What are kitchen table conversations and why did we use them?
Kitchen Table Conversations (KTCs) are community-led discussions that enable people to talk about health and wellbeing in a setting where they feel comfortable. Local hosts receive training and resources from Health Consumers Tasmania (HCT) and invite people from their community to participate in conversations at a time and place that suits them.
Unlike traditional consultation methods, KTCs put community members in the lead. Conversations can take place in homes, cafés, community spaces, around a campfire, or while walking together, creating a safe and supportive environment for people to share their experiences and ideas.
This approach aligns strongly with HCT’s values of consumer and community leadership. Rather than asking people to come to us, KTCs allow communities to shape the conversation themselves, in ways that reflect their local circumstances and preferences. The flexibility and informality of the method helps reach people who may not participate in formal consultations, ensuring a broader range of voices are heard.
The approach is flexible, inclusive and relationship-based, helping reach people who may not participate in traditional consultation activities. As well as providing valuable insights into local health and wellbeing needs, KTCs often create additional benefits for participants. The conversations can strengthen social connections, encourage the sharing of knowledge, experiences and ideas, and improve awareness of local services and health information. In this way, the process not only gathers community perspectives but also helps build community understanding, confidence and capacity.
KTCs can involve individuals or groups of up to 10 people. Insights from each conversation are shared with HCT and combined to build a regional picture of community experiences, priorities and ideas for improving health and wellbeing.
KTC’s on the Central Coast
The Central Coast Kitchen Table Conversations (KTCs) were undertaken on the Central Coast in 2022. A total of 29 Kitchen Table Conversations were held, involving 25 community hosts trained by Megan and Lisa (with two hosts later withdrawing) and 188 participants, engaging 213 community members overall.
The conversations were designed to capture the community’s lived experiences and perspectives on health and wellbeing in a safe, informal setting. Participants represented a broad cross-section of the community, including families, young people, older people, carers, people living with disability, and members of marginalised groups, providing rich insights into local health needs and priorities.
Analysis of the conversations identified five key themes: health care access, quality and equity; mental health support; preventative health; social connection; and information access. Community members emphasised difficulties accessing timely health care, particularly GPs, dental services, paediatric specialists, allied health and mental health services. Strong concerns were also raised about long wait times, the affordability of care, and inequities experienced by people living in regional areas.
Participants highlighted the importance of preventative health initiatives such as healthy food, exercise opportunities and accessible community infrastructure, while also identifying social connection, belonging and inclusion as critical contributors to wellbeing. Across the conversations, there was a clear message that improving access to services, strengthening mental health support, fostering community connection and providing better information and health literacy resources would have a significant positive impact on health and wellbeing in the Central Coast region.
