Child Development Services
As part of the reform agenda the Health Reform Implementation Taskforce was requested to review the coordination and delivery of child development services in Western Australia. The report of the review, Future Directions for Western Australian Child Development Services (2006) (PDF 376KB) was endorsed and a decision was made to establish a single metropolitan Child Development Service.
The Child Development Service delivers assessment, early intervention and therapy services for children, and families, with or at risk of developmental delay/s. Services are provided by a range of health professionals including speech pathologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists, social workers, nurses, paediatricians and medical officers.
To progress the implementation of a single Child Development Service, a project team was established. The Project Leadership Committee, consisting of broad representation from allied health professionals, paediatricians and existing management positions, supports this team. This committee ensures there is extensive collaboration and communication between staff and the project team and its role has included leading the development of the Strategic Intent for the Service, planning the Child Development Service Forum, and overseeing a number of smaller working groups to address each of the key priority areas.
The objectives of the Child Development Service project are to:
- develop standard policies and clinical pathways including policies and guidelines to support culturally appropriate services for Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) children
- partner with the WA Country Health Service to ensure consistency across the State
- partner with other agencies to delineate roles and responsibilities
- implement a standardised approach to data collection and reporting
- ensure better communication between child development services and the public
- develop strategies for management of waiting lists and wait times.
Several working groups have been established to progress these objectives and a large amount of work has been achieved to date.
If you would like more information about the Child Development Service Project, please contact Erin Gauntlett, Project Coordinator, on (08) 9323 6669.
Alternatively, WA Health staff can access further information about this project through the Child and Adolescent Health Service Intranet.
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