Collaborating for community health: SWSPHN hosts statewide workshop
28 May 2025
SWSPHN proudly hosted the first NSW State Joint Needs Assessment Workshop last week at the Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport Hotel – a day dedicated to sharing, learning, and planning for better health outcomes across our communities.
The workshop brought together executives, directors and health planners from Local Health Districts (LHDs) and Primary Health Networks (PHNs) across NSW. It also attracted visitors from interstate, including participants from Queensland, Victoria, the ACT and Tasmania.
The event was a unique opportunity to explore what is possible when health organisations work closely together – and SWSPHN was honoured to lead the way.
As the only region in NSW to have completed a Joint Needs Assessment – and now working on our second – we were proud to share what we learned and how collaboration shaped our approach.
The day was filled with engaging presentations, insightful panels and thought-provoking discussions aimed at inspiring out-of-the-box thinking. Elizabeth Deveny, Consumers Health Forum of Australia CEO and workshop facilitator, spoke about the strength of a Joint Needs Assessment.
“Today is an opportunity to strengthen strategic collaboration and provide high-level guidance to support regions commencing their journey towards Joint Needs Assessments,” she said.
“What could be possible if we all came together?”
Queensland Health Acting Deputy Director-General, Jodi Hallas, spoke about the success of the Queensland Joint Regional Needs Assessment Framework in assessing the health needs and service needs impacting regions across Queensland.
“When processes are created by a table of people who are committed to driving change – to stop talking and take action – is how we can truly make a change and produce better outcomes for the community.”
SWSPHN Director of Planning and Performance, Amy Prince, highlighted the strong partnership between SWSPHN and SWSLHD and shared insights into the history of strategic collaboration between the two organisations.
“Effective collaboration requires meaningful partnerships,” she said.
A panel discussion featuring Jodi Hallas, NSW Health Deputy Secretary of Health System Strategy and Patient Experience, Elizabeth Wood, Amy Prince and Brisbane North PHN Executive Manager of Strategy and Commissioning, Sharon Sweeney explored how to develop and support strategic collaboration between LHDs and PHNs.
During this discussion, Sharon Sweeney, spoke about the importance of clarity and purpose in our work.
“Understand why you want to work together and why you’re doing a needs assessment – and don’t start until you have this answer,” she said.
The panel also encouraged attendees to adopt a “completely different lens or view on healthcare”, challenging the group to think outside traditional structures.
The workshop also highlighted emerging tools and ideas to help enhance how we plan and deliver health services, including:
- new developments from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
- LUMOS, a powerful data-sharing program offering new opportunities for strategic planning
- engaging with communities more meaningfully
- understanding the structure and function of joint needs assessments
- challenging deficit discourse when looking at specific populations
- next steps toward joint needs assessment models in other regions
A practical presentation by SWSPHN’s Integration and Priority Populations Manager, Ben Neville, and SWSLHD’s Director of Population Health, Mandy Williams, focused on the systems implemented to reduce duplication of information gathered and improve data sharing across organisations.
“How can we work together with those communities or with those organisations to get the information we need from the people within our community?” Ben asked.
“The Joint Needs Assessment is really helpful in terms of: this is the work we are able to do, and this is the work they’re able to do.”
The NSW State Joint Needs Assessment Workshop was a resounding success, demonstrating the power of collaboration through insightful discussions, valuable knowledge sharing and a shared commitment to advancing community health outcomes.
Visit our website to find out more about Joint Needs Assessments