Equity

This project is a small co-design project with young people (15 and older) with disability and their parents/carers. This is designed to support and inform a larger 2-year proof of concept project ‘In Their Habitat’ that has been co-funded by the Research Foundation of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance and the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation. The goal of ‘In Their Habitat’ is to develop a consistent approach to paediatric rehabilitation where assessment of movement will not be made in the rarefied clinical environment but in the community with children undertaking the activities that make up their daily life.

How can co-governance arrangements be used to develop better policy?

This project examines co-governance and trust.  Declining trust in government, policy failures, and the intractability of wicked problems signal an urgent need for policy innovation which has fostered a growing interest in collaborative governance. Collaborative governance is an attractive proposition because, in theory, it involves all stakeholders affected by an issue coming together to engage in creative problem-solving.

This project seeks to identify the precursors and enablers of co-governance. This is informed by a scoping review to identify key stages and components of co-governance identified in academic and practice literature. The findings of this review are being tested and further developed in three case studies – the Waterloo Human Services Collaborative Group, the National Disability Data Asset Disability Advisory Council, and Maranguka. The project is due to report in early 2025. 

Waterloo Redevelopment: Health Needs Assessment and Longitudinal Study

This project aims to evaluate, and protect, the health and wellbeing of tenants of the Waterloo public housing estate as it is redeveloped to an ultra-high density and mixed tenure precinct. The Waterloo public housing estate has about 2,000 medium/high-density dwellings, many in need of refurbishment. Approximately 8% of residents are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders.  The NSW Government in 2015 announced plans to redevelop the estate at a higher density to include 7,000 dwellings, with two thirds private housing and one third social housing. Construction is expected to commence in 2022 and to last 15 to 20 years.

Evaluation of a virtual health hub for people at risk of homelessness

This project supports the evaluation of the first pilot location of the NSW Virtual Health Hub Model of Care which is providing telehealth solutions to promote accessible and comprehensive healthcare services for people at risk of homelessness. Individuals experiencing homelessness and residing in boarding houses in the Sydney metropolitan region face a range of challenges in accessing and receiving necessary medical services. 

Evaluation of a Housing Relocation Referral Pathway for clients identified as experiencing moderate to severe mental illness during relocation

The Health and Housing Partnership has a focus on developing innovative approaches to improve the health and access to health services by social housing tenants in South Western Sydney. 

Health impact assessment of the Waterloo Estate Redevelopment

This is a staged health impact assessment of the proposed redevelopment of a public housing estate comprising 2,000 dwellings in Syndey’s inner-city suburb of Waterloo, with a focus on the potential for tenants to experience stress, anxiety and psychological distress following the announcement of the redevelopment, and prior to them being rehoused. The aim of the research is to enhance the redevelopment's potentially positive health benefits and mitigate its potentially negative health risks and costs.

Waterloo housing estate redevelopment:  Assessment of residents' health needs & circumstances

The New South Wales Government in 2015 announced plans to redevelop a public housing estate comprising 2,000 dwellings in Sydney’s inner-city suburb of Waterloo as a mixed-tenure development with 7,000 dwellings. A health impact assessment of the proposal recommended that an assessment of the health needs and circumstances of current tenants be conducted, which could also form the baseline for a longitudinal study of the redevelopment. In this pilot study, funded by a grant from Maridulu Budyari Gumal (Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise), data collection methods for a potential health needs assessment and longitudinal study were developed and trialled. Findings from the pilot study have been incorporated into Sydney Local Health District’s formal submission on the New South Wales Government’s Waterloo Estate South Planning Proposal.

Consulting with people who matter: alcohol and other drug use in Liverpool

This project aims to empower South Western Sydney residents and stakeholders to engage in liquor licensing decision-making. Expanding on current research, it will provide forums and resources to support stakeholders in addressing alcohol-related harm and navigating licensing regulations. By fostering meaningful participation, the initiative aims to enable community members to influence decision-making processes that shape local outcomes.

Refugees in Greater Western Sydney: a systemic analysis of the of the impact of COVID-19 and service system response

Since 2021, ICFHS staff have been leading a program of research with NSW Refugee Health Services focused on the needs and outcomes for refugees and people seeking asylum when accessing health and social services. Refugees and especially asylum seekers face ongoing vulnerabilities and tend to have fewer protections or formal support systems. The research program provides important insights into how services can be better aligned and provided with an equity lens.