Conference Agenda

Target Audience

Researchers, project managers, service providers and community workers interested in demonstrating the social and economic benefits of Compassionate Communities approaches to caring, dying and grieving.

Learning Objectives

Greater awareness of what practical evaluation tools can be used for demonstrating outcomes of Compassionate Communities programs and initiatives and how to navigate the health service and community aspects of the challenges.

Structure of Workshop

In Western Australia (WA), the South West Compassionate Communities Network in partnership with WA Country Health Service care teams implemented the Compassionate Communities Connectors program (2020-22). This translational research project involved Community volunteers (known as “Connectors”) being trained to enlist helpers from the community (known as Caring Helpers) to enhance supportive networks and provide practical and social support to people with advanced chronic conditions and/or life-limiting illnesses.

This workshop will share the range of quantitative and qualitative evaluation tools that were used to identify social and practical gains for participants (Connectors, families and healthcare providers), including health care usage method to identify the cost savings for health services.

The workshop will further explain the rationale and methodology used to identify the social and economic impact of this approach and explore how this methodology and tools can be used to support attendees’ work. Interactive discussions will explore what evaluation tools attendees have used for the different target groups in their programs, what they were aiming to achieve and what worked or did not work when formal and informal networks have partnered together.