About this report
SEMPHNs achievements over the past twelve months are owed to the hard work and dedication of all those who work in constantly changing primary health care settings.
The work outlined in this report was delivered by SEMPHN’s dedicated and skilled staff, supported by our governing and advisory groups, and in collaboration with partners, general practices, service providers, hospitals, allied health and governments.
We strive to provide support, processes and tools for our staff and our region’s providers to work to the highest standards. This enables a partnership approach to effective care for community members.
As a not-for-profit organisation funded primarily by the Australian government, we are responsible for providing value to taxpayers. We do this by:
- commissioning funds according to the highest standards of probity and governance
- ensuring that the programs and services we commission create the best possible health outcomes while remaining economically sustainable.
Our governance structures include layers of oversight and input, beginning with funding deeds, targets and reporting requirements established by the Australian Government.
Our progress is overseen by SEMPHN’s independent Board of Directors and guided by advice from our Clinical and Community Council. We work closely with our commissioned service providers, local health networks (hospitals) and people with lived experience, amongst many others, to deliver services that improve health outcomes.
Our people are our greatest asset
We have delivered an array of services and programs to the community over 2021-22 through the efforts of our talented and highly committed people.
With working-from-home skills embedded in the first year of the pandemic, staff readily adapted to our hybrid working model (part office, part home). In addition, we offered enhanced flexible working arrangements and paid pandemic leave.
Our overall 2021 staff engagement survey results were pleasing. We almost made the top quartile, with a staff engagement score of 72% favourable when benchmarked against 270 national not-for-profit respondents.
Like many other health and community organisations, attraction and retention of staff has been challenging over the past 12 months. SEMPHN was certainly impacted by the 47% rise in health profession occupations experiencing staff shortages in 2022 (National Skills Commission report).
In facing the many opportunities and challenges in our work, our people continually meet changing needs. Our values are at the heart of our work and shape what we do and how we do it:
- Community
- Collaboration
- Accountability
- Respect
- Excellence
- Solution focused.
Strengthening our Internal Communications Technology (ICT) frameworks and governance
SEMPHN continues to build its capacity and capability in data, systems and analytics. In 2021, we reviewed and enhanced our cyber security arrangements, benchmarking ourselves against the Commonwealth’s Australian Cyber Security Centre’s Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents which recommends eight essential cyber mitigation strategies.
Governance
SEMPHN is governed by a Board of Directors who are supported and advised by a Governance and Nominations Committee and a Finance and Audit Committee.
Our Clinical and Community Council regularly provides the Board with further insight into areas of need in primary health within the catchment, from both a clinical and community-based perspective.
Meeting frequency for Board and Board Sub-Committees
- Board (Minimum 6 meetings annually)
- Governance Committee (Minimum 5 meetings annually)
- Finance and Audit Committee (Minimum 6 meetings annually)
- Community and Clinical Council (Minimum 3 meetings annually)
Auditor Information:
ACCRU Melbourne
Ahmad Sadami Director
T + 61 3 9835 8200
50 Camberwell Road
Hawthorn East VIC 3123 Australia
Company Secretary:
Bruce Harvey M AppFin (McQU), GIACD, FGIA
Principal
Lending Solutions
T + 61 418 536 376
SEMPHN is registered with ASIC as a Company Limited by Guarantee as of 23 January 2015, and with ACNC as a Registered Charity as of 3 June 2015. SEMPHN continues to comply with all regulatory and statutory requirements and act in accordance with all relevant State and Federal legislation.
Our Clinical and Community Council
The Clinical and Community Council plays an essential role in helping to advise on SEMPHN’s work to make our efforts to strengthen primary health care and connect services across the health care system successful. There remains much room for improvement in the health of First Nations people, and this will continue to be a focus as the Council continues to inform our future strategies. Established in 2015, the Council consists of 11 representatives across community, primary and acute health services whose focus is to provide advice and support to SEMPHN to better meet the needs of our communities.
During the year, the Clinical and Community Council provided valuable insight and knowledge about what it was like for the community and health care providers at the frontline of the pandemic and their experiences in responding to the outbreak. This, in turn, helped us to more effectively work out where best to direct support.
The Clinical and Community Council has helped us inform our approach to First Nations health and has provided great advice on how to best engage communities and build our capacity to support them", Tony Clarkson, Clinical and Community Council Chair.
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Our catchment and health needs
Evidence-based practice is the foundation of our work, and we are constantly asking, ‘together, how can we do this even better?’
South Eastern Melbourne PHN
Level 2, 15 Corporate Drive
Heatherton Victoria 3202
ABN 65 603 858 751
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South Eastern Melbourne PHN
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While the Australian Government Department of Health has contributed to the funding of this website, the information on this website does not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government and is not advice that is provided, or information that is endorsed, by the Australian Government. The Australian Government is not responsible in negligence or otherwise for any injury, loss or damage however arising from the use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.
South Eastern Melbourne PHN acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land our catchment covers, the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri people. We pay respect to them, their culture and their Elders past, present and future, and uphold their relationship to this land.