Joint COSS submission to the Senate on Social Determinants of ...

Submission <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Senate</strong> Community Affairs Committee on Australia’s response <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> WHO ‘Closing <strong>the</strong> gap’ reportNSW Oral Health Alliance (NSWOHA)The structure of <strong>the</strong> national alliance has also been replicated at <strong>the</strong> state level, with <strong>the</strong>NSW Oral Health Alliance (NSWOHA). The NSWOHA is convened by <strong>the</strong> Council ofSocial Service of NSW (N<strong>COSS</strong>). It comprises around 15 organisations from <strong>the</strong>community sec<strong>to</strong>r and dental profession.The NSWOHA provides a forum <strong>the</strong> discussion of oral health issues and undertakecoordinated activities <strong>to</strong> improve access <strong>to</strong> dental service for low income anddisadvantaged people in NSW.Earlier this year, <strong>the</strong> NSW Oral Health Alliance issued a call <strong>to</strong> action <strong>to</strong> NSW StateParliamentarians <strong>to</strong> get behind dental reform by lobbying <strong>the</strong>ir federal counterparts for anational oral health plan and advocating <strong>the</strong> NSW Government for increased publicdental funding in line with <strong>the</strong> N<strong>COSS</strong> Pre-Budget Submission 2012-13. The Alliance iscompiling responses and publishing <strong>the</strong>m on <strong>the</strong> N<strong>COSS</strong> website.The Alliance previously developed An Advocacy Kit for Community & Welfare Non-Government Organisations (NGOs). It aimed <strong>to</strong> raise awareness of oral health issuesfor low income and disadvantaged people and encourage advocacy with politicians,media and in <strong>the</strong> wider community.Currently, <strong>the</strong> Alliance is developing an Information and Referral Guide <strong>to</strong> Dentalservices for Community Workers. The Guide is <strong>to</strong> meet a need identified by <strong>the</strong> Alliancein <strong>the</strong>ir previous research report on access <strong>to</strong> dental services for clients of nongovernment human service organisations.Queensland Centre for ExcellenceIn its Fairer Queensland Plan, <strong>the</strong> Queensland Council of Social Service (Q<strong>COSS</strong>)recommends <strong>the</strong> establishment of a Queensland Centre for Excellence <strong>to</strong> improveoutcomes for families and children.Evidence based best practice should be <strong>the</strong> corners<strong>to</strong>ne of any effective prevention andearly intervention strategy aimed at improving outcomes for families and children andreducing reliance on costly crises interventions. There is a significant gap in <strong>the</strong>translation of evidence in<strong>to</strong> practice in Queensland. There also needs <strong>to</strong> be a moresystemic evaluation culture that enables good practice <strong>to</strong> be accessed and <strong>the</strong> elementsof success embedded more widely.To ensure that programs and services are best practice and cost effective requiresaccess <strong>to</strong> information about <strong>the</strong> types of interventions that work and <strong>the</strong> ability <strong>to</strong> applyresearch in<strong>to</strong> every day practice. A sec<strong>to</strong>r led centre for excellence, similar <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>Centre for Excellence in Outcomes for Families and Children (C4EO) model in <strong>the</strong>United Kingdom (C4EO 2012), will facilitate <strong>the</strong> application of best practice <strong>to</strong> policymakers, program managers and front-line services and staff.C4EO fulfilled a demand from <strong>the</strong> early childhood development sec<strong>to</strong>r for anorganisation <strong>to</strong> facilitate <strong>the</strong> translation of research evidence in<strong>to</strong> practice i.e. acting asan “intermediary knowledge broker”. There are <strong>the</strong> beginnings of a similar movement inCouncil of Social Service of NSW (N<strong>COSS</strong>) Page 30 of 31