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
Women’s and Children’s Consumer Collaborative Group
|
Project Lead
|
Simon Montgomery, Adviser Strategy and Planning
|
|
Description of the Project
|
Barwon Health requires consumers with experience interacting with women’s and children’s health services to provide advice and recommendations around model of service delivery, infrastructure design, and operations across Barwon Health Women’s and Children’s Services. This group will also support Barwon Health to deliver on the Victorian Government commitment to provide a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Geelong.
|
|
What is required of the Consumer Advisor?
|
Provide advice, feedback and recommendations to consumers and staff working across Barwon Health Women’s and Children’s Services.
|
|
What is the timeframe?
|
An ongoing commitment of 1 – 2 hours per month.
To attend monthly or bimonthly meetings via teleconference or in person.
|
|
Contact person
|
Name: Simon Montgomery
Role: Adviser, Strategy and Planning
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: (03) 4215 1094
|
Secure Health Data and Biosample Platform (SHeBa)
 |
Lead Researcher: Professor Peter Vuillermin
I am a paediatrician with a joint appointment to lead Barwon Health and Deakin University collaborative research.
|
| Description of the project |
Strong evidence shows that health services that do more research provide better patient care.
Vast quantities of data and biological samples are collected on a daily basis at Barwon Health. These could be used to support continual improvement and to foster discoveries in disease prevention and treatment.
With these goals in mind, the Barwon Health and Deakin University partnership has developed a known as the Secure Health Data and Biosample Platform (SHeBa).
Simply put, SHeBa provide a highly protected environment in which people with approved projects can work on (but never remove) de-identified data and biological samples.
|
| What is required of the Consumer Advisor? |
We are seeking input from our community to help refine and implement SHeBa.
Questions that we need your input on include:
- What is the most appropriate system for seeking consent from our consumers for their data and samples to be included in SHebA?
- Does the process for controlling access to SHeBa that we have developed align with community expectations?
- How do we ensure SHeBa is used to address questions that are important to our community?
- How do we ensure our community is aware of SHeBa and feels a sense of ownership over it?
- How do we make SHeBa sustainable?
|
| What is the timeframe? |
There will be two one-hour virtual workshops, monthly for two months. Participants will receive reimbursement of $80 for their participation in the three workshops.
|
| Contact person |
Name: Nicola Cooley
Role: EA to Peter Vuillermin
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: (03) 4215 3389 or 0450 883 652 |
Clinical Trials participants and their families or carers
 |
Lead Researcher: Alana Sarah
I have been involved in Clinical Trials at Barwon Health for over 15 years, fulfilling the role of Clinical Trial Manager of the Clinical Trial Unit (CTU) for the past 12 years.
I am currently working on the Clinical Trial Research Support project, an initiative with the Department of Health, to build trial capacity in public health organisations.
|
| Description of the project |
Barwon Health is committed to providing our community with the opportunity to participate in clinical trials and for that experience to be optimised by focusing on their experiences and needs.
|
| What is required of the Consumer Advisor? |
We would like to hear from current or past clinical trial participants and their family or carers to:
- Learn about your experience with clinical trials
- Get your perspective on opportunities for improvement.
- Ask for your involvement in decision-making processes regarding clinical trial progress.
|
| What is the timeframe? |
We are looking for someone to participate in the Clinical and Consumer Advisory Group quarterly for one year.
|
| Contact person |
Name: Alana Sarah
Role: Clinical Trials Research Support Service Project Officer
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: (03) 4215 2876
|
Safewards Program – Safewards Steering Committee
|
Lead researchers
|
Sharyn Milnes, Manager of Clinical Communication Education
Nikki Lyons, OT Educator and Communication Education Facilitator
|
|
Description of the Project
|
The Safewards Model will be piloted on a Barwon Health medical ward as an element of the Behaviours of Concern Project.
The evidenced based Safewards Model has been shown to reduce conflict and increase safety for patients and staff on Psychiatric wards.
DHHS has made a recommendation that Safewards could be adapted and implemented in Medical and Surgical wards.
|
|
What is required of the Consumer Advisor?
|
Someone with an interest in increasing consumer and staff safety on acute medical/surgical wards. Someone with an interest in the implementation of inter professional evidenced based interventions, which have been shown to reduce behaviours of concern. Behaviours of concern is defined as “behaviours that people exhibit that may be a problem for themselves or others. These can be result in harm to themselves, other people or things. The interventions to be instigated are mainly directed toward staff processes to reduce behaviours of concern in patients and relatives and are focussed around concepts of respect and improved communication.
|
|
What is the timeframe?
|
Steering committee meetings will occur monthly at University Hospital Geelong, for approximately 2 hours per month.
|
|
Contact person
|
Name: Sharyn Milnes
Role: Manager of Communication Education and iValidate Program
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Name: Nikki Lyons
Role: Allied Health Educator
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: (03) 4215 5434 or 0419 511 442
|
Voluntary Assisted Dying Witnesses
|
Jill Mann
|
| Description of the project |
On occasion, individuals accessing the voluntary assisted dying legislation cannot provide appropriate witnesses for the forms required.
The legal requirements for witnessing as per the VAD legislation often precludes family and those who are involved in providing direct care services e.g. doctors, nurses etc., therefore, requiring ‘’other’’ witnesses. To date, ‘Dying with Dignity – Victoria’ has provided such witnesses upon request.
Confidentiality regarding each other, the doctors and nurses and the individual is paramount. Training regarding the legislation and the legal witnessing requirements will be provided together with appropriate resources. Upon request for witness availability, the key contact would liaise with consumers as to their availability to provide the role.
|
| What is required of the Consumer Advisor? |
Consumers will be asked as required to witness written declaration forms and possibly other documentation for people exercising their choice to access the voluntary assisted dying legislation.
|
| What is the timeframe? |
This is an ongoing commitment that will occur in locations such as private homes, health services and aged care facilities.
The hours are variable, approximately one hour per month. |
| Contact person |
Name: Jill Mann
Role: ACP Program Manager, BSW Region VAD Care Navigator
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: (03) 4215 7721 or 0434 181 911
|
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 8922.
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)
If you are interested in becoming a community member of the Community Advisory Committee, a sub-committee of the Barwon Health Board, 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.
