Access to proper medical attention and care is critical for anyone’s health. For the residents of Willmot, it has made a monumental difference to the entire community.
After noticing the lack of medical services available for families in the area, the Willmot Community Hub began advocating strongly to have a nurse and paediatric clinic under its own roof. Wait times to get these assessments in and around Willmot are up to three years, meaning children already struggling slip further through the cracks.
“This is an issue that affects kids’ abilities to function throughout the day – to sleep, have access to medication, their schooling. Without proper access to medical care, the whole family structure gets affected. When they get the right assessment, the right diagnosis and the right treatment, it benefits the whole family,” says Delander.
The clinic quickly started helping children access supports like getting a learning support officer at school or help to sleep better at night.
“I cannot express how much of an impact it is to the members of a community who are having to deal with loans to get winter clothing for their children and who can’t afford a $2,500 assessment that their child needs,” reflects Delander.
I’ve known the kids in the community for many years, even before I worked here. Now fewer kids are getting suspended, there are fewer kids missing school, more parents are happy and talking about how well their children are doing. That in itself is a game changer.
Acting Manager, Western Sydney Programs
The Hub has focused strongly on making the clinic a culturally safe bridge between the community and other health services. With strong and trusting relationships at its core, it has become a space where First Nations families in particular can feel that their needs are being heard and met.
“Our program means that parents can come over to the Hub, do an assessment where they’re comfortable and where their kids are comfortable, be assessed properly, and then they can return to school. They don’t have to book out a whole day and take a lot of time off work.
Even if they need to bring their younger children with them to make the appointment, they can,” says Delander. “It’s one of the best examples of early intervention I can think of.”
