Health and wellbeing alliances (hubs)

  • Coordinated interagency approach with shared responsibilities and resources; co-located on NSW public school sites;
  • Often staffed with a Hub Coordinator who manages referrals and bookings and provides advice if needed to link students and their families to the appropriate supports
  • Located in purpose built or refurbished consultation spaces where school staff and external services offer students additional supports
  • The range of services vary depending upon the needs identified and service availability within the community.

  • Provide additional supports to address known or emerging complex health care and/or wellbeing issues in the community, or to address a lack of access to services
  • Geographically isolated communities where there can be very few services and public transport expenditure can be expensive or limited may choose to set up a ‘hub’ approach to overcome barriers.

  • Supports students and their families to navigate the health system
  • Students’ health care needs can be triaged with students receive greater access to the services they need
  • Reduced time away from school to travel to specialist appointments
  • Increased school community engagement with external service providers.

  • Significant resources are needed to establish, coordinate and sustain ‘hubs’
  • Sustainability of services may be reliant on external providers. In some communities services and/or personnel can change frequently, impacting continuity of service
  • Fit for purpose spaces are not available on all school sites and costing can be prohibitive
  • Coordination and governance require large investments of time, including asset management and legalities
  • Roles need to be well defined with a shared understanding of purpose and value add
  • Staff capabilities need to be built across systems working together to support students
  • Health and safety issues need to be carefully considered when providing public access to ‘hubs’
  • Ensuring the right legal agreements are in place
  • Schools may require support to embed evaluation practices.

  • External health and wellbeing services that operate out of school ‘hubs’ include Headspace, social workers, not-for-profit organisations, youth workers, art and music therapists and dietitians
  • Most services rotate days to be on site; working one to two days a week which allows for a variety of services to access consultation spaces
  • Connecting outdoor spaces through yarning cycles, kitchen and sensory gardens and other nature experiences
  • Creating cultural safe and welcoming spaces for all students; personalising internal spaces through student design and art.

Category:

  • Student management and wellbeing

Topics:

  • Mental health

Business Unit:

  • Inclusion and Wellbeing
Return to top of page Back to top