Q3 2017: No Live Hep C Free courses were held during this quarter with 3 already booked for the next quarter.

Q2 2017: This quarter also saw a high number of participants at the two course which were run this quarter. One course was held at a residential rehab while the other was held at a homelessness service.

This financial year has seen the Living Well program reach 172 participants across the financial year, exceeding our target. Strong continuing relationships with particular residential rehabs has been complemented by collaborative efforts with local HIV and Related Programs (HARP) units to take Living Well to a number of sites across the financial year. Strong buy-in from services, positive reputation of the program, and collaboration with partner organisations means that there has been significant demand from services to host the Living Well program.

Q1 2017: A high number of participants attended the three Living Well courses which were run this quarter at three residential rehabs in Sydney

Q4 2016: There was one Living Well course run during this quarter with two further courses postponed until the first quarter of 2017.

Q3 2016: Due to illness and absence of the program's peer-facilitators, no Living Well courses were run in this quarter. However, this will be rectified in the next quarter with a number of courses booked and planned.

Q2 2016: Two Living Well courses were held in this quarter with a good number of participants. With the final weeks of the course falling in July 2016, the target number of participants for the financial year has been met.

Q1 2016: While only 1 Living Well course was run during the first quarter of 2016, the program is on track with number of participants. Subsequent courses are booked for the second quarter.

Q4 2015: In the first 6 months of the 2015/16 financial year we have delivered 50% of our Living Well courses and have the remaining 50% planned from January to July. While there were no courses delivered in November and December we are exceeding total targets in number of participants who have attended Living Well at this point.

Q3 2015: Quarter 3 has been extremely successful with a consistently high number of participants from AOD rehabs and homeless centres. This has meant that targets have been exceeded.

Q2 2015: A very successful 6-week course was completed at William Booth House during Q2. Though cancellations on two courses meant targets were not met for this quarter both Q3 and Q4 2015 are fully booked to accommodate for this. Training of two new peer-facilitators was also undertaken in this quarter.

Q1 2015:The recruitment of a new project officer running Living Well has meant that the program has not met targets in this quarter as no courses were run. However, with a full-time project officer Living Well will be fully up and running in Q2 with regular courses being delivered on an ongoing basis.

Q4 2014: Whilst one program was run in this quarter, staffing changes and restructuring of the program has meant that we have not met targets this quarter. We will be refocusing the program in Jan 2015 with recruitment of dedicated project officer and Living Well is a priority of action for HNSW.

Q3 2014: Living Well was run over 4 weeks at Guthrie House in Enmore. Guthrie House is not-for-profit transitional service for women, including women with pre-school aged children in their full-time care. They provide the only service that supports women who have a history of alcohol and other drug abuse and current involvement in the criminal justice system.

Living Well started in November with 7 participants, one of whom was only at Guthrie House on that day. Not all of the participants were living with Hepatitis C. In the second week, the number of participants reduced to 5, with one participant having a baby and one having an appointment. A new resident joined the group. Week three had the 5 participants and Week 4 had 4 participants as one had finished at the service and was living in the community again.

In July 2014, a new Project Officer was appointed to the Live Well Program. Also at this time, the Live Well Program was being reviewed and re-written by an external consultant. The final version of the re-written program was sent to HNSW at the end of August. Due to the current facilitators being away at various times in September and October, training for them with the new program has been delayed until November 2014. Two Living Well courses are scheduled for November/December 2014, one with Guthrie House and one at Hepatitis NSW.

Guthrie House, William Booth House, Ozanam Learning Centre, WHOS, Dianella Cottage, NUAA.

Providing good food proves to be a fantastic icebreaker as well as building rapport. Also telling participants there will be an end of course big spread of food incentivises them to attend the whole program. Each session links together showing the value of attending every session.

Engaging group exercises, the removal of PowerPoint presentations, peer-steering of discussions instead of strict facilitating and a heavy focus on open group discussion provides a genuinely effective environment not just for learning self-management around viral hepatitis but also in engaging participants.

The focus of the course is on building confidence and motivation of participants and making it clear that our role is simply to encourage and empower their own expertise on living with hep C.