Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) is seeking Proposals to deliver Healthy Ageing Hubs in Western Victoria through a Request for Proposal (RFP). WVPHN invites eligible organisations to submit a response for the delivery of a Healthy Ageing Hub. Providers can submit their proposal to deliver services within or across one or more of the western Victoria subregions.

WVPHN funds early intervention initiatives that support older people to live at home for as long as possible. The WVPHN Aged Care program is commissioning early intervention activities and models of care for chronic disease management that support healthy ageing and reduce pressure on local health services. Early intervention promotes healthy ageing and ongoing management of chronic conditions in a way that also meets older peoples physical care, psychological and emotional needs. Successful EI strategies will enable older people to exercise more control over their lives and live with better health and wellbeing for longer.

Scope:

WVPHN’s objectives in issuing this RFP is to commission a provider(s) to:

• deliver a Healthy Ageing Hub to address the goal of applying early intervention strategies to chronic disease management and to support healthy ageing to support older people to live at home for as long as possible and reduce pressure on local health services; and

• support and empower GPs and other primary health care workers through training, tools and resources which contribute to improved health and care outcomes for older people. 

Eligible Suppliers

1. Suppliers must be an organisation that is a legal entity with sufficient experience to deliver the objective of this proposal.

2. Suppliers must be located within the Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) catchment area, specifically within the Local Government Areas (LGAs) listed in Section A1 of this RFP.

Suppliers whose primary business location is outside the eligible LGAs but still within the broader WVPHN catchment may be considered, provided they:

a. Demonstrate that their hub model will only deliver services to one or more eligible LGAs

b. Include in their proposal a commitment to establish a physical service hub within an eligible LGA as part of their service delivery model

3. Suppliers must be locally established in the delivery of services relevant to the target population and demonstrate an understanding of local, state, and national systems which effect the target population.

4. Suppliers must implement appropriate confidentiality and privacy arrangements in accordance with relevant legislation, whilst ensuring appropriate information sharing is in place between services involved.

5. Suppliers must ensure cultural safety considerations to ensure First Nations people, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds and people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or queer (LGBTQIA+) receive quality responses and culturally appropriate care.

6. Where appropriate, suppliers must ensure that staff are compliant with all relevant worker screening requirements such as Working with Children Check. 

The successful Supplier must:

Suppliers must undertake the following:

• Provide appropriate resources as needed to operate the proposed hub model such as office space and supplies.

• Develop Position Descriptions appropriate for the specific hub model proposed and recruit for the roles and/or redeploy existing staff to support with the facilitation of the program.

• Establish partnership arrangements with relevant stakeholders during the service planning phase to build referral pathways between partners and other services to address target population needs. These arrangements must become formal at service delivery commencement e.g. MOU, partnership agreement, and the like.

• Develop/acquire and deliver a range of resources about early intervention health and wellbeing activities to address chronic condition management. Support people to link into these and other relevant resources and assist them to understand the information by catering to their communication needs and preferences.

• Identify any gaps in available resources, if present, and seek out opportunities to either develop suitable resources or programs to meet the needs of the target population.

• Develop and implement accessibility solutions to cater to the transport needs of the target population as needed.

• Participate in the monitoring and evaluation of this program using the indicated evaluation techniques.

• Nominate the Supplier’s key contact for the Healthy Ageing Hub. This person must be actively involved in the program delivery.

• Agree to regularly meet with WVPHN to discuss program development and implementation progress.

• Deliver a final report that provides evidence of how the Healthy Ageing Hub assisted the target population in improving chronic condition management and improved health and wellbeing indicators related to the healthy ageing early intervention strategies implemented. This report will include both qualitative and quantitative data that assists in determining the success of this trial activity, inclusive of outcomes, key learnings, case studies, and recommendations.