Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health

FAQs about the Youth Advisory Group

Frequently asked questions about our Youth Advisory Group (YAG).

What is the Youth Advisory Group?

The Youth Advi­so­ry Group (YAG) is a group of young peo­ple who work togeth­er to help improve health­care for young peo­ple in South Australia.

YAG mem­bers share their expe­ri­ences and ideas to help make health ser­vices more youth‑friendly, inclu­sive and eas­i­er to nav­i­gate, espe­cial­ly when mov­ing from children’s to adult health services.

The group pro­vides advice to the Com­mis­sion on Excel­lence and Inno­va­tion in Health (CEIH) and relat­ed health projects. This advice helps inform ideas, resources and improve­ments aimed at bet­ter health­care expe­ri­ences for young people.

The YAG is sup­port­ed by the CEIH and the Ado­les­cent Tran­si­tion Care Statewide Clin­i­cal Net­work.

You can read more about the YAG here.

Who can apply to join the Youth Advisory Group?

You can apply to join the YAG if you:

  • are aged 12 to 25 years
  • have expe­ri­ence using health ser­vices, includ­ing mov­ing from children’s to adult care
  • care about improv­ing health­care expe­ri­ences for young people
  • are hap­py to share their expe­ri­ences and ideas to help shape improve­ments to health­care services
  • are open to work­ing with oth­er young peo­ple, clin­i­cians and the CEIH staff 
  • can take part in meet­ings, work­ing groups and project activities.
What does being a Youth Advisory Group member involve?

The YAG usu­al­ly meets once a month, guid­ed by the group and its Terms of Ref­er­ence. Meet­ings run for 2 hours and are usu­al­ly held after school or work. Meet­ings may be a mix of in-per­son and online (via Microsoft Teams). We’ll ask you to let us know whether you’ll be attend­ing each meeting.

Over­all, you can expect to spend about 3 to 6 hours per month on meet­ings and project activities. 

If you live in a rur­al or remote area, you can take part in meet­ings online. 

How will I be supported if I join?

You’ll be sup­port­ed by CEIH staff, who facil­i­tate the group, and a rep­re­sen­ta­tive from the Ado­les­cent Tran­si­tion Care Statewide Clin­i­cal Net­work. They’re expe­ri­enced in work­ing with young people. 

We’ll make sure the group is a safe, wel­com­ing and respect­ful space. You’ll have oppor­tu­ni­ties to build skills in advo­ca­cy, com­mu­ni­ca­tion and engagement.

The group will include young peo­ple and a few approved adults (such as facil­i­ta­tors, car­ers or sup­port peo­ple). Clear expec­ta­tions will be set, so every­one feels com­fort­able con­tribut­ing and being heard.

How does the Youth Advisory Group support accessibility and different needs?

The CEIH is com­mit­ted to mak­ing sure every­one can par­tic­i­pate ful­ly in the YAG. 

If you have any phys­i­cal, com­mu­ni­ca­tion or acces­si­bil­i­ty needs, let the project team know. They’ll work with you to put sup­port in place.

This might include: 

  • acces­si­ble doc­u­ment for­mats (like HTML or Word for assis­tive tech)
  • help com­plet­ing the EOI by phone or video
  • meet­ing dif­fer­ent com­mu­ni­ca­tion needs
  • enabling a car­er to assist you
  • ful­ly acces­si­ble meet­ing locations. 

If you need a car­er or sup­port per­son, they’re wel­come to attend with you. They won’t be an active mem­ber of the group but can sup­port you dur­ing meetings.

Will I be paid for my participation?

Yes. If you con­sent and sign a reim­burse­ment agree­ment form, you can be reim­bursed for:

  • time spent attend­ing meet­ings and activities
  • up to 1 hour of prepa­ra­tion time for each meet­ing or activity.

The amount paid depends on fac­tors such as:

  • how long the meet­ing or activ­i­ty runs
  • whether you trav­elled to attend
  • whether you chaired the meeting.

For more details, you can refer to the SA Health Sit­ting Fees and Reim­burse­ment for Exter­nal Indi­vid­u­als Pol­i­cy.

What equipment or technology do I need to participate?

To take part you’ll need access to: 

  • a computer/​phone
  • the inter­net
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Microsoft Office to enable you to review documents.
What happens after I submit my application?

All appli­ca­tions will be reviewed, and appli­cants will be noti­fied of the out­come. Mem­ber­ship will reflect a mix of knowl­edge, expe­ri­ence and skills to sup­port the YAG to ful­fil its responsibilities.

If you are offered a place but lat­er change your mind, that is ok, just email us at CEIH.​AdolescentTransition@​sa.​gov.​au to let us know.

If you are not select­ed but still want to know what the YAG is up to, you can check out the CEIH on LinkedIn or vis­it the YAG web­page for updates.