1. Home
  2. Services and Clinics
  3. SubService
  4. Consumer Representation
  5. Consumer Advisory Committees

Consumer Advisory Committees

Minutes

Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service 

  • Coming soon.

St George and Sutherland Mental Health Service

  • Coming soon.

Recovery & Wellbeing Student Voice Committee

  • Coming soon.

Terms of Reference

  • Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service Consumer Advisory Committee (coming soon)
  • St George and Sutherland Mental Health Service Consumer Advisory Committee  (coming soon)

 

CAC Structure

The Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) focus is on issues that are specific to the associated facility / group of facilities, including hospital and community health services. The Consumer Advisory Committee is comprised of a group of up to 12 consumer representatives and is facilitated by an elected Chair and Secretariat.

 

Role

Participation by mental health consumers in systemic advocacy leads to the development of more effective public mental health services. The role of the CAC is to support the improvement of public mental health services across the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District and therefore the mental health and wellbeing of people accessing these services. Representatives of the CAC ensure the perspectives of mental health consumers are heard and documented within this forum. The CAC monitors and evaluates progress towards this goal and celebrates improvements.

 

Objectives

  • Provide a community voice when determining the needs, concerns and priorities of communities. This in turn will influence health policy, service provision, service delivery and accessibility of services.
  • Provide a way for consumers, carers and members of the community to be able to raise health issues
  • Raise consumer issues that need addressing, and work with management to address these issues
  • Become informed about health issues and health services and to inform the community.
  • Ensure that the health concerns of the wider community are represented, including men, women, young, elderly, Aboriginal, multicultural, carers, parents and those living with an illness or disability.

 

Responsibilities

  • Facilitate communication between consumers, carers and community groups and the Health Service
  • Consider all issues raised by all members of the committee
  • Make information and education materials are available and are easy to understand. 
  • Participate in the health service planning processes
  • Develop an annual strategic plan for consumer and community participation, including carer issues
  • Working constructively with other CACs throughout the SESLHD, the SESLHD Health Advisory Council and with the management and staff of the SESLHD.

 

Membership

Consumer members of the CAC are not employed by the Health District, nor have a conflict of interest, and come from the Local Health District’s catchment area, namely Botany, Hurstville, Kogarah, Randwick, Rockdale, City of Sydney (part), Sutherland, Waverley and Woollahra, local government areas.

Consumer members have a willingness to:

  • Work constructively with the other committee members and health staff/management.
  • Be open to, and respectful of, the needs of the wider community and not use the CAC as a forum for singular issues.
  • Provide feedback to consumers and other community advisory committees.