The Support Systems for Indigenous Primary Health Care Services Project aimed to develop knowledge about how to support the corporate functions of Aboriginal community controlled health organisations and therefore to contribute to improving the viability and sustainability of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) across Australia.
This project was identified as a priority project by the Board of the Cooperative Research Centre in Aboriginal Health (CRCAH) after consultation with ACCHOs and the sector. The project was led by Professor Ian Anderson from University of Melbourne and conducted by Kate Silburn (from La Trobe University) and Alister Thorpe (from University of Melbourne).
Taking Care of Busines web tool
This decision-making tool is a guide for assessment, implementation and adaption of strategies for corporate and business administration functions in Indigenous Primary Healthcare Services. It is a result of the knowledge gained from this project and was developed to help ACCHOs decide their best strategy or model for getting support for their corporate functions.
Go to Taking Care of Business web tool.
Reports
 | K. Silburn, A. Thorpe & I. Anderson 2011, Taking Care of Business: Corporate Services for Indigenous Primary Health Care Services – Overview Report, The Lowitja Institute, Melbourne This is an overview of the Support Systems Project, which focused on corporate support for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs). The aim of the project was to contribute to improving the viability and sustainability of ACCHSs as corporate entities through examining the corporate support needs of ACCHSs, the issues associated with obtaining appropriate support and existing support structures. The report highlights the capacity of the ACCHS sector to develop innovative solutions to difficult issues while working in a quickly changing environment. Additional resources are likely to enable further innovation. Such work should contribute to stronger and more viable health services for Aboriginal communities.
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 | K. Silburn, A. Thorpe & I. Anderson 2011, Taking Care of Business: Corporate Services for Indigenous Primary Health Care Services – Summary Report, The Lowitja Institute, Melbourne. This report is a 4-page summary of the Overview Report |
 | K. Silburn, A. Thorpe & I. Anderson with Bila Muuji Health Services Incorporated, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Katherine West Health Board, and Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council 2011, Taking Care of Business: Corporate Services for Indigenous Primary Health Care Services – Case Studies, The Lowitja Institute, Melbourne. This report focuses specifically on existing models for sharing corporate services and highlights the different ways those working in the sector have developed strategies for addressing their specific needs. Four case studies of organised support structures are documented. These are:
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For more information about the project, go to the CRCAH Support Systems project page.