Care Together e-news March 2024
E-newsletter
19 March 2024
If you missed receiving our March Care Together e-newsletter, don’t despair. You can catch up on all of our news below. Sign up at the bottom of the page to receive our next e-news.
From our Program Director
The Care Together Program continues to grow, with a healthy project pipeline in place and significant innovation emerging. We now have five approved projects, with four of these underway. We welcome Better Health for the Bush, Summer Foundation, Kingdom Community Life Care (KCLC), COTA Australia and Australian Unity to the Care Together community. This newsletter further outlines some of these projects, and we look forward to sharing more details about the others in due course.
I am greatly encouraged by the warm reception the Care Together Program continues to receive as we work with communities around Australia who are underserved by existing care services. We are not simply seeking to provide stop-gap support, but to change the very nature of the way care is delivered in these communities.
Gillian McFee
Program Director, Care Together
The Co-op development process – explore some Care Together projects with Co-op Developers
Thanks to all who attended our February Community of Practice meeting, where we lifted the lid on more Care Together projects and reflect on the first half of the Care Together Program.
The BCCM’s CEO, Melina Morrison and Care Together Program Director, Gillian McFee introduced the Care Together Program and its purpose, updated participants on our implementation progress and achievements and provided a Care Together Program Advisory Committee update.
Four members of the Care Together team presented on their roles in the program and provided individual insights.
Peter Hunt, Project Delivery Team Lead, Care Together provided insights from his UK experience and observations about Care Together projects so far. Clare Fountain, Co-op Development Adviser, Care Together discussed community engagement and workshops undertaken so far and early insights.
From the Care Together Program Management team, Michael Pilbrow shared lessons learnt from National Health Co-operative and Nick Hislop discussed project methodology and lifecycle.
If you missed the February Community of Practice meeting, you can watch it on-demand on our website.
Be sure to save the date for our May Community of Practice meeting on Thursday, 23 May 2024, 3 – 5 pm AEST.
If you missed our past CoP webinars, you can watch them online.
Our Projects
Care Together supports the establishment of new co-operative and mutual enterprises that provide sustainable workforce solutions in areas where current approaches are not working. We are excited to share with you project synopses for our first four projects:
COTA Australia – for older people
Exploring the feasibility of co-ops and mutuals as an effective and sustainable service delivery model which acknowledges, enables and empowers the decision-making capabilities of people self-managing their aged care home care package.
Better Health for the Bush (Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network)
Engaging with stakeholders on a planned community-led, and owned, primary health care clinic in Glen Innes. This novel approach to healthcare is injecting new hope in New England.
Summer Foundation
Designing a better way of delivering shared support for people with disability who have high and complex needs living in Specialist Disability Accommodation in regional and remote areas.
KCLC, Logan, Qld
Planning and working towards Logan City’s first cross-sector and culturally safe worker-owned co-operative.
Care Together visits Wagin, Western Australia
Gillian McFee (Care Together Program Director) and Dr Peter Westoby (Care Together Co-op Development Adviser) recently met with local stakeholders in Wagin, Western Australia to explore how co-operative care models could support their community. Browse our photos.
Care Together Program advocacting for you
The BCCM and its Care Together Program team have made three recent submissions to highlight the important role co-operatives and mutuals can play in social care:
Submission in response to Aged Care Bill 2023 Exposure Draft
A new model for regulating Aged Care: Details of the proposed new model – Consultation Paper 2
Stay up to date by following the Care Together Program
The Care Together Program is designed to put the power back in the hands of the people who matter the most – the people who receive care and the people who deliver care. Are you interested in innovative, cross-sector, place-based solutions for care delivery where you live?
Follow the Care Together Program on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube to stay updated and be a part of our impactful program.
Related news
Read the latest social care co-operative and mutual news from Australia and around the world.
Are you working on a community-led care solution where you live?
Explore the potential of co-operative and mutual structures to enhance diversity and choice in health, community and social services.
Find out more about co-ops and mutuals
