Strategic Plan

PURPOSE

We exist to deliver accessible health and wellbeing services that meet the needs of our communities and use our influence to create positive change.

VALUES

Accountability: We do what we say we will do; we earn the trust of our clients and communities.

Collaboration: we seek impactful partnerships and invest in our relationships.

Respect: we see and value the whole person, in our community and workforce.

Courage: we adapt, reflect, and innovate to achieve and deliver our best.

PILLARS

Pillar one outlines ten high-level outcomes to be achieved through the combined efforts of business plan activities over the three-year Strategic Plan cycle. Early progress has already contributed to these outcomes, with key outcomes including:

• Communities feel safe and welcomed when accessing services, improving overall health and wellbeing.
• BHN continuously connects with diverse communities, listening and responding to their unique needs.
• Efforts focus on addressing healthcare inequities, promoting more equitable outcomes for all.

Data integration and the development of the Client Experience Strategy have begun to highlight the demographics and circumstances of underserved communities. This knowledge is shaping service design and participation efforts, aimed at breaking down barriers to healthcare access.

Additionally, the preparation for Rainbow Tick accreditation has allowed BHN to implement policies fostering a safer, more welcoming environment for the LGBTIAQ+ community. This commitment to inclusivity will carry into the Reconciliation Action Plan and future projects.

BHN’s diversity of lived and living experience provides clients with more choice and drives innovation. Our expertise in Lived and Living Experience (LLE) roles has also attracted new program opportunities, with ongoing consultations helping to align workforce familiarity with LLE disciplines.

Finally, BHN is building frameworks that will ensure continuous engagement with diverse voices in service design and policy, demonstrating accountability and transparency in our practices. 

Pillar two focuses on building an efficient, data-driven, and accessible service that can be evaluated and measured for impact. While many activities are still in the design and development phase, some benefits are already emerging:

• BHN is making progress towards being more productive, efficient, and transparent across its systems.
• The organisation is moving towards a “report once, use often” model for data management, reducing administrative burdens while ensuring data security.
• Clients and the workforce will experience easier navigation of services and more streamlined access to offerings across various locations. 

Early advancements have been made in integrating BHN’s data and digital platforms, creating a consolidated source of truth that improves governance and reporting. The ongoing development of the intranet and the launch of Power BI training are key steps in enabling continuous evaluation and impact assessment.

The Client Experience Project will further enhance service navigability, identify access barriers, and create design solutions for easier referrals, ensuring that our resources reflect the health and wellbeing needs of the community.

The development of the BHN Partnership and Network maps will soon offer analytical tools to make sure that our policies and messages resonate with key sector partners and community members. This will help us tell our story more effectively and build trust with communities and stakeholders.

The organisation’s progress with the amalgamation process demonstrates adaptability and reinforces a cycle of learning and improvement, which will be further solidified by the Leadership Development Program. This transition marks BHN’s shift from integration to transformation, ensuring it remains a leader in healthcare innovation.

Pillar three outlines twelve outcomes aimed at ensuring BHN becomes a sustainable, thriving, and future-ready organisation. This pillar emphasises a forward-focused, proactive approach, positioning BHN as a contemporary and accountable leader in the community health sector. Some key impacts we hope to achieve under this pillar include:

• BHN leads by example, building a strong reputation as a responsible and accountable organisation.
• Sustainability issues are integrated into operations to meet growing community and departmental expectations.
• BHN is poised to use its influence to raise awareness of the connections between social disadvantage, health, and climate change.
• BHN continues to innovate in ways that benefit client outcomes, organisational sustainability, and workforce development. 

While strategic social and environmental policy considerations are currently being refined before progressing, early considerations will soon be presented to the Board for guidance. Progress in data integration, particularly with Power BI, has enabled the development of comprehensive community profiles, supporting clearer planning and evidence-based decision-making.

With the amalgamation nearing completion, BHN is ready to shift focus to the transformation agenda, fostering further innovation. To support this, an asset report has been completed, identifying urgent needs and laying the foundation for long-term asset management.

• Physical, financial, and technological assets are effectively managed, ensuring sustained and sensible growth.
• Financial integration has been achieved, with BHN successfully delivering its first budget, a milestone that enables efficient resource management and a coherent investment approach.
• BHN ensures that the right supports are available at the right time, and communities are seen and valued in planning and design.

The development and consultation regarding the BHN Participation and Engagement framework has ensured that alignment, and promotion of client and community voice, is considered in related projects- such as the design of BHN operational committee and working groups. The Client Experience project design has included a range of mechanisms by which client and community voice will influence and inform the design of the optimal client experience at BHN. 

Pillar four focuses on establishing BHN as an attractive, engaging, and supportive employer with a high-achieving, diverse workforce. It emphasises deep investment in building a unified and driven culture, which engages existing employees and attracts top talent. While full impact is yet to be realised under this Pillar, the groundwork has been laid through a timely initiation of activities. Some key outcomes we are working towards include:

• BHN creates an environment where all individuals feel valued, heard, and welcomed.
• Wellbeing is prioritised within the organisation and workforce, demonstrated by the launch of the BHN Wellbeing Committee. Early events have been well-attended and positively received.
• BHN fosters meaningful, supportive working relationships and builds a workforce that is fulfilled and aligned with its values.

Development of the Values Framework has begun with management-wide workshops to define shared values in action. Additionally, a new Director-level meeting cycle has been established to promote leadership, decision-making, and accountability across the organisation. This helps us to ensure that:

• The workforce is supported in defining and achieving personal career goals, fostering a strong sense of purpose.
• BHN is working to position itself as an employer of choice within the sector, building its brand and identity.

The My Impact and Development process has also been launched, with training provided to ensure staff and managers use it effectively. This system promotes a goal-oriented and continuously improving culture, supported by the Leadership Development Program to build leadership capabilities. This also positions us well to ensure that we benefit from the diverse experiences and perspectives within our workforce, and that we promote a culturally safe and inclusive workplace.