Strategic Appraisal of Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) Community Facility Planning: Consultancy Review of Future Community Child Health Infrastructure Options

The Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) provides community health, child development and child and adolescent mental health services from approximately 150 facilities across the metropolitan area, many of which are Local Government Authority (LGA) facilities. Others are privately leased, or state government facilities.

A recent audit revealed that some CAHS facilities are in breach of legislative requirements regarding Occupational Safety and Health, Fire and Safety, asbestos registration and disability access. The inadequacy of community child health facilities was also the subject of findings in the Western Australian Auditor General’s 2011 Report, Universal Child Health Checks.

In addition, continued use of these unsuitable premises poses a significant risk to Government. The following issues also jeopardise the ability to provide efficient and quality services:
• The majority of existing facilities operate as single clinics with access to limited services, often staffed by one person in isolation presenting security risks.
• Many existing facilities were built over 30 years ago and subsequently do not reflect the current population growth, distribution and need.
• Existing facilities are occupied to capacity and cannot support service growth or facilitate integrated models of service delivery that reflect the needs of the community.
• Facilities have limited IT access which does not support contemporary core service delivery such as group education or therapy sessions.

To date there has been no funding allocation specifically identified for maintenance and/or refurbishment of existing facilities; or for building new facilities to maintain current services and/or to accommodate the additional services to be brought on through the budget allocation. Whilst child community health service provision is of high quality, the efficiency and effectiveness of service provision is currently being jeopardised by the distribution and poor state of existing facilities.

The purpose of this project is to engage an external consultant to undertake a strategic appraisal of CAHS community facilities, including Child and Adolescent Community Health (CACH) and Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) services.

The appraisal will need to include future options for consideration that will:
• Support the key objectives of the CAHS to provide safe and high quality services and to be a leader in the delivery of community health services.
• Facilitate strong links and partnerships with other government and non-government agencies to enhance the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents.
• Enable CAHS to deliver contemporary, multidisciplinary models of care.
• Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of services provided.
• Provide options to co-locate CAMHS, CACH, CAHS outreach and outpatient community based services.
• Ensure equity in access to services and identify options that are accessible to those who need it most.
• Ensure facilities are "fit for purpose" and appropriate to deliver the aforementioned service delivery model.
• Meet the demands of current and projected population growth.
• Represent value for money in terms of return on investment.

The development of proposed options will require consultation primarily with CACH, CAMHS, as well as Primary Care, Local Government Authorities, NFPs and other key stakeholders.