In 2023, The Social Deck was engaged by the Department of Social Services for two pieces of work to support the development of the National Autism Strategy – a communications strategy, branding and materials, and the design and delivery of national consultations to inform the new Strategy.

The Australian Government announced the development of a National Autism Strategy in 2022, in response to findings of the Senate Select Committee on Autism, which recommended a person and family-centred National Autism Strategy to improve life outcomes for Autistic people.

Communication and brand development

The Department of Social Services engaged The Social Deck to support communications to inform autistic people, their families and carers and other stakeholders about the development of the strategy and encourage them to be part of consultations, and to explain the importance of having a National Autism Strategy.

We developed a comprehensive communication and brand strategy, with supporting communication plans tailored to priority cohort audiences of First Nations people, multicultural communities, people with intellectual disability and LGBTIQA+ communities. Together with these plans we developed and helped to implement:

• a flexible brand, with style guide and templates
• information materials including infographics, videos and stories from autistic people
• tailored materials for priority audiences
• messaging, web content and stakeholder outreach.

National community consultations

We were further engaged by the Department to plan, deliver and collect and analyse data from national consultations to inform the development of the National Autism Strategy. Consultation activity needed to be planned, promoted and delivered in tight timeframes, while still prioritising accessibility and inclusion for the full autism community.

Between September-November 2023 we conducted more than 100 separate engagement activities across Australia and online, with over 2000 participants. This included 20 different targeted discussions with people from intersectional and priority population groups. We provided a range of opportunities and formats for people to give input in ways that suited them, including

• an open online ideas wall,
• a questionnaire and submissions process,
• in person and online community events, including open and Autistic-only forums
• an online feedback survey following release of the Draft National Autism Strategy.

All events were delivered in partnership with autistic co-facilitators, and measures were taken to ensure that communications, materials and venues were accessible, safe and empowering.

We analysed and collated the data across all engagements to produce a final report which included recommendations for the development of the National Autism Strategy.

The National Autism Strategy was released by the Australian Government on 14 January 2025.

Over two years, The Social Deck was engaged to develop and implement a strategic communication strategy to raise awareness of the National Disability Research Partnership (NDRP) as it transitioned towards its formal establishment. We also supported the NDRP working party to undertake consultation on its draft research agenda.  

Strategic communication and engagement

The NDRP aims to strengthen disability research in Australia by ensuring people with disability and their representative organisations have a central role in shaping research priorities. The Social Deck was engaged to help build initial awareness of the NDRP among key audiences, particularly people with disability, and to foster a sense of ownership and ongoing support for the initiative.

We co-developed a comprehensive phased communication strategy. The strategy guided the development of:

• a new brand style guide and visual assets

• updates to the NDRP website to improve accessibility and content

• a Communication Reference Group to ensure inclusive and accessible communication

• a series of videos, including an animated explainer and themed vox pops

• social media and newsletter content, with tailored messaging and graphics

• advice on best practice to enhance accessibility and engagement across all communications.

We also provided on-going graphic design support to present key strategic documents including the Research Agenda and Strategic Plan.  

We supported the implementation of this strategy as the NDRP transitioned to an independent entity.

Consultation and research agenda development

Alongside communication support, The Social Deck worked with the previous NDRP Working Party to facilitate a targeted consultation process to inform revisions to the NDRP Research Agenda and Framework. The process aimed to engage groups that were underrepresented in previous consultations, ensuring a diverse range of lived experiences shaped the final agenda.

We partnered with people with lived experience to design and facilitate online and in-person workshops with:

• people with disability in rural and remote areas

• people who use augmentative and alternative communication

• young people with disability

• people with intellectual disability

• people with disability affected by bushfires and floods

• people accessing housing, food relief, and family violence support services

• culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people with disability.

To complement these workshops, we developed an online feedback form and co-designed an interactive webinar with the NDRP Working Party to engage government stakeholders. To support participation, we produced stimulus materials that explained the research agenda’s purpose and structure in accessible formats.

Our analysis of consultation feedback informed a final report with recommendations, leading to the release of an updated NDRP Research Agenda and Framework. Through this work, we helped ensure that the agenda reflects the priorities and insights of people with disability and their communities. Find out more on: https://www.ndrp.org.au/

In 2024, The Social Deck did a review of the Gambling Help Queensland (GHQ) website to provide recommendations on how it could better meet the needs of Queensland’s multicultural communities.

We made recommendations on ways to update the Gambling Help website to help improve awareness and understanding of potential harm from gambling amongst Queensland’s multicultural communities, including where to get support.  

The Social Deck approached the review in the following key phases:

• assessing existing OLGR research and Gambling Help website content via a desktop review

• establishing a diverse reference group to provide guidance on new website content

• qualitative research interviews with people from CALD backgrounds, including some in language

• online testing survey

To wrap up the project, we prepared a final report detailing our methodology, findings, areas of improvement and rationale for messaging for the website, with any recommendations on future resources to support target audiences.  

Based on these recommendations, we included draft messaging and copy to be incorporated into website content on key pages of the Gambling Help Queensland website.  

We also designed a number of website concepts for pages that could be created to specifically target information for multicultural communities, including organisations that support individuals.  

In 2024, we were engaged by the Department of Social Services to provide engagement, data analysis and reporting services for the NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce.  

The Government formed this Taskforce following recommendations made by the Independent Review of the NDIS. The Taskforce’s role was to give expert advice on designing and setting up a new regulatory model for NDIS providers and workers.  

During their engagement period, we supported the Taskforce to engage with over 2,200 people, including NDIS participants, their families and carers and other stakeholders in the disability sector. Conversations were held through small meetings, roundtables and webinars to understand the impact of a proposed new registration model. Individuals and organisations also made submissions.  

In addition to providing strategic engagement advice, our role supporting the Taskforce involved:

• attending and transcribing over 100 one-on-one meetings and roundtables  

• designing roundtable agendas and talking points

• designing and producing a series of webinars with people with disability and stakeholders

• producing event reports  

• data analysis of over 700 submissions and event summary reports

• production of a consultation report to help inform the Taskforce’s advice to government.  

The Taskforce’s full advice is available on the Department of Social Services website.

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The Social Deck supported the Department of Social Services in developing the National Housing and Homelessness Plan by planning and undertaking engagement with more than 1700 participants through 73 events across Australia and an online submission process.  

This community and stakeholder engagement project is helping to inform the new National Housing and Homelessness Plan (under development). The plan aims to help more Australians access affordable housing and reduce homelessness and is set to be released in 2024.

We applied our inclusive engagement approach to ensure a diverse range of stakeholders and communities could participate.

We produced engagement material, based on the discussion paper, including a summary document of 16 pages in plain English, conversation cards for use at events and established online engagement tools to support people to have their say.  

In addition to open community forums and stakeholder roundtables in each state and territory, our engagement included targeted conversations with:

• First Nations communities (Yarning circles)
• Culturally and linguistically diverse communities
• People who identify as LGBTQI+
• Veterans
• People with disabilities
• Regional and remote communities
• Youth

In addition, we designed and facilitated a Ministerial event with young people in Tasmania, and discussions with housing and homelessness experts.

The Social Deck managed all components of the engagement, from the initial development of the engagement and consultation plan, through to facilitation of events, and analysis and reporting.  

With thousands of data points, we establish a robust analysis process to collate and analyse all data from the roundtables and community events. We also worked with our partners at MP Consulting for the analysis of written submissions from stakeholders and community members and responses to the questionnaire.

These have been compiled into a comprehensive report with a plain English summary report available on the DSS website.

In 2023, were worked with the Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG) to consult with key stakeholders about the establishment of an integrated peak body for domestic and family violence (DFV). This was in response to Recommendation 17 of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce, Hear Her Voice: Report 1.  

We wanted to understand the views of the sector in relation to the service delivery model of the peak including guiding principles, representation, functions, and implementation. 

Consultation activities included 13 workshops with a range of existing DFV peaks and organisations, networks, funded services, representative bodies and lived experience advisory groups.  

Findings from the consultation were summarised into two reports which detailed the key themes and ideas emerging from the service sector, to inform the process for forming the new peak.  

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The Social Deck delivered national public engagement over a 10-week period in early 2023 to support the Review of the impact of COVID-19 on school students with disability.  

We spoke with over 1000 students with disability, parents and carers, teachers, principals and organisations to find out about their experiences and what could have been done differently.  

We coordinated and facilitated a range of activities to support the engagement including webinars, focus groups, a student survey and questionnaire, online discussion boards, interviews and a formal submissions process.

We also worked with young people with disability to share their stories via short videos and to encourage others to get involved.  

All activity was hosted on an engagement hub we designed for the Review.  

We worked with lived experience partners to tailor engagements to support targeted consultation with diverse and intersecting groups, including First Nations and CALD students and families and people with different communication needs and preferences.  

The insights from these engagements are being used to inform the Government report about the Review.

When the National Obesity Strategy was released in 2022, the Queensland Government was ready to consider how its priorities could be implemented to support the health of Queenslanders.

We supported Health and Wellbeing Queensland to engage across government and health and community sectors to develop action areas and priorities for Queensland’s response through a Queensland Obesity Prevention Strategy.

The project included a targeted data review of consultation insights that informed the National Obesity Strategy, pulling out what Queenslanders had to say. These insights helped guide a series of engagement activity with just under 1000 Queenslanders across:

• 7 x workshops with government, community and health sectors  
• A survey for stakeholders and community members  
• A webinar

During these activities, we facilitated activities and discussions to explore key themes and prioritise actions for a Queensland strategy.

We delivered a comprehensive report of the consultations.

Insights and updates on the strategy can be found on the Health and Wellbeing Queensland website.

The transition to zero emissions across Australia is at the heart of a sustainable future.

So we were proud to work with the ACT Government in 2023 on two two ACT-wide public consutation processes as part of their Pathway to Electrification, which will see the ACT achive net zero emissions by 2045.

We engaged with over 800 community members and stakeholders during the 2 consultations with feedback consolidated into detailed reports:

• No new gas regulation Consultation Report
• Integrated Energy Plan Listening Report

More information about the two projects:

1. Consultations to inform a no new gas network regulation

We worked with ACT Government Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate to deliver stakeholder and public engagement, which included a survey on YourSay, targeted workshops with industry and community stakeholders, webinars and a focus group with community members.

The purpose of these consultations was to gain insights into the impact of proposed new no new gas regulation on ACT households, business, community groups, trades and industry.  

We explored a range of complex issues including rising costs of the gas network, skills and workforce and impacts for vulnerable members of the community.  

We analysed and developed detailed consultation reports on all data including responses to the survey the online survey, workshop inputs, focus groups and webinars.

2. Consultations on the ACT’s Integrated Energy Plan (IEP)

We worked with the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate to engage ACT households (including low-income earners and people in community housing), those working in the gas and electrical industries, business owners, real estate/strata managers and community organisations representing vulnerable members of the community.

The IEP will guide the ACT’s pathway to net Zero by 2045. The purpose of these consultations was to seek detailed feedback on the proposed policy directions and key focus areas of the IEP.

This included facilitating an in-person industry forum with large gas users and other stakeholders including from the building, development and construction, real-estate and non-profit sectors.  

We also held focus groups and workshops and a survey through YourSay.

We analysed and developed detailed consultation reports on all data including responses to the survey the online survey, workshop inputs, focus groups and webinars.

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Did you know that shade can reduce UV exposure up to 75%? 

We supported Cancer Council NSW with the development of a Shade Advocacy Toolkit to help parents, volunteers, teachers and communities advocate for more shade. The toolkit includes information, tools and resources that highlight the importance of shade to protect children from the harmful effects of UV.

The Shade Advocacy Toolkit project included an initial desktop review where we worked closely with the Cancer Council to review existing research on UV and the benefits of shade. We narrowed down our evidence base by looking at what information is most powerful when talking to decision-makers. During this phase we found out that there are many co-benefits to more green shade (improved health and wellbeing, lowering temperatures, reducing the impacts of climate change) and these can strengthen the case for shade.

The next step included calling on our communication and design experts to put together words that work and designs that dazzle for:

• key messages
• decision-maker map
• social media tiles for sharing 
• an advocacy letter template
• PowerPoint presentation.

All resources were designed to be adapted and used by community members. We also tested our resources with some user-testing to make sure they were on the right track.

Check out the Shade Advocacy Toolkit. 

We supported the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney General to develop an evidence-driven, stakeholder-informed communication framework to guide effort to raise community awareness and understanding of coercive control and domestic and family violence.  

The communication framework is now available on the department’s website.  

We delivered a comprehensive desktop and environmental scan and review which sought to better understand:

• the public’s awareness and understanding of coercive control and DFV
• messages, sentiments and key issues/priorities in public conversations
• current communication and engagement strategies and campaigns locally, nationally and internationally
• understanding of DFV and coercive control (including proposed legislation changes).  

The desktop scan informed our approach to a hybrid Design Forum, which saw stakeholders from across the sector come together for the day in Brisbane and online. We designed and facilitated the forum with interactive activities that:

• informed guiding communication principles
• defined coercive control for communities  
• used situational personas to understand communication considerations, message needs, channels and tactics for victim/survivors, perpetrators and bystanders
• priority audience action plan development with targeted table discussions  
• sharing and reflecting the good work already happening in community.

We took insights from the desktop review, design forum, the Department-commissioned social and market research and digital and user experience research and developed a comprehensive communication framework.

The framework includes guiding principles and objectives and a strong strategic approach which draws on the COM-B behaviour change model.  

The framework sets the direction for Queensland Government but also includes very practical advice on how to best engage with and communicate with audiences including victim/survivors, bystanders, persons using violence, as well as diverse communities including First Nations communities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, people with disability and LGBTIQA+ communities.  

We’re proud to have worked on such an important piece of work for the Queensland Government and look forward to seeing how this is rolled out practically across the state.  

Since 2021, we have been working with Tweed Shire Council on a behaviour change strategy to reduce the threat of dogs off-leash to wildlife, people and other pets in on-leash beach areas of the Tweed community in Northern NSW.

We designed the program using a community-based social marketing approach that involved:

• a desktop review of previous council research and interviews with council staff
• analysis of the barriers and enablers to dog owners leashing their dogs
• audience segmentation so we knew who to target and how
• 2 workshops with community and key stakeholders to co-design the interventions
• testing intervention ideas with the community through a series of focus groups.  

The program was informed by the research and co-design stages, and combined 3 key behaviour change interventions:  

1. Communication: a social media campaign to promote messages about dog leashing and enforcement activity.

2. Prompts: Community signage at the beach locations.

3. Enforcement: Increased enforcement activity to shift social norms.  

A pilot program was rolled out in early 2022, and then more broadly in the community in October 2022.

We evaluated the program in early 2023 and the results showed the program had a significant positive impact on people’s leashing behaviour. The percentage of dogs observed on-leash in the four priority intervention locations increased by 30% (10% above the program target of 20% increase).

We are currently working with Tweed Council to develop the next stage of the Take the Lead, looking at the barriers and enablers for people using the existing designated off-leash areas.  

We worked with the Queensland Government to develop a comprehensive communication strategy for Path to Treaty. The Strategy included development of audience personas with advice on positioning, messaging, media opportunities, influencers and ways to address misinformation or other challenges impacting public perceptions.

The project supported the communication objectives to:

• raise awareness and educate Queenslanders about the Path to Treaty
• educate Queenslanders on the benefits of a treaty or treaties
• promote truth-telling.

We look forward to following Queensland’s journey on the Path to Treaty and are proud to have been part of this early project.

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The Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) is responsible for implementing the aged care reforms which were created in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The reforms are expansive and aim to improve Australia’s aged care system.  

The Social Deck has been working alongside DoHAC on the communication and consultation on the reforms through the:

• design, development and maintenance of the Aged Care Engagement Hub, which includes information about the various engagement opportunities for people impacted by the reforms
• development of an engagement strategy and approach, which focuses on leveraging community events and partnerships to reach older people
• development of engagement resources and materials to support the engagement approach
• facilitation of engagement activities through attendance at DoHAC stalls and community events.
• Analysis of data and reporting on the key engagement activities to inform

It’s important that we reach as many people as possible, so that we can continue to improve aged care together.

The Social Deck worked with Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ) to develop and implement a communication strategy to reach multicultural communities across its advocacy and services.

We regularly provided media and environmental scans of issues relevant to multicultural Queensland, developed narratives and messaging appropriate for multicultural audiences and offered advice on and implemented new communication tactics to reach emerging audience segments.

We developed a new cohesive brand that brought together 3 distinct logos for various services. The branding guidelines included easy to use templates and support for staff to be able to use them.

The final brand was very well received by the Board, staff and community.

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We undertook a social research project to develop a better understanding of people’s current attitudes and behaviours towards crocodiles in Queensland, including why locals and visitors do, or do not comply with crocodile safety messages.

We used a multi-method research approach to gain insights from a representative sample of the target audience and other stakeholders. We reviewed past research and conducted research with primary audience groups. The research included:

• focus groups and in-depth interviews with locals and visitors within Queensland Croc Country regions
• an online survey which received 1,768 responses, from 914 locals and 854 visitors.

We analysed insights to produce an audience segmentation based on attitude and behavioural factors, and an actionable research report identifying key findings and recommendations for the Queensland Government’s Be Crocwise program.

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The Social Deck was engaged by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources to undertake a phase of consultation for the second review of the Disability (Access to Premises – Building) Standards 2010 (the Premises Standards).

We engaged with stakeholders from the Australian building industry and disability communities to identify priorities and areas for improvement in:

• awareness and understanding of the Premises Standards among the building industry, disability communities, and the general public, including the accessibility of materials and information
• suitability of the Premises Standards to practical application
• mechanisms for compliance with and enforcement of the Standards
• adaptability of the Premises Standards to developments in accessible design, technology and accepted practice
• gaps in addressing accessibility requirements.

The review focused on accessibility under the key areas of:

• access and egress, which includes size, location and design of entries and paths of movement
• communication and wayfinding, including signage
• toilet and change room provisions
• environmental sensitivities, including noise and acoustics and lighting.

Target groups representing different disability needs provided input on their perspectives, experiences and priorities, and additional impacts related to the intersections of different disabilities, backgrounds and identities were investigated.

Based on the consultations, we provided an analysis of the key challenges that were identified, with a focus on aligning them with ideas and solutions.

The Premises Standards Review 2021 report is available on the Department’s website.

The Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (the Transport Standards) provide requirements for public transport operators and providers to make their services accessible and remove discrimination for people with disability.  

In 2022, The Social Deck was engaged by the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts to conduct national consultations to progress Stage 2 reforms to the Transport Standards. This engagement helped to inform some of the first major reforms to the Standards in 20 years. Engagement on the reforms focused on gaining qualitative insights to further understand what needed to change from the perspective of people with disability and stakeholders. This was done through webinars, workshops and focus groups, as well as online discussion boards.  

Later in 2022, we also worked with the department to conduct a separate national consultation project for the Transport Standards Review, which occurs every 5 years to measure effectiveness.  

During the Transport Standards Review consultations, we gathered input from almost 1000 people with disability, disability advocates, transport operators and providers and government. The engagement mix provided a range of ways for people to get involved, including:

• a webinar
• stakeholder roundtables
• focus groups
• recorded video case studies
• two surveys (one for people with disability and one for transport providers and operators).

Workshops and focus groups were all held online and delivered with co-facilitators with lived experience of disability. Insights from these and other complementary engagements were analysed and consolidated in reports to the department.  

More about reforms to the Transport Standards  

Outcomes from the public engagement helped to shape adjustments and updates to the Transport Standards, which were the first major reform updates in 20 years. Key changes included:

• All public transport information being made available in accessible formats, including timetables and route updates. 
• Onboard next-stop information will be available through signage and audio announcements.
• Improvements to passenger safety when boarding public transport, with vertical edge barriers required for portable boarding ramps to allow those who use mobility aids or wheelchairs to get on board more safely.
•  More accessible taxi rank spaces for use by wheelchair accessible taxis.

The National Redress Scheme (the Scheme) provides redress to people who experienced institutional child sexual abuse. It was created in response to recommendations by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

We worked with the Department of Social Services to co-develop the National Redress Scheme Survivor Service Charter. The purpose of the Charter is to provide survivors with clear information about how the Scheme operates, including what they can expect when they interact with it.

Taking a survivor-centred approach, we developed a detailed engagement plan to support an inclusive and trauma-informed co-development process. This included speaking with National Redress Scheme stakeholders, survivor advocates and hearing directly from some survivors.

The complex drafting and development process was iterative to balance stakeholder expectations, ensure content was accessible to all diverse audiences and to remain within the parameters of the Scheme. Some user testing was conducted in the final stages to assist the balance of government policy and survivor voice.

The Charter is principles-based and outlines not only what to expect when engaging with the Scheme, but also the Scheme’s commitments to survivors at each stage of the redress journey.

It is available from National Redress Scheme website.

On 1 July 2022, eligibility for self-collection of cervical screening was widened to people aged 25-74 years.

We supported the Department of Health and Aged Care to communicate this change by updating existing resources for community and health workers, and to create new resources for diverse audiences including First Nations people, multicultural communities and healthcare providers.

We took our previous research and consultation on cervical screening together with research commissioned by the Department and conducted a desktop review. The report informed the approach to creating messages and materials appropriate for each target audience.

In addition to a flagship animation explaining choices and updating materials to support the public and healthcare providers, we also developed materials for First Nations and multicultural audiences.  

We worked closely with our freelance writer, Danika from Neat Copy (who is a Supply Nation certified business), to develop First Nations materials including visual guide, animation (voiced by Jaina, Aboriginal voice artist), poster, results guide and information sheet. We tested our materials with NACCHO’s medical advisors along the way to make sure they were appropriate for the audience.

To support multicultural audiences, we developed storyboards on choices now available on how to have a cervical screening  and another on self-collection. Storyboards are highly visual and designed for people with low English language proficiency to use with healthcare providers or family members. They were tested with the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland and their network of bi-lingual community health workers to make sure they were appropriate for the intended audiences.

We also developed animations on choice and self-collection – with translations into 9 key languages representing under-screened communities. We worked with SBS on translations of the animation.

Visit www.health.gov.au/NCSP for more information.

In 2022, the Queensland Government released the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Strategy.  

The ZEV Strategy is both vehicle type and fuel agnostic, and extends the Government’s focus beyond electric vehicles to the opportunities that zero emission technologies and manufacturing can bring, and identifies how the government can maximise these opportunities for Queensland.  

The Social Deck supported development of the strategy through extensive engagement with government, industry and environmental stakeholders and the drafting of the strategy.  

Our role specifically included:

• facilitation and coordination of workshops
• reviewing and reporting on public survey data
• drafting the strategy based on stakeholder consultations and data
• designing and producing the strategy, ensuring it is accessible and has clear messages about the Queensland Government’s zero emission vehicle and energy policies
• developing a communication strategy
• creating communication and digital assets for launch of the strategy including social media and videos, as well as supporting products.

Every day around 5 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are diagnosed with cancer.

We worked with Gilimbaa and Cancer Australia to develop practical advice to cancer care specialists on delivering culturally safe and responsive communication for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, their families and carers.  

Our Production Manager, Casey, travelled to Larrakia Country(Darwin) and Wiradjuri Country (Dubbo and Orange) to film nurses, oncologists,Aboriginal Liaison officers, palliative care staff and patients to share their experiences and expertise.  

Casey continued to work closely with Gilimbaa throughout the post-production process to ensure the final videos were culturally appropriate and accessible.

The success of this project has led to future collaborations which we look forward to sharing with you soon.

Check out the videos on the Cancer Australia website.

As part of the national Skills Reform agenda, federal, state and territory governments are working together to improve the vocational education and training (VET) system.

We are undertaking extensive consultation and engagement with the sector, stakeholders, employers, learners, trainers and assessors across the key areas of reform.  

Engagement activity has included submission processes, surveys, and online consultation events such as workshops and webinars.  

We have taken a strong collaborative approach to working with the Department across the significant amount of engagement activity, working effectively with several different internal areas.

All engagement is featured on the accessible Skills Reform engagement hub which we designed and developed.

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. Most cervical cancers occur in people who have a cervix who have never screened or don’t have one regularly.

We conducted research to determine the most effective communication approaches and messages to encourage people with a cervix overdue for a screening, or who hadn’t been screened before, to participate.

We conducted a rapid literature review to identify behaviours, barriers and enablers to participation. These insights informed our approach to interviews with representative stakeholder groups.

Our research and communications teams collaborated to create a series of communication materials targeting different key barriers and enablers to screening.

We tested these materials through focus groups and an online randomised control trial survey to understand the efficacy and acceptability of the materials. Research findings were provided to the Department in a comprehensive research report.

We delivered two communication packages to the Department to roll out as part of a pilot program in 2021.

The Department of Social Services engaged The Social Deck to design and deliver two online seminars on accessible engagement and communication with people with disability.

The seminars were targeted for people at all levels of the Australian public service, as well as people working in fields relating to disability, public communication and community engagement. 494 people attended the first webinar, on communication, and 285 attended the second, on engagement.

The seminars featured expert speakers with diverse professional and lived experience of disability and the intersections of disability and First Nations communities:

• Jody Barney, Aboriginal Disability Training Consultant at Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy
• Jane Britt, National Policy Officer at Blind Citizens Australia
• Aine Healy, CEO of The Attitude Foundation and Founder of Ideas Info Action
• Graeme Innes AM, former Australian Disability Discrimination Commissioner
• Dr Scott Avery, Senior Lecturer at Western Sydney University

The seminars included:

• background information on the importance and value of accessible communication and engagement with people with disability
• insights on barriers experienced by certain disability groups, including people with physical disability, intellectual disability, vision impairment, hearing impairment and autism, and people with disability in First Nations and CALD communities, and how they can be addressed
• practical tips for making communications and engagement activities accessible and inclusive
• discussion of questions submitted by audience members.

The seminars were recorded and shared online in an accessible video format, and attendees received curated links to key resources to further support their accessible practice. Access the seminar on Accessible communication with people with disability here and access the seminar of Accessible engagement with people with disability here.

The Social Deck designed and undertook a program of engagement with communities across bushfire affected communities in Queensland, NSW, South Australia and Victoria, on behalf of the National Bushfire Recovery Agency (NBRA). This involved:

• Development of a community engagement strategy and implementation plan

• Implementation of engagement activity using entirely online methods (given COVID-19 restrictions which came it at the beginning of the project)

• Data collection and analysis

• Use of maps and land use information to understand issues discussed with community members

• Design of a comprehensive report to improve communication and engagement with bushfire affected communities.

In addition, we were also engaged from June to August 2020 to assist the NBRA to develop its Stakeholder Engagement Framework, which involved:

• Stakeholder mapping with staff across the Agency

• Development of engagement principles and guidance

• Templates to support NBRA staff to undertake community and stakeholder engagement for new projects including implementation of Local Economic Recovery Plans

We worked with Department of Education, Skills and Employment to design and implement the national consultation process for the 2020 Review of Disability Standards for Education. This project included the design of an Engagement Strategy and online Consultation Hub to reach target groups including young people, parents, teachers and other educators, industry and governments. The online Consultation Hub included the integration and delivery of all engagement activity. We produced an online questionnaire, interactive webinars, online focus groups, online discussion boards and video stories to deliver a highly effective engagement process via the Consultation Hub.

More than 2,500 people contributed to the consultation process, which was all delivered online (other than a few targeted face-to-face consultations with Aboriginal communities).

The Social Deck is engaged by Tweed Shire Council to develop a behaviour change program to reduce the public health risks and impacts of mosquitoes in homes and communities in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. Specifically, the program aims to reduce the risks and impacts through community action that will reduce backyard mosquito breeding habitats and improve personal protection behaviours. We used a behaviour change approach combining community based-social marketing and the EAST behavioural insights framework to develop the program.

Building on desktop research, interviews with public health experts, barriers and benefits analysis and audience segmentation, the pilot program was co-designed with a broad range of community, regional council staff and key stakeholders.

Co-design was undertaken online exploring four key themes of interventions including technology, school/community education, grassroots action and workplaces. We asked participants how we might use these to encourage people to take action to protect themselves from mosquitoes.

Following the co-design process, we undertook a mapping exercise to further prioritise and refine the most effective behaviour change interventions to include in the program. The program will use incentives and timely text message prompts to drive community action to tackle mosquitoes.

We created a series of simple text messages with calls to action, tips and reminders to help people reduce and protect themselves from mosquitoes around their homes and in their communities. We are currently testing messages and content of text messaging with the target audiences, using focus testing and piloting.

Tackling Mosquitoes Together is a collaborative project between the 7 Northern Rivers council and will officially launch in February 2021.

On behalf of Queensland Government, we undertook consultation with targeted audience groups to inform a state-wide communication strategy to raise community awareness of domestic and family violence (DFV) against people with disability in Queensland, and encourage people to act when recognising DFV.

In partnership with Griffith University’s Social Marketing @ Griffith, we conducted research and consultation to develop the evidence-base for the communication strategy, and this included:

• a systematic literature review

• stakeholder interviews and forums with people with disability and with organisations who support people with disability and from the DFV sector

• a community survey of over 500 people representative of the Queensland population to determine current levels of awareness and understanding of DFV against people with disability, and

• robust end-user message testing.

We prepared a comprehensive research report, providing insights to inform the communication and engagement approaches with detailed audience segmentation and targeted messaging.  This included messages designed to help people to build confidence to act or respond when they recognise signs of DFV against people with disability.

The final Communication and Engagement Strategy was designed taking into account message testing outcomes, and will inform further projects in 2021.

We facilitated four youth workshops to support the Department of Education’s review of senior secondary pathways into further education, training and work. These workshops and our reports are providing valuable insights from young people to the expert review Panel.

The workshops included fun, interactive activities with 15-24 year olds and focused on the skills young people felt they needed as they leave school and how they make decisions about their career pathways.

One workshop was a ‘policy hack’ focused on what effective career advice looks like involving more than 100 students, apprenticeships and employment providers.

For the final, national youth forum held in Wagga Wagga, NSW, we recruited 51 young people from across the country to participate in this forum. We designed prototypes, facilitated the forum and managed all bookings, travel and other logistics with young participants and their support people.

Read more about our approach to youth workshops on our blog.

The Social Deck is leading a series of focus groups and co-design workshops with consumers, stakeholders and health care professionals to understand the barriers to adherence to preventative asthma medication and come up with potential strategies and solutions to address this.

The Social Deck led national consultations for the development of a new national obesity strategy. On behalf of the COAG Health Council working group (comprising Commonwealth and state and territory health departments), we met face-to-face with more than 600 people including people and organisations representing targeted population groups. We delivered 7 community forums and a road show of 36 community discussions, as well as an interactive online webinar and two online surveys.

Working with our expert researcher, Nat from MindTap, we created a long-form survey which was used to allow organisations to equally contribute and respond to detailed proposals outlined in a consultation paper.

Overall, more than 2000 individuals and organisations contributed to the consultation process.

We’re looking forward to sharing more about this project in the near future.  

The NSW Quitline includes an Aboriginal-specific service, providing individually tailored and culturally sensitive advice for Aboriginal callers. The NSW Aboriginal Quitline offers a free call back service, resources, support for family and friends, and information for health professionals. Consumers can directly call the NSW Quitline and NSW Aboriginal Quitline services, or register for a call via the iCanQuit website.

However, the service was under utilised and research suggested that general audience quit smoking campaigns had limited impact on Aboriginal audiences. There was an opportunity to develop a community driven social marketing campaign, delivered through Facebook using user generated content to engage the target audience in the NSW Quitline and non-smoking behaviours.

In 2019, we managed and facilitated a series of community consultation workshops and focus groups across all states and territories to support the Tune Review of the NDIS Act, which included development of a new NDIS Participant Service Guarantee.  

A total of 572 people attended workshops. We also analysed the results of the national, online survey completed by 1,968 people. We partnered with a number of disability organisations and professional facilitators who have lived experience of disability to deliver the workshops and targeted engagements with harder to reach groups.

Given the urgency of the Tune Review and reporting, we were required to produce a series of clear reports within a very tight timeframe (14 days) of completing the consultation process.

The new national declaration on the educational goals of young Australians was released in December 2019 following our work with Department of Education, and all states and territories, to organise, promote, manage and facilitate national consultation events to inform the new Education Declaration for young Australians. We held events throughout the country with young people, teachers, Principals, other educators, education providers and stakeholders.

The consultations informed the update of the then Melbourne Declaration, which is the key document guiding the educational goals of young Australians. We designed and tailored consultation events to suit the needs of each state and territory, and facilitated three national forums, including one with more than 50 young people from throughout the country.

A number of the events and the national youth forum were attended by COAG Education Council Ministers. We designed the national youth forum to enable students and young people to engage with and present their own ideas to Ministers.

We provided a main report summarising feedback on the current Declaration, as well as 23 additional event reports (one per consultation event).

Under the guidance of the Steering Group for national disability reform, we designed and implemented a national engagement program to reach people with disability, their families and carers, disability organisations and service providers, advocates and other interested stakeholders to inform the next national disability strategy for 2020 and beyond.

We facilitated 17 consultation events, 12 in-depth interviews (including with harder to reach groups), managed a public survey which received more than 2,600 responses, and moderated an open online forum. We assisted the Commonwealth and states and territories to promote and organise the workshop events, which were attended by 600 people over an 8-week period.

All events were designed to be highly accessible for all people with disability, including physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities. We created multiple methods for engagement and input at each event, in order to respond to a wide variety of accessibility needs.

Our final report, Right to opportunity: Consultation report to help shape the next national disability strategy, was published in December 2019.

Drawing on our passion for clean energy solutions, we worked with Zero Emissions Noosa to undertake a series of interviews with local business owners to understand the key barriers and benefits to businesses installing rooftop solar.

As part of the outcomes of this research we developed a series of video case studies, through our Production Manager, Tame Fox Productions, designed to be shared with other businesses across social media to help address the identified barriers and to highlight key benefits to installing roof-top solar.

Working alongside our partners, Gilimbaa, we worked with the Department of Social Services to undertake a series of engagements with the disability employment sector, other stakeholders and people with disability on ensuring a strong future for supported employment of people with a disability.

This included in-depth discussions with people with disability and 10 collaborative workshops involving Australian Disability Enterprises, disability employers, services providers, advocates and carers across the country.

The engagement process informed the Department of Social Services' reports and recommendations relating to the transition of supported employment into the NDIS.

The Social Deck worked with Noosa Shire Council to develop a sustainable transport behaviour change program designed to shift the primary mode of transport for community members and tourists away from cars toward more sustainable transport such as cycling, walking and public transport. We combined community-based social marketing and the EAST behavioural insights framework to develop the behaviour change program.

Building upon extensive desktop research, local transport data and audience segmentation, the program was co-designed with a range of community, business, transport and environment stakeholders. This resulted in a program integrating a number of interventions across 3 phases, with coordinated efforts across the stakeholder group.

The first phase was for Council to implement peak period trials over Christmas 2018 and Easter 2019. The results of the trials showed measures such as the branding, free buses trial, directional signage and campaign information achieved high awareness and moved people to use more public transport during peak period times.

An evaluation plan was developed as part of the program, to guide the council in measuring impact and to help guide further intervention and investment.

A key aspect of this strategy was being able to communicate the program and evaluations to the community to show how investment is justified. This included producing a series of infographics in partnership with our illustrator, design meld.

We facilitated a series of workshops on behalf of the federal Department of Social Services to co-develop with key partners and stakeholders a number of innovative programs to address welfare dependence among priority populations. A number of these took a behaviour change approach to encouraging target populations to get into employment or study. They were:

• The ASEP project with University of Queensland, QLD Education and QLD Police to increase school attendance of young people.
• Care Plays VR providing VR experiences and training to Aboriginal people in NT designed to provide employment pathways into disability care.
• The Opportunity Account with the Cape York Institute providing a mobile app designed to encourage positive behaviour change for young people in remote Cape York communities.
• Impact Club with World Vision Australia an integrated approach to adolescent engagement in Northern WA, that fosters the skills, behaviours and attitudes necessary for their improved participation in the social, civic and economic life of their communities.

The Social Deck helped the Department of Social Services to develop a comprehensive communication strategy to support the announcement of the new National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering.

This included a stage one communication strategy, with recommendations for stage two (future implementation of measures across Government), and supporting communication materials to explain the real impact of online wagering on the community, including infographics and case studies.

In 2018, we worked with Southeast Queensland water utility, Unitywater, to develop educational resources and online tools to support teachers and students to learn about urban water systems, sewage treatment and reducing single-use plastic water bottles. A key objective of these resources was to encourage behaviour change from schools, students (and their parents) around the use of single use plastics and what they put into the sewerage system.

The design of resources involved in-depth testing with teachers and students, and the production of engaging in-class materials, including an interactive web-story and innovative video incorporating 360 and graphics.

We worked with Gympie Regional Council to engage women in business or leadership roles in the Gympie region to identify their business aspirations and development opportunities, scope the support they need to enhance their capabilities as business and community leaders, and connect them to available programs and services. The project involves a series of interviews, surveys, roundtables and a larger forum to collect insights and recommend future actions that will help women in the Gympie region to Succeed, Achieve, Grow and Employ (SAGE).

We were engaged by the Queensland Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors to engage across Queensland on potential changes to the Queensland Disability Services Act legislation. This included facilitating and collating information from survey data and face-to-face engagements and producing a consultation report.

The Social Deck was engaged by the Commonwealth Government to work across state and territories to facilitate national face-to-face consultations on the future of supported school transport for students with a disability. We delivered face-to-face consultations around the country on the discussion paper released by Department of Social Services, to seek people’s views on the benefits and challenges of current supported school transport verse potential new arrangements under the NDIS.

This included 19 stakeholder workshops with transport providers, schools and other stakeholders and 29 in-depth interviews with groups of parents and carers. In total more than 520 people were consultedface-to-face.

We produced a comprehensive report on the insights gathered and findings of the face-to-face consultations to support future decisions by governments.

We collaborated with Innovate Noosa and the Noosa Chamber of Commerce to develop the Noosa Venture Playbook, a digital tool to support individuals and organisations to improve their ability to start, scale and grow an innovative venture in Noosa. The tool aimed to improve economic growth in the Noosa region by allowing people to assess and strengthen key capabilitites that would enable innovation through connection to high quality local and online resources.

We worked with Mackay Regional Council and stakeholders to develop the 2017 Mackay Region Community Development Strategy. This included an extensive engagement and co-design process to create a community-driven strategy and two-year action plan.

As part of the project we undertook a desktop review and report of best practice community development approaches and community-driven development initiatives.

We gained insights and input from the community and stakeholders using qualitative in-depth interviews, community surveys and the facilitation of a co-design workshop to develop the new strategy with stakeholders. Participants were involved in identifying and prioritising actions, as well as what the Community Development Strategy should cover for a collective future for the region.

Since 2014 we have worked with Nunkuwarrin Yunti, a community-controlled Aboriginal health organisation to develop and implement social marketing campaigns and behaviour change tactics to tackle Indigenous smoking rates in Adelaide.

This has involved a community-based social marketing approach in research analysis, segmentation, design and implementation of the ‘Don’t Let Your Dreams Go Up in Smokes’ campaign, engaging young people and influencers in place-based and online activities.

The campaign raised awareness of the impact of smoking and empowered young people to change their own behaviour and have a positive influence on peers. Tactics ranged from social media content, online and event-based competitions and message boards and utilising ‘champions’, and partnering with local schools to reach the target audience.

An evaluation less than one year after the campaign showed it had reached over 2000 students within 20 schools. There was an increase in target audience awareness of smoking risks and commitments to staying smoke-free.

More information about the research insights and campaign results is available on our blog.

We have provided strategic communication advice and services to the Australian Government Department of Social Services across a number of policies, programs and reforms. This has included:

• Communication strategy for housing, welfare reform and family and children’s policy
• Overseeing communications in the lead up to the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme
• Media management and promotion for International Day of People with a Disability
• Communication and issues management for the reform of community services grants funding
• Communication Strategy development and implementation for Multicultural affairs and Settlement Services
• Media and communications management for the Australian Government’s intake of an additional 12,000 refugees fleeing conflict in Syria and Iraq.

The Social Deck worked with the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads to develop the new Queensland Cycling Strategy, 2-year action plan and State of Cycling Report. We were re-engaged by TMR in 2019 to update the State of Cycling Report and Action Plan for 2020, along with producing a new series of videos and photography.

The strategy sets the direction for cycling in Queensland and priorities for the Queensland Government to increase cycling participation with the vision of ‘more cycling, more often’. Content was developed from insights gained during stakeholder consultations, data and an evidence base around how to encourage more cycling, more often. It highlights and promotes cycling as an everyday activity through stories of real people and case studies. Deliverables included:

• Suite of three published documents - the new Queensland Cycling Strategy, an Action Plan and a Queensland State of Cycling Report.
• Infographics, vignettes and case studies for the documents and to be shared online.
• Engaging and sharable short videos and a promotional video.
• New website and online content to showcase the strategy.
• Stakeholder engagement through Ministerial Cycling Forum and Queensland Cycling Advisory Group.

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In the lead up to changes to electricity reforms, we worked with the Department to review and develop a communication plan, stakeholder engagement plan and key message framework to support the national transition to new electricity tariffs for households and consumers.

The aim of the messaging was to increase consistency and promote stronger calls to action in consumer choice, as tariff reforms came into place. Messages focused on getting consumers to act to reduce their electricity bills by both “shopping around” and understanding their energy use.

We focus tested key messages and communication approaches with a small number of consumers. We also facilitated a stakeholder workshop involving industry peak associations, energy providers and retailers and Commonwealth and state government agencies to further consider the application of the communication strategy and messaging nationally.

In 2015, The Social Deck worked with the Department of Social Services to develop and facilitate a joint national communication strategy and online platform, a key activity of the Second Action Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children.

This included facilitating a workshop between Commonwealth, state and territory departments and NGOs including Our Watch, Lifeline and White Ribbon.

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We worked with the Department of Social Services to develop communication and stakeholder engagement approaches for the transition to an outcomes-based commissioning approach. Acknowledging the importance of long-term organisational and sector change, we based the communication approaches on behaviour change techniques, using tools such as social proof (influencers), prompts and incentives to engage DSS staff early in the process.

We designed a comprehensive communication and engagement strategy, with input from an advisory group and staff involved in proof of concept test cases. This involved facilitating departmental workshops to develop definitions, principles, key messages and products supporting the first phases of the commissioning approach development.

We provided recommendations for ongoing engagement processes with staff and social service stakeholders to continue to co-design the commissioning model, and undertook a review of best practice approaches in social service commissioning from Australia, and throughout the UK, NZ and the USA.

Our engagement approach uses the International Association for Public Participation engagement spectrum, assisting the department to properly identify, map and analyse its intended engagement with social service providers and other stakeholders

#dontwasteourforests

In 2015-16, we managed and delivered the ‘ Don’ t Waste Our Forests’ campaign to prevent illegal dumping in local forests around the Orange, NSW region. The campaign was funded by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and run in partnership with two local Councils, Forestry Corporation of NSW and the Orange Mountain Bike Club.

We developed tailored behavioural messages and a low-budget creative using humour to engage the community and target likely dumping offenders. The messaging and creative was based on active research in the Orange community and the development of a targeted behaviour change strategy through a collaborative workshop with campaign partners. Tactics included a mix of physical interventions, such as signage and works at the forest entrance, and behavioural messages delivered through communication tactics.

A reference group was used to test ideas and product, which included: signage at the forest, the clean up and beautification (with some redevelopment) of the forest entrance, a ‘ free tip’ day run by Orange Council, local social media campaign, some local advertising (radio and print) and promotion at events with forest users.

Preliminary results showed contribution to decreased illegal dumping activity after implementation (approx. 80%), as well as increased awareness in the community of reporting illegal dumping and active engagement and strengthened partnerships with community groups and key stakeholders to work together to help prevent the problem in the future.

In 2014, we worked with World Vision Australia to support a media partnership with The Guardian which aimed to increase awareness and funds to support World Vision’s work in remote Indigenous communities. The Social Deck provided strategic communication advice and assisted management of content creation, which focused on telling compelling and real life stories of people in remote Aboriginal communities being helped by World Vision Australia Programs. The campaign media partnership assisted World Vision to achieve its fundraising goal for its work in Australia’s remote Indigenous communities.

We delivered a targeted behaviour change project for a mining operation that was experiencing problems around dumping and littering on site. The campaign was based on behavioural insights showing that people responded to peer pressure, as well as pride and sense of taking responsibility for their own ’space’. Deliverables included a set of workplace posters and a workforce presentation for shift meetings.

We collaborated with the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health, based in Orange, to develop a poster for workplaces. The aim of the poster was to educate workers on the symptoms and effects of mental health along a spectrum of well to unwell and provide specific actions to undertake if help was needed.

We worked with Brand Orange to undertake user research and journeys, utilising user-centred design techniques, to develop its new website and digital platforms to support economic growth in the Orange Region of NSW.

Following this, we also redeveloped the Orange Food Week website, the major annual event supported by Brand Orange, and integrated a targeted SMS tool to increase engagement with members and the public.

We worked with the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health to bring a range of community services together (e.g. housing, Health) with business and local and State government organisations to tackle the issue of mental health in the region using the ‘act-belong-commit’ social marketing approach.

The project was funded by the NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) and was based on the Act-Belong-Commit campaign originally created in WA. Act-Belong-Commit is a community-based health promotion campaign that encourages people to take action to improve their health and wellbeing. The model is based on research by Curtin University into people’s perceptions of mental health and the behaviours they believed projected and promoted good mental health.

In assisting the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health to facilitate the introduction of Act-Belong-Commit in the Orange region, we undertook initial research on the efficacy of the campaign in other regions throughout Australia and facilitated a number of collaborative workshops with cross-sectoral stakeholders to develop a social marketing strategy. This included development of a logical framework to guide progress and evaluate the campaign specific to the region.

The social marketing strategy included an implementation plan for the Centre for Rural and Remote Health to implement activity with community service stakeholders.

We oversaw development and implementation of national promotional activities for Harmony Day 2016, on behalf of Department of Social Services.

This included the development of new engagement toolkits for local governments, schools, community organisations and workplaces. Harmony Day 2016 resulted in improved engagement on social media and the establishment of new partnerships, including with Football Federation Australia (FFA), to promote the message of ‘everyone belongs’. Our work included also included overseeing engagements, media management and events for Australian Government Ministers on Harmony Day.

Following the 2016 promotions we continued to work with the Department to redesign and improve the Harmony Day website, making it a more user-friendly and engaging platform for the range of community organisations, schools, workplaces and governments who access resources on the site each year. This included working alongside Gilimbaa on a new digital engagement strategy and tools.