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Community to have their say about a more inclusive and responsive health system

The South Australian Health Minister, Chris Picton, today launched a new initiative to be led by South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS), that will support more equitable, active community engagement and participation in South Australia’s healthcare system.

Ross Womersley, CEO of SACOSS, said:

“An accessible, inclusive health system is fundamental to everyone’s ability to live healthy lives. We are delighted the Malinauskus Government has committed this funding and we appreciate the Health Minister’s personal interest in ensuring our health system really does work for everybody. With the working title, ‘People’s Health Voice’, this is a unique opportunity to ensure that those groups of people in our community who currently don’t always get the quality health care they need can be more closely involved in changing the health system for the better.

“SA has a long history of health advocacy and lived experience leadership, and this new People’s Health Voice mechanism will build on this capacity and apply an equity and diversity lens.

“With the closure of the Health Consumers’ Alliance SA, big gaps were left in state-wide health advocacy. This important but modest new investment won’t fix all those gaps but it will ensure the voices of sections of our community who might currently get overlooked will have a way to articulate their suggestions to improve the health system, based on their direct experience. We’re excited that the People’s Health Voice will actively engage with and support communities of people who are currently marginalized from interacting with the array of health networks, agencies and sectors that make up the SA health system.

Today’s launch was attended by health consumer advocates and representatives of organisations committed to improving healthcare access, quality and outcomes, through the inclusion of the voices of people who use our health system – especially those who don’t get great access or services.

Placing the issue of healthcare equity at the centre, this project will work with community interest groups to co-design an independent mechanism through which community concerns can inform health policy and service provision.

A focus on diverse and marginalized communities will ensure the mechanism includes people with lived experience of the challenges of accessing health services so that healthcare reform can become more responsive to their needs.

The project builds on research undertaken for SACOSS in 2022.

“An accessible, inclusive and responsive health system is fundamental to people being able to live healthy lives”, explained lead researcher Dr Toby Freeman (now at the Stretton Institute for Health Equity).

“Putting people’s voices at the centre of the conversation can improve the quality of care and the outcomes people experience, and they can identify issues before they become a problem for the emergency department at the local hospital”, Dr Freeman said.

Dr Freeman commented that “the project launched today will also support health consumers to become stronger advocates and amplify the voices of people that can otherwise get lost when they try to provide input into the complex, multi-layered health system.”

SACOSS CEO, Ross Womersley said “It also will be essential that the engagement mechanism that is established through this Project will be sustained over time, and that people from all walks of life will have opportunities to improve health access on an ongoing basis.”

A discussion paper can be found here.

And a policy proposal here.

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08 8305 4222

sacoss@sacoss.org.au

Marjorie Black House
47 King William Road Unley SA 5061

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SACOSS acknowledges the traditional owners of unceded country throughout South Australia, and recognises their continuing connection to lands, waters and culture. We recognise the sovereignty and cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and pay our respect to elders both past and present.

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KELLY VINCENT

Kelly is a writer and an advocate living on Kaurna land. At age 20, they won the State Theatre’s Young Guns Award for young playwrights for Gravity. At 21, they became Australia’s youngest Member of Parliament and first-ever appointed specifically on the platform of disability rights. From 2010 to 2018, Kelly represented the Dignity Party in the Upper House of South Australia’s State Parliament, making vital changes to the way service providers, the built environment, and the justice system respond to the needs of disabled people. They are now Creative Director of True Ability, a disabled persons’ theatre company they co-founded in 2020.

CHERYL AXELBY

Cheryl is a proud Narungga Woman, living on Kaurna land, and is passionate about improving the quality of life for her people. Cheryl has extensive experience working with Aboriginal communities, and federal and state government sectors at senior and executive level in a career spanning over 43 years. Currently she is National Co-Chair of Change the Record, Head of Aboriginal Housing – Housing SA and in March 2024 she was elected as the Central Region 1 representative in the historic First Nations Voice to SA Parliament.

DAVE ADAMSON

Dave moved to Australia following a 30-year academic career in the UK. He has since worked in the Community Housing sector and authored the 2016 Towards a National Housing Strategy, and helped to establish the Everybody’s Home campaign. He also researches the interface between poverty and climate change and actively supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He has worked with government at all levels and has experience of policy development and evaluation. He is co-author of Sustainable Places: Addressing Social Inequality and Environmental Crisis (2022, Routledge). In his spare time he plays and builds guitars.

ROHAN FEEGRADE

Rohan is an experienced and forward-thinking CEO, senior executive and board director with demonstrated expertise across the not-for-profit, private and government sectors. Currently CEO of Lutheran Care, he has proven record for creating substantial organisational, stakeholder and client value, and has extensive experience in strategically positioning organisations for transformational change and growth within the health, disability, education and community service sectors. Rohan is a socially responsible professional, genuinely passionate about creating opportunities for people who live with disadvantage and disability, always acting ethically to serve those he works with and for.

DR JEN CLEARY

Jen is a human geographer, with a background spanning social services and social policy ,vocational and higher education and regional, rural and remote research and development. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Centacare Catholic Country SA (CCCSA), a for-purpose organisation providing social services in regional, rural and remote communities in South Australia, across a footprint of some 980,000 square km. She was awarded a PhD in Geography from the University of SA in 2014. She holds an adjunct professorial position with the Centre for Social Impact at Flinders University and is a member of the Advisory Panel for the University of SA Justice and Society Arts Program.

NANCY PENNA

Nancy has than 30 years of experience in South Australian community services, and a a unique understanding of the political and social landscape and the issues and opportunities facing South Australia. Currently responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of AnglicareSA’s community services portfolio, she has previously held executive roles in government within child protection and disability, with her executive experience underpinned by her earlier career as a social worker in child protection and youth justice. She is also Chair of the Child and Family Focus South Australia (CAFFSA) Board and most recently on the Housing Security for Older Women Taskforce.

NICOLE CHAPLIN

Nicole is a dedicated and experienced youth support professional, specialising in solutions for disadvantaged young people in South Australia. As CEO of St John’s Youth Services, she oversees innovative programs like youth110 and Foyer Port Adelaide. With over thirty years in the community sector, Nicole has built extensive networks and her expertise spans governance, service delivery, policy development, and partnerships. Recognised with the 2018 AHI Inspirational Leader Award, Nicole is an active participant in housing and homelessness networks. She holds leadership roles in various organisations, including Anglicare Australia’s National Reconciliation Network.

EMMA CROSBY

Emma is a chartered Accountant with more than 15 years experience as a board member, finance and business professional, strategic advisor and company secretary. She has strong values and a passion for enabling and leading organisations to meet its operational and strategic direction through long-term financial sustainability, operational efficiency, innovation, leadership, transformation and partnerships. As Treasurer and Board member at SACOSS, she is committed to successfully leading and making a purposeful impact to the organisation and its stakeholders.

David PANTER

David has worked in health and social care for almost 45 years, over half of which has been as a Chief Executive. In the UK he initially worked in the NHS and more latterly in local government, where he was Chief Executive of Brighton & Hove City Council. In 2004 David was recruited to the South Australian public health system for over 10 years leading reforms including the development of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. From 2015-2022 David was the Chief Executive of not-for-profit aged care provider ECH. At the end of January 2022 David became the Chief Executive at Minda, SA’s largest provider of services to people living with an intellectual disability.

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