical list of things
WCHN staff can do to tune in better to
children and teens with verbal processing
needs.
o School Ambassador Program evaluation and
approach will be presented to the June 2018
meeting with a presentation from the Hospital
School and Community Engagement.
o The Person and Family Centred Care report
card was presented and endorsed. An
action plan for 2018. This plan embeds
actions, arising from the Youth Parent Think
Tank, 2017 Listening Post into staff
communication, and discussions from the
Divisional Report Card.
o Two sub-groups were formed by the Person
and Family Centred Care Network Steering
Committee, to action two projects between
November 2017 - February 2018 including a
group to filter training that can be provided to
staff relating to addressing challenging
behaviours, compassion and person and
family centred care. The other group will
focus on developing a question set for the
2018 Listening Posts that will drill down into
aspects of healthcare rights and how they
are conveyed to families. Both groups will be
co-designed with consumers.
WCHN Cultural Roundtable Members met on 8
November to conduct a deep dive and
subsequent co-design of the healthcare rights
procedure for the Network. The procedure was
reviewed from a trauma-informed lens,
underpinned by conversations of how we can
translate the principle of diversity into practice
when promoting healthcare rights. The
committee also endorsed Cultural Diversity
Month 2018, with a community planning group
to meet to organise education sessions,
communications, a community pop-up stall and
art galleries. Members also were encouraged to
provide an application for the Friends of WCH
Inc. Passion Projects and used the “consumer
soapbox” to advocate for a corporate video that
sensitively promotes an introduction to the
Women’s and Children’s Hospital. The group
also learnt that their feedback about including
"different languages" in communications has
been operationalised through the display of a
large sign at the entrance to the Paediatric
Emergency Department with the statement
“Welcome to a Place of Care” featuring
translations into our top 20 languages.
12 consumers joined the team in Child
Development Unit to discuss how to improve
consumer/carer experience. Lily was involved in
interviewing prospective consumer
representatives for vacancies on the Person and
Family Centred Care Network Steering Group.
Allan met with Ruby and her mother. Ruby has
designed a colouring book to demystify the
treatment experience for children living with
asthma.
On 7 December, five consumers attended an
information session about projects investigating
quality improvements relating to average length
of stay and a WCHN miscarriage model of care.
The role of the consumer on the committee will be:
- review policy and procedure
- comment on the literature review
- develop a script for all staff when working with
consumers and carers
- embed good health literacy principles
- design training and education
- develop “women-focused” information in relation
to miscarriage.
For the past three months, Amy and Moegi from the University of Adelaide have worked with the Community
Engagement Division and Media and Communications to research with the YAG, Kids Klub and general
community the best communication methods for children and young people when receiving healthcare.
The result of the hard efforts has been a literature review and recommendations report card. We are very pleased
to have this level of community buy in and the literature is currently being worked up into a framework to be
launched in April 2018 for the Network. There is also some feedback that the YAG will consider as part of their
evaluation of their effectiveness of engaging youth and children.
We love evaluation, and this is going to make such a BIG difference.
Allan and Heather (Executive Lead Allied Health) spoke at the Children’s Healthcare Australasia Transitions
Special Interest Group on 22nd
November regarding the youth consultation to co-develop transition factsheets and
web information.
Thank you Amy and Moegi for your handwork, and I know it is not a goodbye just a see you later. Sarah (Manager
Communications), Tracey (Senior Communications Adviser), Jason (Consumer Chair), Amy, Moegi and I met for
the handover, evaluation and reflection session.
EDUCATION, TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Best communication methods for children and young people
when receiving healthcare
Look back
In November, Pharmacy Services senior staff met with the Director Consumer and Community Engagement
to review communication methods about their services. They will be looking at using Basecamp to consult
with the community. Consumers commented on the draft SA Health principles and standards for the
development of procedures within SA Health.
Vikki supported the leadership walk arounds as a consumer representative, visiting Michael Rice Ward with
executive staff members to talk with staff, consumers and carers about their experiences.
Lily, Beth (Director, Safety and Quality) Susan (Advanced Clinical Practice Consultant) and Allan have
drafted a series of questions to explore how consumers and carers perceive the right of “participation” as part
of the 2018 listening post schedule.
Allan continues to work with Dr Suzanne Hood, Research Manager for the Australian Research Alliance for
Children and Youth to investigate strengths and areas for improvement s to ensure children and young people
understand their healthcare rights.
Youth Advisory Group members used child and youth friendly language to re-write a series of
survey/interview questions aimed at gaining a better understanding of the overnight hospital experience for
consumers in paediatric wards.
During January, Ruby conducted several listening posts using these questions and Quick Tap© software.
Ruby will work with the After Hours Service team to theme the data.
Jo, Tiffany, Tessa and Tanya alongside Allan, participated an international webinar on the future trends of
health consumer engagement. A thread was started on Basecamp to allow for further discussion following
the webinar. Consumers believe that a more contemporary interface and features are required on Basecamp,
including a newsfeed, live polls, automated reports to capture qualitative data and incentive features and
buttons (similar to the ‘Like” feature on Facebook.
SAFETY & QUALITY
Pharmacy Services are reviewing communication
methods about their services.
They will be looking at using Basecamp
to consult with
the community.
Monthly Award winners
October 2017
Tamara Robertson (Midwife, Midwifery Group Practice received praise from
consumers who wanted to thank her for her guidance and support.
One consumer wrote: “As a first-time father, the whole experience can be
rather daunting, however, Tamara’s support and guidance to both my wife and
me made us feel comfortable and confident. She has gone above and beyond
on numerous occasions.”
Tamara’s work ethic proves that providing kind and supportive engagement
with consumers can provide empowerment and shape excellence in care.
November 2017
Magdalene Kerr - Disability Services, received praise for the compassionate
support she has provided.
A consumer wrote: “Magdalene has recently worked with a parent and child
who needed emergency support. She went beyond her role to keep the parent
informed of the child’s care and worked extra hours to ensure the child was
supported safely in the relevant care.”
December 2017
Marie Bentley, Midwife, Midwifery Group Practice, received praise for the
positive support she provided.
A consumer wrote: “Marie provided me with outstanding care and incredible
emotional, mental and physical support throughout my pregnancy and my
labour. It was quite a stressful pregnancy. After a traumatic birth with my first
child, she took everything on board and was able to give me a truly amazing,
calm and peaceful second birth.”
For more details about the WCHN Person and Family Centred Care
Awards visit http://inside.wchn.sa.gov.au/webs/staff_recognition/staffrecognition_PFCCrecognition.html
For more information
Community Engagement Divison 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.
© Department of Health, Government of South Australia. All rights reserved.
PERSON AND FAMILY CENTRED CARE
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