Violet Vines Marshman Centre

Local partnerships making a difference in rural health

Access to healthcare can be challenging in rural Victoria. La Trobe’s Violet Vines Marshman Centre for Rural Health Research partners with community organisations to help reduce this inequity. Community Partnership grants provide funding to implement pilot or proof-of-concept initiatives designed to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. Since 2021, the Community Partnerships scheme has supported 17 initiatives including collaborations with health services, local councils and hospitals. As well as direct benefit for participants, these initiatives have built an evidence base for ongoing implementation and wider adoption.
Five new projects in 2026 have led to improvements in social connection, mental health support, energy literacy, diabetes education and preventative healthcare across more than 20 Victorian rural communities.

• In Shepperton, Headspace continues to provide young people aged 12-25 with an opportunity to develop social connection and resilience through the “Nature Neighbours” program. Activities within the program are co-designed with participants. Nature Neighbours was recently presented at a local event attended by Costa Georgiadis (from ABC’s Gardening Australia), generating significant community interest.
• Mallee Track Health & Community Services delivered Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to 20+ participants across the Murrayville, Sea Lake and Ouyen regions. Community engagement continues to be a strong focus of the project with ongoing information sessions and training delivered by 3 MHFA qualified staff.
• Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit delivered 21 workshops on efficient home energy use to 148 participants from priority populations. Participants reported improved understanding of monitoring energy use and navigating services.
• Based in the Murrumbidgee region, the Waluwin Ngurambang diabetes management program is strengthening workforce capability in culturally safe diabetes education and self-management support, with training delivered to staff across five regional healthcare providers.
• Robinvale District Health Services conducted a range of preventative health and health promotion activities reaching over 500 community members ranging from early childhood right through to older adults. In particular, offering free health screenings in accessible settings in partnership with services such as Ambulance Victoria has led to a demonstrable increase in follow-on referrals and a normalisation of preventative health checks.

A common success factor has been the ability of all grant recipients to translate the knowledge gained from the funded projects back to their own local community settings, collectively enhancing workforce capability and the quality of care available to priority populations in regional Victoria. A recent evaluation of the Community Partnership scheme demonstrated benefits beyond the delivery of individual activities and above the value represented by funding alone. The flexible funding model worked because it facilitated trust, legitimacy, collaboration, learning, confidence, and community ownership.

Improving oral health for children in care

Children and young people living in out-of-home care can face additional challenges accessing consistent dental care, particularly in rural and regional communities.

Earlier research led by Associate Professor Virginia Dickson-Swift from La Trobe University's Violet Vines Marshman Centre for Rural Health Research found that 33% of rural Victorian towns with populations over 1,000 lacked access to fluoridated water. Working alongside rural communities and health services, this research supported advocacy for improved oral health, including the introduction of water fluoridation in Cohuna in 2021.

Building on this work, Associate Professor Dickson-Swift and colleagues are investigating barriers to dental care for children and young people in out-of-home care, with the aim of making oral health services more accessible and responsive to their needs.

Through interviews with 29 children and young people, carers, child protection practitioners and dental professionals, the researchers identified barriers including complex consent processes, uncertainty about eligibility for services, fear of dental treatment and difficulties maintaining continuity of care. The findings highlighted the need for trauma-informed communication, clearer consent processes and stronger coordination between dental and child protection services.

The research team has also used case vignettes and co-design workshops to develop practical strategies for improving access to dental care. These findings have been shared with Oral Health Victoria, with the intention of informing new dental guidance for children and young people in out-of-home care.

Video resources are also being developed to support training for carers, child protection practitioners and dental professionals, encouraging more accessible and trauma-informed approaches to oral healthcare.

Supported by the Borrow Foundation, the project forms part of the Centre's ongoing commitment to addressing rural oral health inequalities. Together, these initiatives demonstrate how collaboration between researchers, health services and communities can help translate research into more accessible and responsive care.

Read more about the five community health grants awarded by La Trobe's Violet Vines Marshman Centre in 2025.

For more information about the Centre's research, community partnerships and activities, see the Violet Vines Marshman Centre 2025 Annual Report.