We want all of our community to have a say in our Maternity Co-Design Project so we can capture and understand everyone’s views and priorities.
In preparation for phase two of the Maternity Co-design Project we are currently seeking expressions of interests from our consumers, community members and organisations who are interested in becoming Consultation Champions and leading small group discussions (Kitchen Tables Discussions or Yarning Circles) to collect feedback about the future of maternity care for the Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac communities.
Throughout the Maternity Co-design Project several consultation opportunities are available for our maternity stakeholders including consumers, community members, healthcare partners and staff to contribute their feedback to the project. Kitchen Table Discussions and Yarning Circles will form just one part of the overall engagement process for phase two of the Maternity Co-design project.
Become a Consultation Champion for your community
We are calling for expressions of interest for Consultation Champions to take part in phase two of our Maternity Co-design Project.
Consultation Champions will have strong community networks that cover the breadth of our health service area and the diversity of our stakeholders. It’s important that First Nations, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, LGBTIQ+ and rural stakeholders are represented, and their contributions are captured.
Consultation Champions will gather information and insights from community members from within their established strong community networks by hosting a Kitchen Table Discussion or Yarning Circle. Consultation Champions will be provided with the opportunity to host their discussion independently, or with the support of a Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS) representative (optional).
Successful applicants for the Consultation Champions will be engaged in the Maternity Co-design Project during phase two of the project and will be required to:
- participate in an online training workshop where they will be provided with the resources they need to host their Kitchen Table Discussion or Yarning Circle,
- host at least one Kitchen Table Discussion or Yarning Circle which can be held at a time and place convenient to their community network/group, and
- provide a summary from the discussion to the Mackay HHS Community Engagement Team within the allocated consultation timeframe.
How to apply to be a Consultation Champion
If you wish to apply to be a Consultation Champion, please review the position statement and complete the attached expression of interest form available here.
Applications close Sunday 26 June 2022.
What is a Kitchen Table Discussion or Yarning Circle
The Kitchen Table Discussion or Yarning Circle engagement process supports small groups of people to come together to discuss issues and capture feedback. In this case around the future of our maternity care.
Kitchen Table Discussions or Yarning Circles are designed to be conducted in homes and informal spaces which are comfortable and welcoming for participants such as cafes and community spaces. What is important is that you can fit four to eight people around a table comfortably while maintaining social distancing and COVID-19 requirements and without serious interruptions or noisy distractions. The Kitchen Table Discussion will take approximately two hours to run, this includes time for people to arrive and settle in and to end the discussion.
The purpose of Kitchen Table Discussions and Yarning Circles
Kitchen Table Discussions and Yarning Circles are not about the number of people supporting or opposing a view or opinion. Rather, the purpose of a Kitchen Table Discussion is to capture information and consider ideas, views and experiences of all participants to assist the health service in understanding community feedback and identify priority areas for consumers relating to the future of maternity care.
Supporting Consultation Champions undertake their discussion
Consultation Champions will be provided with a host guide and a toolkit to support their Kitchen Table Discussion or Yarning Circle. These resources will provide the Consultation Champion with the information they need to host their discussion and include:
- comprehensive host guide, with instructions on how to prepare and host your Kitchen Table Discussion or Yarning Circle
- invitation template
- background document about the Maternity Co-design Project to help inform the discussion
- questions set with space to accurately capture feedback and notes
- participant registrations form including demographic information.
Consultation Champions are also able to choose if they wish to have a Mackay HHS representative attend the Kitchen Table Discussion, or Yarning Circle, to provide support, answer questions and take notes (this is optional).
It is important Consultation Champions have a willingness to listen to everyone and capture the feedback of all participants. Consultation Champions will be required to host at least one Kitchen Table Discussion or Yarning Circle only with people already known to them from within their established network. Consultation Champions are not to organise public events or meetings with stakeholders that they do not know and are not part of their existing network.
Mackay HHS Community Engagement Team will provide assistance to Consultation Champions to organise a light refreshment for their morning/afternoon tea at their discussion. Further information about financial reimbursement for hosting a Kitchen Table Discussion, or Yarning Circle, and attending training is included in the position statement.
Snapshot for how to host a Kitchen Table Discussion
- Decide who to invite and agree on a place and time.
- Meet with your group. Bring a copy of the host guide, background document and some pens and paper.
- Begin by reading the background information about the process and ensure everyone understands.
- Introductions. Each participant will introduce themselves and take a moment to share a little about themselves and their connection to maternity care.
- The host reads the first question and then supports each participant to take a moment to respond to the question. The group seeks agreement about the comments to be recorded. The host records the comments for all questions.
- Returning feedback. After the relevant parts of the form are completed the host submits the feedback report from the session to the Mackay HHS Community Engagement Team.
Feedback from the Kitchen Table Discussions and Yarning Circles will then be collated and reviewed as part of the broader engagement process. The feedback outcomes from phase two will then be shared as part of phase three of the Maternity Co-design Project when we close the feedback loop.
Keep informed
Other opportunities for how you can contribute to the Maternity Co-design Project will be promoted during phase two through our website Maternity Co-design Project – Mackay Hospital and Health Services and Facebook page.
Further information and support
Please contact the Mackay HHS Community Engagement Team if you have questions or require any additional information. The Community Engagement Team can also provide support with completing the Consultation Champions expression of interest application form. Phone 4885 6801 or email mhhsengagement@health.qld.gov.au
