Excellence in strengthening partnerships
This award recognises teams that are building or strengthening relationships with our external community, partners and stakeholders to improve the delivery of health care.
Meet our 2026 finalists
Cockburn Health Women's Mental Health Service – South Metropolitan Health Service Mental Health
This service places women at the centre of care by working in partnership with a wide network of community, cultural, lived experience, academic and specialist services across the state.
Strong relationships with women’s health, family and domestic violence, and other community support services help ensure holistic, trauma‑informed and culturally responsive, providing real-world support that extends beyond the patient’s admission.
Lived experience partners provide peer support, shared understanding and hope during the care journey, including group therapy programs. Academic partnerships strengthen learning and help the service grow in response to women’s needs, while collaboration with community organisations supports smoother transitions back into everyday life.
These strong partnerships have fostered a sense of pride, unity and shared goals to create care that is connected, respectful and responsive. This ensures women, partners and staff feel safe, empowered, valued and proud to belong.
Peel Mental Health Taskforce – South Metropolitan Health Service Mental Health
Bringing together a wide network of partners, this taskforce makes mental health support more connected and easier to navigate for young people and families within the Peel (Bindjareb) region.
With more than 100 representatives from 45 organisations, its working groups span government agencies, education, police, health services, Aboriginal organisations and community groups. These partners work side-by-side to improve pathways, reduce duplication and strengthen collaboration across the system.
Their flagship Wandjoo Gateway ‘no wrong door’ initiative has been widely adopted across youth services and schools, helping young people access the right support sooner. The taskforce has also aligned planning and funding across organisations, helping services work together rather than in isolation.
By listening to community voices and sharing responsibility across partners, this work has created clearer pathways, stronger relationships and a more coordinated experience for patients and carers seeking mental health support.
Youth Reach South – South Metropolitan Health Service Mental Health
This service strengthens care for young people by building partnerships that make youth mental health services more accessible, compassionate and reflective of their needs.
Working closely with schools, community organisations, family services and primary care, the team has created stronger pathways to ensure young people access the right care early in their journey. A youth peer role works alongside these partners to build trust, improve communication and help young people feel understood and supported.
The team also helped establish a youth advisory group, giving young people a meaningful way to shape how services are designed, communicated and improved.
This partnership driven approach ensures care reflects what young people need. It supports earlier intervention, increases youth engagement and places lived experience at the centre of service improvement.
See other 2026 Excellence Award finalists and read about our sponsors.