Canterbury consumer advisory groups

The Child Health Advisory Council (CHAC) was formed in July 2010 to provide an organised way for parents, guardians and wider whānau to provide input on issues that impact on the care of pēpi (babies), tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people).

Our role

The council provides a family perspective for Child Health Services on decisions being made, changes being developed or any other improvements that are seen as beneficial to child health. The council is made up of:

• 8 family/whānau members (at least 2 from tangata whenua and Pacific communities where possible)
• 3 hospital staff representatives
• a space is held open for a representative from the West Coast.

We work with hospital leadership and staff to:

• promote and improve family-centred care
• ensure the voices of parents, whānau and children (when appropriate) are heard and involved in decision-making related to their care
• review written educational material that is to be shared with families
• focus on improving quality in child health care and patient satisfaction
• serve in an advisory role to help hospital leadership plan programmes and services.

Contact us

• Email: CHAC@cdhb.health.nz

Our role

The purpose of this group is to ensure people with disabilities in the Canterbury and West Coast districts have the health services they need, and feel included in decisions about their health.

The Disability Steering Group (DSG) has been selected to ensure the right balance of representation and has a wide range of relevant knowledge and expertise or experience living with a disability.

The DSG has the Canterbury and West Coast Health Disability Action Plan as the focus for its work. The Plan identifies short-term goals to be achieved in the first two years, and longer-term goals over the 10 year lifespan of the Plan.

Canterbury and West Coast Health Disability Action Plan

The DSG meets approximately monthly. The main points discussed, the advice it provides and the work it instigates are all recorded as key messages. The key messages are public and are sent by email to identified stakeholders and any person that has asked to go on the mailing list.

Contact us

If you would like to be added to the mailing list or provide general feedback on the work of the DSG or make suggestions:

• email: disabilityplan@cdhb.health.nz

Maternity whānau voice was established in 2017 (as the Maternity Consumer Advisory Council) and is a key priority of the Waitaha Maternity Quality and Safety Programme.

Maternity whānau voice has a large number of individual and NGO members who attend meetings or receive the minutes and provide feedback on topics that they feel they can comment on.

Our role

Consumer members represent Maternity whānau voice at different hui (meetings), including the:

• Women’s and Children’s Clinical Governance
• Maternity Quality Clinical Governance  (external link)
• Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) (external link) steering group. 

Members do so as nominated by the Maternity whānau voice and are representative of all members and the groups they link into.

The group provides:

• information sharing
• presentations
• updates on maternity projects
• networking.

Maternity whānau voice meetings are held every 6 weeks.

Key initiatives

We have been able to be a big part of some initiatives that support our wāhine (women). 

The Birth Afterthoughts Clinic is a direct result of the consumer voice telling us that there needed to be a way to allow woman to talk through their birth in a safe way.  

Birth Afterthoughts Clinic — Health Information and Services (external link)

We have made moves to make it easier for rural and remote women to share their experiences, with a view to better meet the needs of their community.

We are currently actively seeking members to join our roopu (group) from Waitaha communities including:

• ethnically diverse whānau
• disability community
• rangatahi (young people).

Our satellite group from Kaikoura continues to grow and give feedback to take into consideration. 

Contact us

If you would like to know more or to join Maternity whānau voice:

• email: wchsafetyandquality@cdhb.health.nz

Our role

We seek individuals with lived experience to work in partnership with medical/nursing and allied team members to improve the service for whānau who have been cared for by the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) team – either in NICU or in the maternity ward.

The group meets 4 times a year – either face to face at Christchurch Women’s Hospital or via Teams.

The function of the group is to discuss educational material, health information and service enhancements for whānau of pēpi (babies) in NICU.

Contact us

If you would be interested in being involved in now or in the future:

• Email: jemma.hartley@neonataltrust.org.nz

YAC is a lived experience advisory council voluntarily run by young people (aged 16-24) that advocates for 12-24 year olds in the Canterbury health system. The YAC was formed in 2014 to advise the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) on youth-related matters with support from Nicola Scott (Nursing Director, Women’s & Children’s Health Waitaha). 

Our role

YAC delivers several core projects each year including:

• backpacks for young people admitted to hospital in Christchurch
• educational resources, such as videos with experts, educational evenings, reminders, and lived experience perspectives
• professional development
• Youth Health Awards
• systemic advocacy
• community events, such as movie screenings, roller discos, card marking.

YAC also engages with organisations who seek our input to:

• conduct audits
• review resources
• conduct consumer surveys
• run donation drives (e.g., pantry items for people and their whānau receiving life saving treatment at Rānui House).

Organisations we have worked with include:

• Rānui House
• Whakarongorau
• Just the Facts and The Sexually Transmitted Infections Education Foundation
• Christchurch Sexual Health Service
• Canterbury Clinical Network
• Burwood Pain Management Centre
• Specialist Mental Health Services.

Our aims 

Consistent with the Health and Disability Services Standards 2.3.9 – 2.3.11, the YAC aims to represent youth lived experience in the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of health and disability service delivery.

Youth voice is captured mainly through council members who all have various lived experience of engaging with the Canterbury health system. However, the YAC also engages with local schools and the community to run focus groups or ask questions. In particular, the YAC is passionate about including voices of:

• LGBTQIA+
• Māori
• Pacific peoples
• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD)
• people with disabilities
• other minority groups.

Contact us

If you would like to engage us for co-design of a project or have any questions, suggestions, or systemic advocacy concerns or recommendations:

• email: cdhbyouth@gmail.com