Health Hubs provide over 100 vulnerable kids access to crucial health checks
CareSouth’s Health Hub events in April provided over 100 children and young people a comprehensive range of health checks – all on the same day, in the same place.
Held in Illawarra, Shoalhaven, Goulburn and Griffith, the events provided checks to children and young people in CareSouth’s Foster Care, Aunties & Uncles and Family Preservation programs. The services available included free GP, dental, hearing and speech check-ups, as well as occupational therapy and NDIS consultations.
Research by Griffith University found that vulnerable children were more likely to use fewer primary and secondary healthcare services during the first 5 years of life compared with non-vulnerable children, but significantly more emergency department services.1
“Everyone needs an annual health check, but the risk of not engaging with healthcare providers early is even higher for the children and young people in our programs. Many have experienced trauma, and research shows childhood trauma can have lasting detrimental effects on a person’s physical and mental health,” says Renee Knight, CareSouth Executive Officer.
“Our caseworkers recognised the need for Health Hubs after parents and carers in our programs reported challenges accessing health appointments for kids in their care. This is due to barriers like children’s fear of healthcare providers, distance to travel in regional areas and difficulty accessing multiple different services.”
One of the goals of the Health Hubs was to create an environment familiar to children and young people, so they are more likely to agree to checks with nurses, dentists and therapists than they would in a regular clinic.
Every participant received a robust report with findings and recommendations from each provider. The recommendations included referral pathways for any follow-up care required, outlining all available options with a focus on ones that are subsidised and accessible.
The events in Illawarra and Goulburn were funded by generous grants from Berkeley Easts Club, Goulburn Workers Club and Goulburn Soldiers’ Club.
Health Hubs will also be rolled out across CareSouth’s footprint in Deniliquin, Wagga and Batemans Bay in July. They continue CareSouth’s 11-year legacy of providing accessible health check-ups to children and young people in communities across regional NSW.
1 Bull, Claudia, Howie, Peta, Callander, Emily J. “Inequities in vulnerable children’s access to health services in Australia.” BMJ Global Health, 2022. Griffith Research Online, https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/server/api/core/bitstreams/062eabaa-9c8f-41cc-90fc-63a5578f8102/content
Health Hubs provide over 100 vulnerable kids access to crucial health checks
CareSouth’s Health Hub events in April provided over 100 children and young people a comprehensive range of health checks – all on the same day, in the same place.
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