Investor Presentaiton
Supporting the health of vulnerable members in our community
The Sustainable Health Review Final Report noted that Australian and international
evidence shows that a small proportion of people managing more than one
complex health issue attend hospitals and emergency departments more
frequently than others. In many cases, people who attend hospital frequently
need support in other areas such as social, disability or housing services. The
department has been coordinating a variety of projects to address the specific
health and wellbeing needs of vulnerable people, guided by Sustainable Health
Review recommendations.
Children in out-of-home care
The Health Navigator Pilot Program (HNPP) was launched in late 2022 to better
connect children in out-of-home care with health, mental health, and disability
services in Mirrabooka and the South West. Approximately 1.7 per 1,000 children
were in out-of-home care across Western Australia in 20216.
The program is a collaboration between the department and Department of
Communities and was co-designed with people who have lived experience of
out-of-home care, carers, advocacy groups, Aboriginal community-controlled
organisations, Aboriginal Medical Services, and non-government service providers.
The co-designed engagement process was enabled following joint
endorsement by the Minister for Child Protection; Women's Interests; Prevention
of Family and Domestic Violence; Community Services and the Minister for Health
and Mental Health.
A series of workshops were conducted with 143 key stakeholders to discover,
develop, test and implement the pilot. Initial workshops were designed to develop
visibility, through identification of the current state, key areas for improvement and
what worked well within the existing landscape, to set the direction and principles
for the HNPP. Follow-up workshops were held to test and confirm understanding
of what was heard to ensure the draft operational model aligned to community and
stakeholder expectations.
The HNPP enables children and young people in out-of-home care to access
the right service at the right time, including access to culturally safe and holistic
services.
Health professionals such as nurses or Aboriginal health workers are employed
as 'health navigators' to assist children in out-of-home care, their parents, carers,
and child protection workers to support coordination and communication so that
children and families are better connected to timely health, mental health, and
disability services. This includes access to child health nurses and paediatricians.
An interim independent evaluation report by the University of Western Australia
Centre for Social Impact, found the program is already bridging gaps in timely
access, with 90 per cent of children and young people receiving an initial health
assessment within 30 days, compared to 15 per cent in the year prior to launching
the program. In addition, children from Aboriginal and culturally and linguistically
diverse backgrounds were found to be accessing a range of culturally appropriate
medical services.
Ongoing engagement continues with advisory groups and via the HNPP
evaluation. These mechanisms monitor that the pilot continues to test and
respond to demand.
5. Refers to a range of short or long-term care options for children and young people aged less than 18 years who are unable to live with their families for a variety of reasons.
6. Child protection Australia 2020-21
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Contents
About us
Significant issues Report on operations Agency performance Operational disclosures
Key performance indicators
• Financial disclosures and compliance • AppendixView entire presentation