about us /

• Our Vision
• Our Mission
• Our Values
• Our Strategic Goals
• A Feminist Approach
• Our Organisation
• Our Region
• Working With the Community

Our Vision

A community where all women and their families living in the south coastal region have access to expert health services which are appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of women’s needs.

Our Mission

Provide services through South Coastal Women’s Health Services and LifeLinks Community Centre that are based on a social model of health in order to meet the physical, psychological, emotional and social needs of all women and their families across the life course.

Promote health as a state of social, emotional and physical wellbeing and provide support, information, education and health screening services and programs that support women to empower themselves through decision making and health choices.

Provide women in our community opportunities to celebrate their lives, sexuality, womanhood, families and community.

Remain informed about the changing needs of women and the emerging health issues and service needs of the wider community to ensure we are responsive in meeting future needs and advocating on behalf of the community.

Our Values

• Empowerment of women
• Respect for others
• Non-judgemental care
• Inclusiveness
• Nurturing
• Uniqueness and value of the individual
• Collaboration
• Professionalism
• Evidence based practice
• Patience with others
• Accountability
• Integrity

Our Strategic Goals

Inclusiveness

Intention: To provide a service that represents the diversity of our community and is welcoming, safe, affordable and inclusive of women and their families in all their diversity. In particular, to target our support and services to those groups in our community who are most vulnerable and at risk, including women living with disabilities, Aboriginal women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, older women and women with young children.

Integrated and Collaborative Services

Intention: To provide a service with a range of co-located supports and services that work effectively together in a supportive environment to provide access to a range of services. In addition, South Coastal Women’s Health Services in partnership with other agencies and providers will implement new initiatives and projects to address areas of identified need and build stronger links to ensure appropriate referrals.

Professional and Specialised Services

Intention: To provide a highly professional, efficient and supportive service through a multi-skilled team that is well qualified in all aspects of their roles as health professionals, including technically, administratively and interpersonally.

Strong Leadership and Management

Intention: To develop a robust leadership structure with a depth of management skills and experience across the organisation with the capacity to effectively manage all aspects of the organisations activities in an accountable and efficient manner.

Distinctive Identity and Positive Reputation

Intention: To be well recognised and respected among south coastal communities for providing high quality and accessible services and support to women and their families and other service providers and agencies.

Meet Changing Community Needs

Intention: To manage and develop services that meet the needs of a large geographical region and expanding population in a manner that does not compromise the philosophical integrity, financial sustainability and client centred approach of the South Coastal Women’s Health Services. To encourage through the LifeLinks Community Centre a balanced, strategic and holistic approach in the provision of complementary services within the region.

A Feminist Approach

SCWHS applies feminist principles to health and health care through the belief that women can understand their bodies, seek support when needed and make informed choices about their life and issues impacting on their health and wellbeing.

Our approach to health care is based on the following fundamental principles:

• Universal access to quality health care is a basic human right.
• Equity in health care must redress power imbalances and reduce inequities.
• Health and wellbeing are determined by a range of environmental, economic, social and cultural factors including gender, ethnicity, class, age and ability.
• Health is best viewed as a continuum which changes across a woman’s life cycle.
• Women have the right to control their bodies and to participate and have a ‘voice’ in their own health care.
• Self empowerment and personal choice is essential to personal control over one's life and health.
• Women should have choice in access to women-specific services.
• All women’s experiences are valid and have value and their choices should be viewed from the context of their own experiences, without condemnation.
• Women have different ways of knowing and are not a homogeneous group but influenced by history, social class, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, and economical and political factors.
• The diversity of women across race, age, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnicity, class, body size and so on, is respected and embraced.
• Patient-health care professional relationship is based on equality, respect and trust.
• Women’s health is inseparable from the health of the wider society and our global environment.

Our Organisation

Our organisational structure is currently under review and will be updated shortly. 
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Our Region

SCWHS provides a range of services to women and their families living in the south coastal region south of Perth. This is a large geographical area with fast growing populations.

Clients come from across the region, including the following centres

• The Town of Kwinana is located 40 km south/west of the City of Perth and is 118sq km in size. 2001 Census estimated the population to be 20,812. With present housing developments within the region this will increase substantially over the coming years.
• The City of Rockingham is located 47 kms south/west of Perth and is 261sq km in size. 2001 Census estimated the population to be 79,000. The City’s population has a higher proportion of children (16%) than the Perth metropolitan average of 13%. The population is forecasted to double in the next 10 years.
• The City of Mandurah is located 72 kms south/west of the City of Perth and is 173 sq km in size. It is the main centre for the PEEL region. 2001 Census estimated the population to be 61,889. This region is also expecting a significant growth in population.

Working With the Community

SCWHS promotes the interests of its members and the wider community in many ways including:

• Management of the Warnbro Community and Family Centre through a subsidiary organisation called Coastal Family Health Services (Inc). The centre provides social activities, art and craft, educational activities and children’s' play groups.
• Membership on the Regional Domestic Violence Committee, for Rockingham and Kwinana. SCWHS has been a member of this committee for 12 years. The committee is made up of government and non-government representatives with an aim to reducing the incidence of domestic and family violence in the Rockingham/Kwinana region.
• Membership and Secretary to the Inter-Agency Action Group. SCWHS was instrumental in establishing this group. The group works collaboratively on issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of the region and includes representatives from government and non-government agencies.
• Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Children and Adolescents Interagency Committee. SCWHS has been a member of this committee since its inception in the late 1990s. This committee has been involved in various projects aimed at improving outcomes for children and adolescents including community / agency forums on developmental and social issues for children and adolescents and organisational awareness about projects / initiatives in the region.
• Rockingham Community Services Facilities Committee. SCWHS participates in this committee in collaboration with Lotterywest, City of Rockingham and St Nicholas Church. The committee was established by Lotterywest with the aim to create a network of providers to work together to ensure facilities in the region are utilised effectively.