Health Promotion | Bayside Health

Supporting healthier communities

Focused on preventing illness, reducing health inequities, and creating environments that support people to live healthier lives.

We work with our community, local partners and regional networks to address the factors that influence health and wellbeing across the life course. Our approach is place‑based, evidence‑informed and proportionate to the needs, assets and capacity of the Koo Wee Rup and surrounding communities.

Our approach

We are guided by:

The Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan
Community Health – Health Promotion Program Guidelines 2025–2029
Our strategic priorities
Local community health data and lived experience

We focus on prevention, early intervention and systems change, recognising that health is shaped by social, economic, environmental and cultural factors.

Our work prioritises:

Reducing avoidable hospital admissions
Improving equity for priority populations
Strengthening community capacity and resilience
Partnering for collective impact

Priority areas

We work to create environments that make healthy choices easier and more accessible.

Key actions include:

Supporting access to healthy food through community‑led initiatives and settings‑based approaches
Promoting physical activity and active transport opportunities within local environments
Embedding healthy food and drink principles in our events and programs
Collaborating with partners to improve built and natural environments that support wellbeing

We focus on reducing modifiable risk factors associated with chronic disease.

Key actions include:

Supporting community education and awareness activities aligned with evidence‑based prevention strategies
Partnering with clinical services to strengthen prevention and referral pathways
Advocating for policies and practices that reduce exposure to risk factors such as poor nutrition, physical inactivity and harmful behaviours such as smoking and AOD.

We support positive mental wellbeing by strengthening social connection, inclusion and community participation.

Key actions include:

Delivering and supporting community‑based wellbeing and connection initiatives
Integrating nature‑based and strengths‑based approaches where appropriate
Supporting prevention and early intervention activities that reduce risk factors for mental ill‑health
Partnering with local services, councils and community groups to reduce social isolation

Priority populations:

Older adults
People experiencing social isolation
Culturally and linguistically diverse community members

We are committed to advancing gender equity as a foundation for health and wellbeing.

Key actions include:

Implementing actions aligned with our Gender Equality Action Plan
Supporting regional prevention initiatives such as the 16 Days of Activism against Gender‑Based Violence
Building workforce capability to embed gender equity in policies, programs and practice
Partnering with regional organisations, such as Women’s Health in the South East (WHISE), to address the drivers of violence against women

Find out more about Family safety and preventing violence.

How we work

Our health promotion team works across the community and many organisations.

Our methods include:

Community engagement and co‑design
Partnership development and collective impact
Policy and practice change for us and partner organisations
Monitoring, evaluation and continuous improvement

We prioritise initiatives that are scalable, sustainable and proportionate to our capacity, while maximising local impact.

Current initiatives

Current focus areas include:

Community wellbeing and connection initiatives that reduce social isolation and support mental wellbeing, particularly for older adults and people experiencing disadvantage - find out more
Nature‑based and place‑based activities that promote wellbeing, connection and healthy behaviours
Healthy food and drink practices embedded within our events, programs and community settings
Gender equity and prevention of violence against women actions, aligned our Gender Equality Action Plan and regional prevention priorities
Partnership‑driven prevention projects, delivered collaboratively with local government, community organisations and regional health promotion networks

These initiatives prioritise sustainability, equity and alignment with local need, while remaining proportionate to our resources and role.

Partnerships

Strong partnerships are central to our work. We collaborate with:

Local government
Community health and social services
Education and early years settings
Regional health promotion networks
Community groups and residents

Through partnership, we reduce duplication, share resources and strengthen outcomes for the community.

Measuring impact

We evaluate our health promotion activities to ensure they are effective, equitable and aligned with community needs.

Our evaluation approach includes:

Program‑level monitoring and reporting
Contribution to regional and statewide outcomes
Continuous quality improvement aligned with funding and policy requirements

Get involved

We welcome opportunities to work with community members, organisations and partners to improve health and wellbeing across our region.

For more information or to explore partnership opportunities, please contact:

Health Promotion Team: 03 5997 9648, Monday to Thursday or email: osman.ali@krhs.net.au