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How we work with Consumer Representatives
Since 2001, BCNA has run the internationally recognised Seat at the Table (SATT) program.
The program trains people with a lived experience of breast cancer to become BCNA Consumer Representatives (CRs). Our CRs work with clinicians, researchers, health service providers and policymakers across Australia to make sure consumer voices are at the heart of any decisions.
Our CRs come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. This is shown in their ability to represent the wider breast cancer community, not only their own experience.
For more information read the 2021 article published in Health Voices: Journal of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia
Hear from one of our Consumer Representatives about the Seat at the Table program
I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2014 and subsequently had surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and decided to become a consumer representative because I felt that we needed to have the consumer voice be prominent in the initiatives that we undertake.
And also because I couldn't go back to work after I had my treatment. My old full-time job. And so I thought, how do I use these skills and experience for something else? And also wanted to contribute back to society, as well as make life easier for people who followed.
It's important for consumers to have a seat at the table because I feel the mantra nothing for us without us is important. We're the ones who face the outcomes, we're the ones who are the recipients of whatever the initiative is or whatever the medication is. And the impact on our lives is significant and so we feel, or I feel, that consumers need to have their say because the clinicians and government and all the key stakeholders need to understand what is going on with the consumers.
BCNA CRs work on a variety of projects, with varying time commitments, including
A BCNA CR is someone diagnosed with breast cancer who BCNA trains to represent the broad views, needs and experiences of people affected by breast cancer. BCNA’s CRs do not simply express personal opinions and experiences. Instead, they speak on behalf of our network, as well as our policy and advocacy priorities.
The role is voluntary, and people diagnosed with breast cancer in all states and territories are welcome to apply. CRs are expected to attend a set number of virtual ‘get togethers’ and training opportunities organised by BCNA every year, as well as completing quarterly reporting requirements.
For more information on the role of our CRs please contact us through our contact form. When completing the form, select ‘Become a lived experience consumer’ from the dropdown menu.
Consumers bring a richness of diverse experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. Let us, the people who have lived through it, let us be the ones to help make better choices.
Our Consumer Representatives have completed BCNA's Consumer Representative Training program. The program includes three online courses
Following the courses is an in-person two-day workshop with BCNA’s Consumer Engagement, Executive and Policy and Advocacy teams.
The BCNA Consumer Engagement Team works closely with our CRs. We check in regularly and help identify any extra learning or support they may need.
If you have a lived experience of breast cancer and are interested in becoming a BCNA Consumer Representative, we invite you to fill out and submit an expression of interest form. Recruitment for the Seat at the Table program currently takes place once per year.
BCNA’s trained CRs actively contribute to projects, studies, committees, and other work concerned with improving outcomes for those affected by cancer.
CRs are not only storytellers. They are equipped with the skills and knowledge to represent the broader experience of a breast cancer diagnosis, as well as BCNA’s policy and advocacy priorities. They also bring their diverse professional and personal backgrounds.
Our CRs work with researchers, government, service providers, academic institutes, and other cancer organisations.
If you would like more information about how a BCNA CR could work with you, please contact us through our contact form. When completing the form, select ‘Work with us and our consumers’ from the dropdown menu.
To work with a BCNA CR please complete the below form.
Applications are considered by the BCNA Consumer Engagement team who may contact you to request more information to support your application.
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