For 20 years, we have worked closely with the community to understand their needs so we can improve health outcomes in Western Sydney. In 2023, we ran two Community Panels to find out what matters to Western Sydney people.
What is a Community Panel?
A Community Panel is a way to directly involve community members in the decision-making process when addressing solutions to complex community challenges. A Community Panel is about local truth-telling, building connections, sharing knowledge, shifting and building power, and collaborating in a culturally safe way.
Why are we Running Community Panels in Western Sydney?
Western Sydney is a diverse and vibrant pocket with people who have a range of points of view. We acknowledge that decisions are better made when they are made by the people they impact the most, which is why hearing directly from the community is so important. The goal of running the two Community Panels is to improve decisions about health and social care by including communities in the decision–making process.
In 2023, our team ran two Community Panels to hear first-hand what matters to Western Sydney community members.
The Western Sydney Culturally Diverse Community Panel is available to people living in Western Sydney. We ran our first Western Sydney Culturally Diverse Community Panel in August, 2023.
If you are interested in being a part of a future Community Panel, please complete this short form.
The Western Sydney First Nations Community Panel will be facilitated by a local First Nations person. We have been working in partnership with local Aboriginal people who have provided guidance on how to run a community panel in a culturally safe manner and the topics to be discussed.
To register your interest in being a part of a future Western Sydney First Nations Community Panel, please complete this short form.
Why Should I be Involved?
Decisions are better when they are made by the people who are impacted by them. Being a part of our Community Panels, you will have opportunities to:
- Have a direct impact on important matters that affect your community
- Have fun, meeting new people and connecting with community
- Enjoy lively and respectful conversations
- Learn about health and social topics
What is Involved for a Community Panel Member?
Being a part of a Community Panel involves listening, learning, questioning, and considering different points of view before making decisions.
During the 2023 Panel, the topic or question asked was about how money for health should be spent. Panel members enjoyed spending a weekend together where they were able to spend time getting to know each other, hearing from experts regarding health issues in Western Sydney and collaborating to provide their recommendations based on their learnings. Prior to the weekend, Panel members were provided with a pre-reading pack.
How do I Sign Up?
Involvement in the 2023 Community Panels has now concluded. Please refer back to this page in 2024 if you would like to register your interest in being involved. Information to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
To help our community members find out more about Community Panels, we have provided answers to some common questions you may have.
The health topics include physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. For WentWest to improve health in Western Sydney, we must consider the ways that health is impacted by our environment. This means information provided will also include other topics like education and housing.
Everyone who puts their name into the ballot must live in Western Sydney. To be a part of the First Nations Panel, you must have lived experience as a First Nations person and currently reside in Western Sydney.
We have spent a significant amount of time speaking with and collaborating with our communities to help us pull together information that is balanced and considered. The selection process for each Panel also aims to be representative.
We will use the recommendations to guide our investment and strategic decisions, and to build the partnerships we need to meet community recommendations. WentWest will make the outcomes of the Community Panels public.
WentWest does not write government health policy, however, we can use recommendations from the Community Panel to inform federal, state and local governments about Western Sydney’s needs.
While this is the first Community Panel in Western Sydney, similar processes have been undertaken in other communities with great success.
Information about a similar initiative that took place in Queensland is available on the Queensland Health website.
WentWest is the only organiser for these Community Panels. We will share our reports with our partners to support a shared health agenda for Western Sydney.