Project Background

Our mission
Our focus
Our key task
Project background
Our Advisory Committee
Our Specialist Review Panels
Our principles in relation to research
What we cannot do

Our mission (top)
To develop a leading edge Home Modification information clearing project designed with the assistance of and accessible to the full range of industry and consumer target groups.

Our focus (top)
The focus will be on developing and disseminating home maintenance and modification knowledge in order to improve outcomes in direct service provision as well as improving outcomes for the general community through capacity building activities.

Our key task (top)
Collection and critical review of relevant national and international literature.

Project background (top)
The Home Modification and Maintenance (HMM) program delivers an important service to support frail older people, people with a disability and their carers to remain at home. Under this program, there are approximately ninety Home Maintenance and Modification service outlets in NSW.

In 2008 the Clearinghouse began a new phase of development and expansion by joining an established research and publications program located within the Faculty of the Built Environment at UNSW, The Centre for Health Assets Australasia (CHAA).
CHAA was established in 2005 to undertake research and development work in the area of health asset and facility management. The Centre is hosted by the Faculty of the Built Environment and is based at the University of New South Wales, Kensington campus.

CHAA was awarded Research Centre status by the University after a lengthy review process in 2006 and continues to work toward a goal of exemplary research outcomes. CHAA's main area of research is the Australasian Health Facility Guidelines, which were launched in November 2006 for a 12 month industry use and review period.

CHAA's vision is to be the Australasian focal point for research and knowledge creation in health facility asset management. Also, to contribute to the delivery of healthcare of the highest quality in Australia and New Zealand through research outcomes which enhance the design, procurement and management of health facilities.

This complements the research objectives of the Home Modification Information Clearinghouse in the development of a leading edge Home Modification information clearing project designed with the assistance of and accessible to the full range of industry and consumer target groups.

Our Advisory Committee (top)
We currently have a sixteen-member committee representing a wide cross-section of stakeholders, including government, consumers and disability peaks.

Our Advisory Committee meetings are held at the Centre for Health Assets (CHAA) Faculty of the Built Environment (FBE) at the University of New South Wales, Kensington Campus.

Membership as at October 2008 includes:

Click on HMinfo Administration Materials in the Resource Library to read the minutes of our Advisory Committee meetings.

Our Specialist Review Panels (top)
There are sixteen members on our Specialist Review Panels. Each member participates in the Research, Industry or Consumer Panel depending on their expertise. The Specialist Review Panels provide advice on the Evidence Based Practice Reviews produced by the HMinfo Clearinghouse team. These reviews, located in the Resource Library, include systematic reviews, industry fact sheets and checklists, and consumer fact sheets.

The review process ensures that documents prepared by the HMinfo Clearinghouse team and published on the HMinfo website are technically accurate while maintaining the documents readability and relevance for the target audience.

Specialist panels click here to obtain the electronic form for emailing systematic review feedback.

Members of our Review Panels as at April 2006 include:

Research Panel (top)

Industry Panel (top)

Consumer Panel (top)

• Data collection procedures will be reviewed by a suitably knowledgeable and representative external project Advisory committee
• Data gathering undertaken by the clearinghouse will be subject to Human Ethics Clearance at the University of Sydney
• Information collection will not identify individuals or services without prior permission and information about individual schemes will not be passed on to the funding body
• Publication of research results

What we cannot do (top)

• We have no powers to investigate complaints about home modification services in NSW - However, information about any such issues may be helpful for us in providing information about best practice.
• We cannot make or enforce policy - It is the responsibility of the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care in conjunction with stakeholder bodies such as the NSW Home Modification State Council to develop and monitor policy implementation.
• We are not a disability rights or advocacy organisation - Our role is to give the Home Modification Service Providers in NSW timely and credible advice which takes account of the broad views of all relevant stakeholders.