Marble Foyer

Main Conference Opening Plenary

Culture, Connection and Voice

Prof. Megan Best and/or Jessica Gerais, University of Notre Dame

Dipti Zachariah, Associate Director – Patient and Carer Experience, Western Sydney Local Health District

This session will explore how trust, relationships, culture, and communication shape engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse communities in palliative care.

It will consider practical approaches to building meaningful community connections, engaging patients and families, and recruiting a volunteer workforce that better reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.

Melanie Liddell, Social Impact Manager, Volunteering WA

Understanding and evidencing impact is an important of strengthening programs and demonstrating the difference they make. However, knowing what to measure, what evidence to collect, and where to start can feel challenging.

This interactive workshop will support participants to explore how they can better understand the impact of their programs by identifying intended outcomes, developing meaningful indicators, and selecting practical approaches to collecting evidence.

Using examples from palliative care contexts, such as music therapy and Jolly Trolley programs, participants will explore how small, achievable approaches to data collection – including stories, reflections, observations and creative methods – can build a clearer picture of change.

Dr Trish Mackey, Charles Sturt University and Kate Bowman, Volunteer Service Support Program Manager, PCNSW

Hear findings from our research as participated in by palliative care volunteer services in NSW

 Venue TBA (at own expense)

Tracey O’Neill

You are the expert in volunteer engagement. You may not hold the title or the position on the organisational chart, but volunteering allows you to connect with your community in a way no one else in your organisation can. You know how it contributes, and you know what changes for the people it reaches.

The systems that stand in your way were built by other people, often for reasons that made sense at the time, and with them, reporting gets designed around what is easy to count. The people deciding where resources go have never been shown what volunteering contributes, so it never becomes a priority.

You have more power to shift this than you might realise. This workshop is about finding that power and using it, without waiting for an invitation.

The missing piece – the value of palliative care volunteers

Janet Pearce, FWLHD.

Analysis of Patients’ Experiences in Community Palliative Care Using the ConsideRATE Tool

Maree Montgomery, MLHD.

Reflections on the Impact of Music Therapy for palliative patients on a mixed medical acute ward

Kylie Clark, NBMLHD.

This is a session for us all to participate and learn from each other.  We want you to bring your favourite training resource along to share with others and give a little explanation about why you think it is so valuable when training your palliative care volunteers.

It may be:

• A couple of powerful great slides
• A short video
• A scenario/patient story
• A written reflection
• A practical hands on exercise that you do in training with volunteers.

Share with us the resource that:

·         Packs a punch

• Communicates effectively
• Speaks strongly to the role of a palliative care volunteer
• Has a strong response from trainees.

And let’s discuss!

 Banquet and exhibition area