Background
Over recent years HealthWest Partnership have collaborated with local community members and health and community services to address economic exclusion in Melbourne’s west.
The relationship between economic inclusion (employment) and good health, and equally the link between unemployment and poor health outcomes, is well understood (Allen et al., 2010). Acknowledging and responding to this social determinant of health is a crucial primary step we can take towards the prevention of ill health across the west and beyond.
HealthWest-led initiatives
Workforce Mutuality Toolkit
Completed project (2017-2020)
Provides practical guidance on how organisations can better reflect the community they serve.
Community Conversations project
Completed project (2020-2021)
Explored the nature of economic exclusion and community-informed ideas for reducing barriers to participation for refugee and migrant communities.
Recruiting for Diversity project
Current project
Aims to identify what hinders and supports human resource (HR) departments to adopt fair, accessible, and equitable recruitment practices that would lead to better workforce diversity.
Workforce Mutuality Accelerator program
Current project
Provides organisations with tailored support to accelerate their efforts to improve workforce mutuality.
More info:
Documents for the 2019 Economic Inclusion for Health Forum
- Discussion paper: Economic inclusion. What is it and how can we work together for greater impact in Melbourne’s west?
- 2019 Forum summary: Economic Inclusion for Health
Reference:
Allen, J., Goldblatt, P., & Marmot, M. (2010). Fair Society Healthy Lives (The Marmot Review). Institute of Health Equity. London. https://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/resources-reports/fair-society-healthy-lives-the-marmot-review