Children's Health and Wellbeing Services Plan 2018–2028

At Children's Health Queensland, we are passionate about leading life changing care for children and young people. One in 4 Queenslanders are aged 0 to 19, and the number of children and young people in Queensland is expected to grow by 15 percent over the next 10 years. We know that the early years of a child's life provide the foundation for health, development and well being across their lifetime.

These foundations set children up to thrive and grow into healthy and resilient adults who live meaningful and fulfilled lives. Queensland's population is diverse and our approach to children and young people's health and wellbeing acknowledges the interplay between people and the economy, the environment, the cultural norms, communities, families and peers.

Our vision of a healthier tomorrow means that we have a loving and safe home environment, access to material basics like housing, food and clothing, an enriched learning experience. A sense of community that we are engaged and participating in. Proactive, healthy behaviours like a good diet and regular exercise and access to quality health services when we need them.

In the coming years, there will be numerous challenges that we need to address to keep Queensland's children and young people healthy and thriving.

The Children's Health and Wellbeing Services Plan and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing Services Plan represent our vision for the future of health and wellbeing.

Services for children, young people and their families.

Children's Health Queensland has identified a suite of service directions and strategies that describe how our clinical services will adapt to meet the changing needs of Queensland's children and young people over the next 10 years. Our 29 strategies are oriented around children, young people and their families and aligned to five overarching service directions which represent our key areas of focus.

Promoting wellbeing and health equity.

We are taking a population health approach to service planning, with a particular focus on reducing health inequities and directing services to those who need them most.

Improving health service design and integration.

We are designing and delivering our services in a way that is inclusive, easy to navigate, child and family friendly, and maintains the continuity of care across service providers and settings.

Evolving Service Models.

Our health services are evolving in line with the ever changing and often increasingly complex health needs of children and young people, and we are driving greater consistency in approaches to child and youth health statewide.

Delivering services closer to home.

We are enabling safe and sustainable services closer to home through statewide capability building, delivering outreach and shared care arrangements, and leading the way in technology enabled models of service delivery.

Pursuing innovation.

We are working with partners across sectors to drive improved outcomes and to incorporate existing and new technology into our services, to improve the patient and family experience, clinical outcomes and efficiency.

Children's Health Queensland is passionate about its role as a leader within a networked system of services and our clinical services plans are an important step towards taking a more holistic approach to children and young people's health and well being to ensure they can reach their full potential.