A consumer advocate is a member of a government, professional body, industry or non-governmental organisation committee who voices consumer perspectives and takes part in the decision-making process on behalf of consumers.
HCA offers support and training for consumer advocates and encourages applications from those with relevant experience to apply. All applicants for HCA consumer advocate opportunities, or where HCA endorsement is required (for example, CHF), must be HCA members, or members of a member organisation of HCA.
Consumer advocates are encouraged to apply for the following positions. Do not be discouraged if you are not successful the first time you apply as your application will assist us to know who might be interested when similar positions are offered in the future.
Statewide Clinical Networks have been established to increase the level of clinician and consumer involvement in the planning of health services. The networks aim to coordinate better delivery of services, improve health outcomes for all South Australians and ensure a strong, sustainable health workforce. Statewide Clinical Networks - A Framework for Delivering Best Practice Health Care (PDF 147KB), released May 2007, is one of the strategies underpinning SA’s Health Care Plan and the ongoing reform of the health system.
The following positions are currently available.
CANCER STATEWIDE CLINICAL NETWORK
CONSUMERS (TWO POSITIONS)
We are seeking two health consumers who have either been diagnosed with cancer or cared for someone with cancer, to join the Steering Committee of the Statewide Cancer Clinical Network. This Network is one of 11 established by the Department of Health & Ageing in 2007 to provide leadership and strategic planning in relation to cancer control for all South Australians across the continuum of care regardless of their age, place of residence or social background. The Network was set up specifically to increase clinician and consumer involvement in the planning of health services.
The Steering Committee sets the Network priorities and guides and governs a series of committees and working parties dealing with things such as cancer care pathway development and implementation for the many and various cancer types, the setting of standards for cancer services and cancer clinicians, performance measurement for cancer services, cancer infrastructure and workforce growth and development, cancer information and data development and cancer research.
The successful applicants will have familiarity not only with their individual cancer-related journey but also with the broader issues relating to cancer control, cancer services and health/cancer consumer concerns. Some background knowledge about how health or other government systems work would be very useful. Prior experience in a consumer representative role is highly desirable along with good communication skills and a capacity to speak up in a setting made up mainly of clinical experts. A willingness both to learn and to impart information, to ask searching questions and to be well prepared for meetings is also required.
For more information and instructions about how to apply, please contact Helen Smith, Senior Project Officer, on 08 8231 4169, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
SARCOMA (CANCER) CARE PATHWAY DEVELOPMENT WORKING PARTY
CONSUMER (ONE OR TWO POSITIONS)
We are seeking one or possibly two health consumers who have either been diagnosed with sarcoma or cared for someone with sarcoma, to join a multi-disciplinary working party which will be developing a Sarcoma Care Pathway for South Australia. The group will include representatives from surgery, radiation and medical oncology, cancer nursing, allied health professions such as physiotherapy and social work, palliative care and paediatric as well as Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer services.
The aim of the group is to develop and commence implementation of a care pathway for patients with sarcoma, based on evidence-based best-practice and supported by strong consumer input.
The frequency and time of meetings is at the discretion of the Chair (Dr Raghu Gowda) and the group as a whole, but will commence in January/February and may be held as often as every two to three weeks until approximately June/July 2012.
Requirements include:
- Familiarity with an individual sarcoma-related journey either as a person with sarcoma not currently receiving active treatment or a carer of a person with sarcoma
- Some understanding and knowledge of the broader sarcoma patient/carer concerns and cancer consumer concerns generally
- Good communication skills and a capacity to speak up in a setting made up mainly of clinical experts
For more information and instructions about how to apply, please contact Helen Smith, Senior Project Officer, on 08 8231 4169, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
REHABILITATION STATEWIDE CLINICAL NETWORK
CONSUMER (ONE POSITION)
The Statewide Rehabilitation Clinical Network is seeking a consumer advocate for the Rehabilitation Clinical Network Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee provides clinical leadership and advice to SA Health in relation to implementation of the Statewide Rehabilitation Service Plan 2009-2017, and advises the South Australian health system in relation to the delivery of high quality consumer focussed rehabilitation services.
The Steering Committee will also take a role in monitoring implementation of the Statewide Rehabilitation Service Plan, through representation on the SA Health Rehabilitation Implementation Workgroup.
The Steering Committee meets monthly.
For more information and instructions about how to apply, please contact Helen Smith, Senior Project Officer, on 08 8231 4169, or email h This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
VOICE FOR CONSUMERS IN MENTAL HEALTH REFORM
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMER REFERENCE GROUP
The Australian Government is inviting mental health consumers across Australia to express their interest in becoming a member of a Consumer Reference Group (CRG).
The CRG will provide advice to a non-government organisation responsible for establishing the new national mental health consumer organisation. The CRG will advise on such matters as building an inclusive and diverse membership base and organisational mechanisms which ensure consumer voices are integral to informing national mental health reform. More details on the role of the CRG can be found at www.health.gov.au/mentalhealth.
The Department of Health and Ageing is seeking expressions of interest from individuals who identify as mental health consumers (people with lived experience of mental health problems / mental illness) and who have a commitment to improving quality of life, social justice and inclusion for all people with mental illness in Australia.
The Selection Criteria and information on how to apply is available on the Department’s website at www.health.gov.au/mentalhealth.
Expressions of interest must be submitted online at www.health.gov.au/mentalhealth by 4pm AEDT 20 February 2012.
The Government has also released the Final Report of the Scoping Study, Establishment of a New Peak National Mental Health Consumer Organisation (March 2010).
This report informs options for establishing a new mental health consumer organisation and provides a number of key recommendations including:
- that the core purpose of the new organisation will be ‘to bring together a diversity of mental health consumers and mental health consumer organisations and groups
enabling them to work collaboratively towards achieving a shared national vision leading to improved quality of life, social justice and inclusion’;
and - that the organisation should be representative of, and accountable to, mental health consumers Australia-wide.
The Final Report of the Scoping Study and the response is available at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-consume.
