4. Community Meetings

Community organisations may organise community meetings to discuss issues which they feel are of concern to the community. Other groups or individuals may organise community meetings as well e.g. local area health on health needs in the community.

By listening and talking to people in attendance, organisations will keep informed about current issues.  

Accurate information about events and issues in communities, as well as its needs, wants, desires, frustrations and disappointments, can only come from the people in the community.  

Key points to consider in holding community meetings include:

·       Ensuring all stakeholders are invited including Elders. 

·       Contacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers in the area.  

·       Organising transport. 

·       Ask community to sign in with their address and contact details, e.g. mobile phone numbers and emails (if they have one).

·       Delegate 2 people to scribe for the meeting. 

·       Guest speaker.  

·       Venue’s acoustics. 

·       Have surveys ready for community to complete. 

·       A good facilitator that isn't connected to the issue. The facilitator also needs to be able to draw out the responses from all people in the meeting. 

·       Ensuring all those in attendance have an opportunity to be heard. 

·       Have breaks scheduled.   

·       Provide refreshments, water etc. If you have the funding, provide food.

·       Advise on evacuation procedures. 

There are four aspects that may be undertaken in monitoring the trends and changes: 

·       Identifying community needs. 

·       Monitoring community trends. 

·       Incorporating community needs into organisational policy. 

·       Reviewing policy as community needs change.