Partnering with People: Engaging consumers for safer systems

This year we used a blend of human centred design, consultation, and co-design to develop a formalised way that would bring a renewed focus to building stronger, respected relationships, leading to the development of the CEC Partnering with People process.

The process aims to guide and support teams to identify the ways living experience and diverse perspectives will have an impact on the policies and strategies to be addressed in CEC work.

This process directly relates to patients and carers having positive experiences and outcomes that matter by having voice and impact from the level of statewide systems, policy and strategy, areas that drive health care services for the future.

Engaging consumers is a strategic priority for the CEC and supports the NSW Health Future Health Strategic Framework.

People Partner panel membership is offered to people who have previous experience in consumer engagement activities and a strong desire to make a difference to the safety and quality systems that drive health care outcomes in NSW.

There are currently 15 active panel members, with broad lived experience to share.

People Partners are welcomed as equal team members and contributors in the work of safety and quality in health care, from the beginning of strategy and policy planning. With a continuous aim to balance clinician/specialist to patient/consumer power in healthcare, the Partnering with People process includes getting to know each other as humans first, people before position, as we all explore our human experience of healthcare.

Breaking down power barriers creates ways to build broader perspectives, consider greater opportunities and challenges together, and develop innovative solutions to problems that may not have been considered without partner contributions.

Being a People Partner helps 'bridge the gap' between where you sit and where we are in the system.

The (Partnering with People) process and agreement helped to clarify the role I had on the working party and understand the purpose of the work we are doing.

The CEC conducted a review of best practice consumer engagement and consumer-led health care models. From these findings, the CEC began to reframe the nature of engagement opportunities, enhance the value of consumer partnerships and establish the People Partner panel.

Using a blend of human-centred design, consultation, and co-design with Partners and CEC staff, we looked to a way forward that would bring a renewed focus to building stronger, respected relationships.

Throughout 2022-2023 there were over 45 occasions of Partner engagement. Those facilitated later in 2022 trialled the process in small tests of change - PDSA cycles, based on improvement science methodology, gathering qualitative feedback.

Consumers are important partners in healthcare research projects. They bring a lot of insights and value. Involving consumers in the design prevents waste – they can identify if the research has little benefit to consumers and is unlikely to be used.

We need to move away from a rigid view of safety – just preventing harm. It is about moving from big programs that we deliver and making sure that safety is part of the system. Lived experience is so valuable to us. We need to listen to stories, adapt and change.

Having women, our consumers in the maternity space, on board as a part of a working party allowed the policy to be informed by what was important to them.

The CEC Partnering with People process has facilitated consumer engagement in all aspects of the CEC's work on promoting safety and quality in the NSW Health system. The CEC engaged consumer partners in the development of the CEC Safety Culture framework, designed to promote a shared mental model of the interconnected components of healthcare safety culture and highlight the importance of compassionate leadership as an enabler. This framework supports and connects the work we do across NSW Health to promote a psychologically safe work environment for our staff and improved outcomes and experiences for patients, families and carers.

The CEC Safety Culture framework is currently being integrated into established programs that can influence, support and build capability for psychological safety, effective teamwork and better staff and patient experiences.

Meets Future Health priorities:

• Patients and carers have positive experiences and outcomes that matter

Meets CEC Strategic Plan priorities:

• Safety Culture with Accountability

Being treated with compassion and kindness, eases the stress and anxiety that goes hand in hand with an ED presentation. When you feel you're seen as a whole person and not just as the issue you're presenting with, you feel safe, in good hands, well looked after and more importantly, willing to trust your medical team to find the best possible solution for you. This, to me, encompasses true and meaningful partnership.

The CEC Team:

• Debbie Draybi, Clinical Communication Lead
• Karen Patterson, Director Capability & Culture (CEC Executive Sponsor)
• Bernadette King, Principal Lead, System Safety Culture
• Debby Shea, Program Support Officer
• Mary Ryan, Team Effectiveness Lead
• Sue Sims, Safety Culture Lead
• Heather Moses, Partnering with People for Safety and Quality Lead

Partners

• Members of the CEC People Partner panel