Consumer Advisors
Do you know a Consumer Advisor who is making a difference at Barwon Health? Here's your chance to recognise their valuable contribution!
Barwon Health partners with many remarkable Consumer Advisors to help provide services that meet the expectations of the community. The Barwon Health Best Care Awards include the "Consumer Advisor Recognition Award" to recognise their valuable contribution.
Click HERE to nominate a Consumer Advisor now!
Any current Barwon Health employee or Consumer Advisor can submit a nomination. Consumer Advisors who are nominated will be given the choice to have a profile poster made and displayed alongside the Barwon Best Care Award posters at University Hospital Geelong. The profile poster will include a photograph, why they became a Consumer Advisor, the initiatives they have been involved in, and one big idea they have to provide better care at Barwon Health.
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Barwon Health supports people’s right to participate individually and collectively in the planning and implementation of their health care. Barwon Health does this by partnering with Consumer Advisors.
Who is a Consumer Advisor?
- A Consumer Advisor is a person who voices collective consumer or community perspectives and take part in decision-making as a representative of those consumers and communities.
- Ideally Consumer Advisors are people well connected in their community, they are able to access the perspectives of many community members and bring those perspectives to Barwon Health and also take information from Barwon Health back to their community to seek perspectives on new ideas or options for improving the way services are provided.
What do Consumer Advisors do?
- Consumer Advisors provide the consumer perspective in the development, planning and quality improvement of services, and the measure and improvement of patient and family experience.
The Consumer Advisor’s role includes:
- Consideration of the consumer experience
- Consideration of the alignment of any Barwon Health work with the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights; the Charter of Aged Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
- Supporting Barwon Health to be accountable to consumers
- Advocating for issues affecting consumers
- Advocating for consumer consultation on changes to services or practice that Barwon Health might be considering.
Remuneration and reimbursement
Consumer Advisors are not remunerated but can apply for reimbursement of reasonable costs (in agreement with the Consumer Engagement Manager upon appointment).
Diversity and inclusion
Consumer Advisors are part of the Barwon Health community and should reflect the diversity of the community. People of any gender, young people, older people, middle-aged people and women of childbearing age, people of diverse socioeconomic status and people living throughout the Barwon Health catchment area are encouraged to apply.
It is a priority for Barwon Health to attract, recruit and support Consumer Advisors from:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- People who have a disability, or people who care for someone with a disability
- People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- People from LBGTIQA+ communities
- People with an interest in improving women’s and children’s services
- Young people, including people with an experience of mental health services
- Older people who are interested in shared decision-making about their health care.
Current opportunities for Consumer Advisors
Interested?
Please read and complete the documents linked below.
Submit your completed expression of interest:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Post: Consumer Engagement Manager
C/O Safety and Quality Department
Barwon Health
PO Box 281
Geelong VICTORIA 3220
For further information, contact the Consumer Engagement Manager by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone (03) 4215 0477.
Barwon Health is committed to health screening and immunisation to protect its staff, consumer advisors, volunteers and patients against preventable diseases.
Community Advisory Committee (CAC)
The Community Advisory Committee is a sub-committee of the Barwon Health Board. This group advises the Board on issues relevant to the consumers of our community. To learn more please visit the Community Advisory Committee webpage.
Are you a staff member wanting to partner with a Consumer Advisor?
If you are a staff member wanting to request a Consumer Advisor, please complete the request form here.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 19 October 2021