Figure 1
Overview of the service environment for the Healthy Living Program.
Figure 2
Recruitment and data collection.
Table 1
Interview guide.
| COMMUNITY QUESTIONS | STAFF OF THE HEALTH DISTRICT AND OTHER RELEVANT ORGANISATIONS QUESTIONS |
|---|---|
| 1. Can you please tell us how you got to know [the Link Worker]? Probe (if not addressed): Can you tell us about a specific time when [the Link Worker] has helped you or someone you know? | 1. How have you (or other staff in your organisation) been involved with the Healthy Living Link Worker role? Probe: Is there a process or protocol which guides these interactions? |
| 2. How well do you think [the Link Worker] works with people in the community? | 2. How successful has the Healthy Living Link Worker been engaging with: a. the community b. the staff of your organisation c. the staff of other organisations such as local Health District, community-based non-government organisations, Families and Community Services or other government organisations? Probes: If yes – can you provide some examples? How has this been achieved? If no – can you provide some examples? |
| 3. How is [the Link Worker] making a difference in the community? Probes: In your opinion, what are the most helpful activities of [the Link Worker]? What other activities could [the Link Worker] be involved in to help the community? | 3. In your opinion, what has the role achieved? Probes: What has worked best? Why? What isn’t working? Why? |
| For Local Health District staff ONLY: 4. What capacity does your service have to support those clients the Healthy Living Link Worker refers to you? Probes: If they have capacity – Can you provide some examples? If they don’t have capacity – What has been the issue(s)? | |
| 4. Overall, are you satisfied with the job that [the Link Worker] is doing? | 5. Overall, are you satisfied with the activities of the role? Probes: How could the role function better? Are there any other activities the Link Worker could be involved in? |
| 5. Do you have any further comments or suggestions about what [the Link Worker] is doing for the community? | 6. Do you have any further comments or suggestions about the Healthy Living Link Worker role? |
Table 2
Interviewee characteristics.
| CHARACTERISTICS | NO OF INTERVIEWEES (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Clients | 7 (33.3%) |
| NGO staff | 4 (19.0%) | |
| SLHD staff | 6 (28.6%) | |
| Staff from other government agencies | 4 (19.0%) | |
| Gender | Female | 16 (76.2%) |
| Male | 5 (23.8%) | |
| Age-group | 30–49 years | 12 (57.1%) |
| 50–69 years | 9 (42.9%) | |
Table 3
Themes according to areas of investigation.
| PERCEIVED IMPACT OF THE ROLE |
| New model of working with the community |
| Directing and supporting access to services |
| Responsiveness to community needs |
| Facilitating changes in community attitudes to services |
| Facilitating change in service delivery and collaborations |
| SUCCESS FACTORS |
| Trusted and consistent presence |
| Communication and personal skills |
| Knowledge about the community and the health system |
| Successful engagement with the community and stakeholders |
| CONSTRAINTS OF THE ROLE |
| Too much for one person to fulfil |
| Different expectations of the role |
| Lack of clarity about the role |
| Difficulty influencing health system change |
| Lack of community input into the work |
| SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS |
| Expansion of the service |
| More support to influence system change |
| Address other outstanding health service gaps |
| Need for the community and NGOs to be more actively involved |