The Collaborative Projects in South Australia are regional structures that facilitate service reform and improve service cooperation and coordination at a regional level. In the Eyre and Western Region, the project aims to build Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) sector capacity by facilitating a regional network of aged care service providers. The Project Officer facilitates regular aged care reform updates and provides information about training and development. Recipients on the contact email list receive regular email information. The Project Officer organizes quarterly face-to-face and online meetings. Engagement around identified regional issues and planning through consultation and engagement promotes opportunities for stakeholders to better understand and influence reform. The regional network meetings support sharing of knowledge, information and resources that builds capacity building across the region. SSD has a National Network that works closely with the Commonwealth Aged Care sector and State peak bodies to keep all SSD projects informed about the Aged Care reforms. SSD Project Officers can participate online in the monthly National SSD meetings. Minutes and recorded reports are also available on the SSD Community of Practice which provides opportunities for networking, collaboration and sharing of resources to all SSD projects across Australia. This year the SA Collaborative Project Officers have continued to meet monthly working together to identify specific Aged Care Reform training needs for CHSP providers. Eight webinars supporting the CHSP sector with understanding the new aged care reforms were produced by the SSD Collaborative Project Officers and guest presenters. A Statewide Conference organized by representatives from the SSD Sector across SA was held in Adelaide on June 2024 for CHSP providers, the topic was ‘Aged Care Evolution: Embracing the Strengthen Standards’. The Health Engagement SA Team was established in July 2023 with a dedicated Aged Care Stewardship focus on Aboriginal Ageing and Wellbeing in SA. The scope of the Health Engagement SA Team aligns with National Aged Care Reforms & Plans. The regional SSD Project Officer met with members of the Health Engagement Team in February 2023 during a visit to Ceduna. The opportunity to work collaboratively with members of the Health Engagement Team has been beneficial in keeping aged care service providers informed and involved in improving aged care in local communities. At the June ’24 Regional SSD forum held in Port Lincoln and available online, members of the Health Engagement Team attended and provided information to inform and update providers on the Aged Care Reforms. Discussion with attendees at the forum identified the following issues and concerns raised by older people and aged care providers in the region and included: ▶ wait time for services to commence after assessment and approval to receive services. ▶ workforce shortages. ▶ difficulty for older people navigating the aged care system. ▶ older Aboriginal people not accessing services. ▶ ongoing continuity of care especially following discharge from hospital. ▶ access to GPO services, especially for older people in residential care. ▶ not enough respite care beds. The SSD Project, with the assistance of the Health Engagement SA Team and other relevant services facilitates partnership approaches to improve access to aged care services across the Eyre Region. Kate Eglinton Consumer Engagement & Sector Support Coordinator SECTOR SUPPORT & DEVELOPMENT (SSD) Eyre & Western Region 18
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