Building capacity of the Aboriginal Services Network of the West

North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) commissioned Wyndham City Council to build the capacity of the Aboriginal Services Network of the West (ASNoW). The project was developed to support services to better connect, coordinate and meet the needs of the growing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in the western Melbourne region.

Activities in the first 18 months focused on building the capacity of stakeholders and community to better engage with, and support, the Aboriginal community in the west through workshops and training. It also included development of a community website called Deadly Western Connections (DWC).

The final months of the project focused on supporting the growth and promotion of DWC. This ensured the website contained and amplified information relevant to Aboriginal communities, including COVID-19 information, community events, job vacancies, Aboriginal-owned businesses and culturally appropriate services.

Project activities also included:

• establishing an Aboriginal steering committee that worked alongside Wyndham City Council and NWMPHN to direct priorities and actions
• promotion of the practice of listening, learning, and planning together with the community
• partnering with the Wunggurrwil Dhurrung Centre and ASNoW to develop a training calendar for improving culturally safe practice, effective referral pathways and collaboration between organisations.

Outcomes for this project include:

• strengthened links between services providing support to Aboriginal communities in Melbourne’s west
• increased capacity and capability of services, workers and communities to respond to and manage the health and social needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• development of a community website that led by and relevant to local Aboriginal people. At the conclusion of this commissioned activity, the website:
  • • included trusted information on more than 80 community services, networks and business
    • had posted more than 240 job advertisements
    • was being accessed by more than 300 users each week, with traffic steadily increasing.