A collective approach to improve health
In 2019, the Moreton Bay Children’s Partnership conducted early background research around the viability and desire for a place-based approach to children and family’s health across Moreton Bay.
Research revealed several gaps and overlaps in service delivery and collaborative efforts, highlighting opportunities to improve coordination and coherence between different initiatives.
In 2022, building on this research, the Health Alliance partnered with service provider, yourtown, to develop an evidence-based case for taking a collective approach to embed change at a system level. A subsequent draft Collective Impact model has been developed, evidencing the potential for improving health service delivery for children in their families across the Moreton Bay Region.
About the project
Established in 2017 by Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, the Moreton Bay Children’s Partnership aims to improve the health and wellbeing of children and families across the region through industry and community collaboration.
A high-level service demand region, Moreton Bay experiences significant levels of social disadvantage compared to other areas within Brisbane North. Whilst this demand has resulted in increased service delivery across all sectors, a collective and coordinated approach to addressing health needs in children and families was recognised by the Partnership.
MBCP engaged with the Health Alliance to conduct early research on the viability and desire for a place-based collective impact initiative, a joint approach to service delivery targeting community through an integrated and accessible service system.
Recognising an opportunity for system-wide improvement, the Health Alliance partnered with service provider, yourtown, to undertake community and stakeholder consultation, informing the development of recommendations for a Collective Impact model. Consultation included the establishment of an advisory committee to provide resources, contacts, advice, decision making and oversight of the project. The committee included members of the Moreton Bay Children’s Partnership along with relevant stakeholders and community representatives.
Consultation commenced in late 2022 with community identifying several key issues affecting the health and wellbeing of children and families in Moreton Bay. The draft report presents these issues as six key themes including:
- – Difficulty accessing services
- – Improving outcomes through early intervention
- – Cost-of-living pressures
- – Improving community safety
- – Need for social facilities such as sporting venues, youth drop-in centres and culturally safe places
- – Need for accessible, affordable after-school hours activities.
Community also identified single parents, single-income families, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families as being the most affected.
As a result of this research and consultation, the Alliance has made recommendations for coordination of funding the centralisation of health and social services.
Next steps
The draft report will make the case for taking a collective approach to embed change at a system level.
The Alliance is actively engaging system partners to agree on a shared approach and commitment to better addressing the complex social determinants in the region.
[1] Australian Institute of Family Studies. 2017. Collective impact: Evidence and implications for practice. CFCA Paper No. 45, November. Retrieved from:
