O64 - The Community Maternity Hubs Logan: Place based community led actin for collective impact

Abstract

In 2018, an integrated, relationship based, community co-designed maternity service continuity of midwifery care model, known as the Community Maternity and child health Hubs (Hubs) was implemented in a regional health district, with a culturally diverse and socially disadvantaged priority population (1,2). First Nations, Culturally and Linguistically diverse, Young parents and Maori and Pacific Island women are offered continuity of midwifery care and wrap around services into the first 2000 days of life. The service (The Hubs) now provide care for approximately 28% of the birthing population of the area (3). This model is an innovation in co -design with impacts observed attributable to a collective impact framework (4). Importantly ‘The Hubs’ have external cross sector and community governance that continues to provide avenues for collective impact. Preliminary data demonstrate superior short-term health outcomes for mothers and babies when compared to standard care in the Logan priority populations catchment area (1-3). Long-term effects of this model of care on the health of the Logan community is unknown. Whilst increased numbers of childbearing women are accessing care through the Hubs, there is still a cohort of priority populations who are not engaging. This presentation describes the Hubs, including the community governance principles that are essential to embed cultural safety and sustainability. It presents an overview of the current project which aims to identify what is working well and what can be improved to engage those families who are not accessing care. This includes development of a framework for place-based community led action for collective impact and provision of baseline data for long-term evaluation strategies of paediatric development and behavioural outcomes in Logan over the program's lifespan (5). The presentation will highlight the pivotal role of the community in the project team and service provision and provide insights for implementing and scaling this community-led innovation in other areas.