Consumer consultation should be standard practice

BENETAS LAUNCHES CONSUMER PARTICIPATION REGISTER WITH CO-DESIGN IN MIND

Benetas has developed a new Consumer Participation Register, to seek feedback and input directly from consumers about how to improve customer experience and service delivery in Aged Care through co-design.

The Register empowers consumers to collaborate, provide feedback and contribute to the development, delivery and evaluation of care and services provided by Benetas.

People from diverse social, demographic and faith backgrounds are matched with specific projects that will benefit from consumer perspectives and input.

It is an opportunity to better capture the views of a diverse group of consumers ensuring cultural competence and suitability of services across the whole suite of Benetas Aged Care offerings.

Benetas invites people with a connection or interest in aged care, to sign up to the Benetas Consumer Participation Register and get involved in workshops, surveys or webinars to provide input into improving service development and customer experience.

Planning and design commenced in July this year with a dedicated team shepherding the project to launch in October. Within the first month of launch, the inaugural project was carried out, engaging Register members with a list of requests scheduled for the next six months, as a first step. Clearly the Benetas business is ready for more community collaboration.

The first project was hosted by the Community Health and Care (CHC) team. Consumer participants from the Register were involved in an online workshop to review and provide feedback on the updated and improved Consumer Care Plan. One CHC client who joined the workshop left some really positive feedback regarding the experience, further validating that the community is keen to collaborate with Benetas to help improve how services are delivered to them.

“It was a really interesting meeting and I was pleased to be a part of it. I was able to have my say and learn from other’s opinions too. I am happy to participate in this and any other matters where I might be of assistance,” said the participant.

Depending on the specific project, Register participants will be kept in the loop about how their contribution has helped shape improvements or changes.

Benetas CEO Sandra Hills OAM said understanding and listening to the needs of consumers, their families, and carers is extremely important.

“The new Benetas Consumer Participation Register aligns with our Customer Experience Vision and Principles which articulate a commitment to engaging consumers in decision-making at multiple levels,” she said.

“We want people to be involved and have a greater say in the way our services provide for their needs and quality of life.”

The Consumer Participation Register is developed in line with the ‘International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Framework’, which articulates a continuum of consumer engagement from ‘inform’ to ‘empower’.

Seeking and responding to consumers also validates one of the key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, and forms a central part of the Charter of Aged Care Rights, and Aged Care Quality Standards 1 and 8.

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The Community Engagement Advisor working on the project, Marta Woolford, said the goal is to facilitate consumer involvement and codesign in at least 10 projects in the first year and with a number already lined up, the target is sure to be achieved.

“We are ready for more people to sign up—people who have a passion to contribute to the development of aged care services and who care about older Victorians,” she said.

Consumers with an interest in Benetas or aged care services more generally are asked to join the Register and outline their interests and background so they can be ‘matched’ to specific projects. They do not need to be a Benetas client to nominate themselves to be a part of the Register.

Sally Cunningham is Senior Media and Communications Advisor, Benetas. For more information visit www.benetas.com.au/consumerparticipation-register

Inclusive Leadership

Wednesday 16 February – 2pm to 3.30pm (Melbourne time) To register: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/204277899697 Location: Zoom

Diversity Strategies within the Aged Care Sector

Wednesday 23 March – 2pm to 3.30pm (Melbourne time) To register: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/204285662917 Location: Zoom

Applying a Diversity Lens to End of Life Care

Wednesday 20 April – 2pm to 3.30pm (Melbourne time) To register: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/204289975817 Location: Zoom

Conscious Inclusion: Moving on from Unconscious Bias

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Managing Equal and Mutually Beneficial Partnerships with Multicultural Communities

Wednesday 22 June – 2pm to 3.30pm (Melbourne time) To register: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/204294037967 Location: Zoom

For more information please visit bit.ly/diversity-webinar-series-22

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