We offer you a range of different workshops to support you in your journey to becoming an effective, engaged consumer representative. We also support health care staff through our workshops to develop skills, awareness and strategies for engaging with health consumers. Some of our workshops provide points towards active learning hours for nursing staff.
Below, you’ll find details of Health Consumers’ Council Eventbrite upcoming events,
plus regular events for health consumers, carers and community members as well as healthcare service providers:
- Networking for consumers
- Consumer Representative Training
- for individual consumer representatives (Introduction to- & Advanced)
- for healthcare organisations’ consumer representatives (CACs & CAGs)
- Acknowledgement of Country workshops
- Cultural Diversity
- Diversity Dialogues
- Training for health service staff
- Supporting Cultural Diversity in Healthcare
- Workshops on partnering and engagement with consumers – for health service staff
We also keep a list of current consumer, carer and community consultations – you can find out more about these on our Systemic Advocacy “Policy/Consultation Submissions & Partnerships” web page.
Upcoming EVENTS!
- 1 FEBRUARY: Introduction to Consumer Representation “Taster” Session. This session is a short ‘taster’ of our Introduction to Consumer Representation training course. In this short session, we’ll cover what Consumer Representation is, what it can be like when you’re at the table as a Consumer Representative, and a mention of what we’ll cover in the full Introduction to Consumer Representation course (tentatively scheduled for 20 Feb 2023: registration will open soon).
- Wednesday 1 February, 10:30 am – 11:30 am AWST. Register here.
- 6 FEBRUARY: Fireside Chat with Clinical Excellence WA on Emergency Access Reform. Join us for an engaging and informative conversation about the latest developments in emergency access reform. Join Clinical Lead, Shelley Campos and Program Manager, Hannah Moss from the Emergency Access Systems Improvement Unit of Clinical Excellence WA. In this session, they’ll share insights and updates on their exciting project to improve patient flow through emergency departments and reduce ambulance ramping. There will be significant opportunity for consumer representatives to be involved in this work – join us to ensure you are kept up to speed with the work and opportunities.
- 6 February, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm AWST . Register here.
- 20 FEBRUARY: Introduction to consumer representation training
- Would you like to use your experience as a patient or carer to create a better health system? We know that pro-active and skilled Consumer Representatives can do just that, and this introductory course will help you get started.
- Register here.
- Throughout FEBRUARY
- Come chat with Health Consumers’ Council around what a safe and high quality healthcare experience should mean. Participation is renumerated.
- Join us for an informal group discussion around the key issues and priorities for safe delivery of healthcare in our state. We welcome all community members and have focused sessions for:
- Young people [4pm-530pm, Jan 24]
- Child to adult care transition [10am-12pm, Feb 7]
- LGBTQIA+ community member [5.30pm- 7.30pm, 16 Feb]
- Regional WA community member [11am-1pm, 23 Feb]
- Chronic health condition(s) [11am-1pm, 24 Feb]
- Person with a disability [10am – 12pm, 8th Feb ]
- Aboriginal community member [date TBC]
- Culturally & linguistically diverse [date TBC]
- Register here for all event dates, or contact kieran.bindahneem@hconc.org.au to register your interest.
- Multiple Dates 2023
Acknowledging Country WORKSHOP: developed to support people to think about, design and confidently deliver a meaningful Acknowledgment.- Wednesdays 10 – 11:30 am: 1 February, 1 March, 5 April, 3 May, 7 June, 5 July, 2 August, 6 September, 4 October. Register here.
Networking for consumers
Consumer, Carer, Family and Community Representative Networking
Find out more about this network here.
Our next event will be announced soon for 2023. The most recent session was held December 2022 as a hybrid event with a morning tea in-person as well as an online link-up.
Click here to sign up to our mailing list to be kept informed.
Consumer Representative Training
Introduction to Consumer Representation
For more information about the content of this session – see here. These sessions are run approximately every 6 months.
The next session will be held: 20 February, 10:30 am – 2:30 pm AWST.
Register here.
** Introduction to Consumer Representation “Taster Session” (a brief overview of the full training) will be held 1 February 2023. Read more information about this and register here.
Advanced Consumer Representation
This session is for consumer reps with at least 6 months experience on a working group, committee or Board. For more information about the content of this session see here. We recommend that people do not attend the Intro and the Advanced session in the same month. These sessions run approximately every 6 months.
The next session will be announced soon.
- If you have any questions about these sessions please email info@hconc.org.au
Cultural diversity
Diversity Dialogues
The Diversity Dialogues seminar series has been developed by HCC for consumers and health service providers to explore ways to develop hospital services and patient care strategies that respond to cultural diversity. Diversity Dialogues comprise a panel discussion where the panelists are from a range of cultural backgrounds, who share their knowledge and experiences around culturally aware practice, building culturally inclusive services and discussing the importance of cultural awareness in best practice. This year’s discussions will be around Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) sexual health and will comprise online panel discussions. More information about Diversity Dialogues can be found here.
The next sessions will be announced soon for 2023. Please email info@hconc.org.au to be added to our mailing list for future events.
Training for health service staff
Supporting Cultural Diversity in Healthcare
Western Australia enjoys one of the most culturally diverse populations in Australia. To assist healthcare workers and providers to deliver services that are equitable, Health Consumers’ Council has developed this workshop to enable health workers to provide culturally inclusive services that support patient-centered care. The workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to deliver a culturally competent service. Workshop duration – 3 hours.
The next session will take place on 16 January 2023. Register here.
- For more information, see flyer here or contact Nadeen@hconc.org.au.
Workshops on partnering and engagement with consumers – for health service staff
No sessions are currently planned. If you would like us to present to a group of staff in your health services, please contact clare.mullen@hconc.org.au
There may be a fee for this.
Watch the recordings
Introduction to using Zoom and online meetings
In light of social distancing measures , and the need for people to take part in online meetings, we ran a couple of workshops in 2020 to introduce consumer representatives to some of the features of online meetings, and the Zoom platform in particular.
You can access the recordings of those sessions here, as well as the slides that were used.
- Overview of online meetings and an introduction to Zoom
- Overview of hosting online meetings using Zoom
Consumer, carer, community and family representative drop-in sessions
While WA was under physical distancing restrictions, we heard that opportunities for health consumer, carer, community and family representatives to connect with each other, with the health system and with organisations like us were even more important.
So we hosted a regular “drop-in” session. See below for links to recording of these sessions.
Previous drop-in sessions
- Date: Friday 12 June
- Theme: How consumer input helped shape the WA Healthy Weight Action Plan and what comes next
- Watch the recording (approx 38 mins) https://youtu.be/jihBv_QeoTU
- View the slides WA Healthy Weight Action Plan 2019 – 2024
- Date: Friday 29 May
- Theme: Engaging consumers in a conversation about reducing unnecessary tests, treatments and procedures – we’ll hear from the team at the Choosing Wisely program
- Watch the recording (approx. 1h15m) https://youtu.be/wNQee63N3ds and view the slides
- Date: Friday 15 May
- Theme: Engaging community members in Advance Care Planning and National Palliative Care Week
- Watch the recording (1h 15m) https://youtu.be/5fKOLobaWqg
- Date: Friday 1 May
- Theme: Consumer, carer, family and community engagement in primary care
- Watch the recording (32 mins) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynJGYFNiZOw
- Date: Friday 17 April
- Theme: Consumer and community involvement in COVID-19 medical research
- Watch the recording (25 mins) https://youtu.be/X0usiIGQo3U and view the slides https://www.hconc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CCHRN-slides-HCC-Consumer-Rep-Drop-in-presentation-200417.pdf
Express your interest
Empowering health consumers with disabilities
Health Consumers’ Council and People With disabilities WA ran a series of workshops for people with disabilities to support them to have a positive experience in the health system in 2019. These sessions have now finished but to express your interest in future sessions on this topic please get in touch.
There are a series of brochures that were developed to accompany these workshops – you can find there here