The urgent need for integrated, place-based planning in growth-pressured communities

Our Place is a program funded by the Coleman Education Foundation operating in Seymour, as well as eight other sites across Victoria.

The approach is founded in research that children and families will do better when they can access high quality early learning and schooling with wraparound health and wellbeing services, enrichment and engagement activities and opportunities for further education and employment for parents and carers.

Our Place provides a Partnership Manager and two Community Facilitators to facilitate the work on site. Community Facilitators meet and greet all parents and carers as they bring their children to kindergarten, survey families and develop the program.

Most importantly all staff in the Family and Children’s Centre operate on a system of warm referrals, introducing parents, carers and children to the services and professionals they need or are interested in exploring.

Our Place Seymour commenced in 2019 in the purpose-built Seymour Family and Children’s Service in the grounds of Seymour College. A strategic partnership group includes representatives from key departments and service providers.

In May 2025, Kids First Australia provides 3-year-old and 4-year-old kindergarten for 66 children on site, 20 hours for 4-year-old and 15 hours for 3-year-old, with up to 25 hours for priority cohorts in 2026. There is a strong emphasis on developing Continuity of Learning for children from Kindergarten through Foundation to Year 2, and beyond.

Out of School Hours Care from 6.30 am to 6 pm is provided by Kelly Club, which has recently signed a 3 + 1 year contract extension and has begun providing remuneration to the College after the initial Department of Education funded 3-year startup.

Mitchell Shire Council Maternal and Child Health service is a mainstay service of the site having operated here since the doors opened in 2019. The Maternal and Child Health service sees about 180 clients per quarter. Council also provides immunisation and facilitated support groups for parents from the site.

Specialist Service Case Study

Prior to 2022, referrals made for specialist allied health services (Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology) from Our Place had to travel to other Nexus Primary Health Care (now Omnia Community
Health) sites at Broadford.

Failure to attend

A significant issue for families in peri-urban and growth areas is the need to travel for specialist services. Failure to attend rates for specialist allied health services prior to 2022 averaged approximately 60% due to length of travel, absence of transport and delays accessing services. Overall failure to attend rates in Australia and similar health care systems range from 10% to 25% according to studies.

Failure to attend is a key issue creating inefficiencies in the health care system leading to wasted clinical time, longer waitlists, and poorer outcomes for children and families.

Since 2022, Nexus Primary Health Care has been delivering Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy on site. Failure to attend rates have reduced by half to approximately 30%.

Demand and waitlist

Unfortunately, due to the significant latent demand for specialist allied health services the available Nexus schedule for the Seymour-delivered program filled almost immediately and within a year the waitlist was 18 months for an appointment.

In May 2025, the waitlist was closed with no new referrals being accepted.

Internal referrals made between the Speech and OT have a wait time of 6-8 months for OT and 12-18 months for Speech.

In 2025, there are 66 children enrolled in Foundation to Year 2, based on Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data a consulting paediatrician has estimated that around 30 children would benefit from specialist support services.

Causes and drivers of non-attendance

Multiple factors drive the failure to attend rates, these include:

• Transport and distance barriers: Difficulty in reaching the clinic is a well-documented contributor to missed appointments. Public transport options are sparse and long travel times can deter attendance.
• Socioeconomic factors and cost: Financial hardship is a major driver of non-attendance, many peri-urban communities are impacted disproportionately by cost-of-living challenges and research indicates people often forgo allied health services entirely due to cost and other financial pressures.
• Appointment scheduling and communication: Long wait times and scheduling contribute to failure to attend in community health in growth areas. Delays can cause clients to disengage or forget. Poor communication or reminder systems can further aggravate this.
• Cultural and linguistic factors: Mitchell Shire is an increasingly diverse community, and this can cause cultural barriers or lack of trust of comfort.

Conclusion

Locally delivered specialist services dramatically reduce missed appointments—cutting failure-to-attend rates in half—by removing transport, cost, and trust barriers. In growth communities like Mitchell Shire, proximity is not just convenient; it is essential for equitable access and effective early intervention.

The following case study illustrates the lived experience behind Mitchell Shire’s health and human service gaps analysis report, demonstrating how structural fragmentation, long waitlists, and limited local service availability translate into real impacts on children, families, and individuals.

Together with other case studies in the report, it provides a grounded, human-centred evidence base that reinforces the systemic issues identified throughout the report and highlights the urgent need for integrated, place-based planning and strengthened investment across Mitchell Shire.

This case study originally appeared in the Mitchell Shire Council’s Health and Human Service Gap Analysis Report 2026.