Last week, the statewide Cancer Consumer-Led Research Partnership delivered the first in a series of co-design workshops, to develop a Consumer Leadership Masterclass for those with a lived experience of cancer. ReViTALISE EveryVoiceCAN representatives Kathleen Wilkins, Harry Thomas and ReViTALISE Consumer Liaison Coordinator Dr Stacey Panozzo participated in the workshop. The Health Consumer Centre, in partnership with Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre facilitated the co-design process.
The Consumer Leadership Masterclass will be a unique education, placement and mentoring experience aimed at building consumers’ confidence and capability to serve as leaders, agents of change and research improvers. The co-design team comprised of diverse consumers from across the state and representatives from partner organisations.
Regional Trials Network Victoria (RTN-Vic) is proud to be part of the Cancer Consumer-Led Research Partnership, which includes VCCC Alliance, Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium (MPCCC), Cancer Council Victoria and the Collaborative Practice Centre at the University of Melbourne.
Funded by the Victorian Government though the Victorian Cancer Agency, the Cancer Consumer-Led Research Partnership aims to unites collective expertise and encourages the development and delivery of an immersive consumer education and mentor training program. It will generate transformative evidence and reshape leadership perspectives among consumers and their collaborators, build knowledge and skills for consumers and organisations who engage with them, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes for those experiencing cancer.
Program Manager Pauline Ryan says, “Lived experience is a powerful driver of change, but without a structured leadership program, those voices risk being unheard or under-utilised. There is a clear unmet need within the health system to ensure that those with lived experience can engage effectively at all levels and drive systemic change. This pioneering program will provide a leadership pathway that offers a consistent, clear approach to preparing individuals to engage meaningfully, fostering a more equitable and impactful healthcare system.”
“The first workshop was a collaborative, respectful and immersive day with all subject matter expertise valued and heard. It was a credit to the organisers and all involved, the learnings will be valued in designing the first masterclass for future leaders in the cancer sector. The collaboration between partners, consumers and program leads whether regional or metropolitan is to be commended,” said Kathleen Wilkins, co-chair of EveryVoiceCAN.
Everyone was excited to get into the co-design process. “The energy in the room exposed to me that this is bigger than the research projects themselves. It is about the combined contribution that we the consumers can make to best co-design processes and reporting. Every participant showed great enthusiasm expressing what they felt and why they felt it. We didn’t talk as much about research. We talked about involvement, who should be involved and the type of consumers that could be involved,“ said Harry Thomas, co-chair of EveryVoiceCAN.
“Developing a dedicated program ensures consumers have the skills, support, and platform to contribute meaningfully - turning insight into impact,” said Rochelle Serry, Program Consumer Representative.
The next workshop is coming soon in April, and we look forward to building a consumer-led future for the Victorian cancer sector.