This year, we are moving closer towards our goal of achieving health equity through the launch of our Community Juries. We are constantly expanding ways to improve our community relationships and partnerships and we hope that our Community Juries will create yet another pathway to deliver services that are co-designed by the community, for the community.
Community-led Solutions
At WentWest, we’re already fortunate to have significant insights and feedback from our Consumer Advisory and Clinical Councils, but we’re now expanding our reach and creating a series of Community Juries to shift the way health care is approached and bring the community deeper into conversations about their health. A community jury is a form of democracy that provides high-quality information to a group of community members so they can consider and advise on important issues.
We will be running our first two Community Juries in Western Sydney in August 2023. One will be a First Nations group, led by a First Nations facilitator, and the other will be multicultural. Collectively, members will learn about health and social issues in Western Sydney. They will then debate and discuss the information to come up with well-informed recommendations. The groups will be randomly selected from an opt-in ballot and representative of the community.
To prepare, WentWest is listening to community-led Advisory Panels to guide the development of the evidence and refine the language being used to describe and run these groups.
Our West Sydney
To listen and respond to the needs of health professionals and community members in Western Sydney, we have developed an online community hub, Our West Sydney. Our West Sydney will not only host community conversations , it will act as an interactive online forum to share events, high-quality information and ideas. The platform, which brings together health care professionals, community members, and partners, aims to build and strengthen positive relationships and partnerships that focus on creating a healthier Western Sydney for everyone.
The Our West Sydney platform also currently hosts the Initial Assessment Referral Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) mental health training for GPs, health professionals and mental health providers in Western Sydney. You can find out more about IAR-DST and how to register on the IAR webpage.
Make Your Voice Count
With your help, we can co-create solutions for health equity in our region, making sure everyone has access to the right services at the right time, regardless of their social or economic background.
If you want to join our network of leaders and be a regular part of the conversation, join Our West Sydney or sign-up to take part in the ballot to be a Western Sydney Community juror.
You can also chat to our Relationships to Partnerships team on 8811 7118 for more information.
11 May 2023