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EnglishWhat is the Child and Youth Health National Clinical Network (CYHNCN)?
Updated
The Child and Youth Health National Clinical Network (CYHNCN) is a network run by the Paediatric Society of NZ | Te Kāhui Mātai Arotamariki o Aotearoa that brings together health professionals and consumers with expertise in child and youth health. Its stated purpose is to work in partnership to improve outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa. If you are a clinician, a consumer, or someone acting on whānau and community perspectives, the network is the part of PSNZ built around that shared work.
Who is part of the network
The network is deliberately cross-disciplinary and cross-regional. PSNZ describes its membership as open to people involved with the health and wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi, and says the organisation gains strength by reducing barriers between disciplines and geographical regions.
Two groups sit inside the CYHNCN:
- Health professionals and consumers with expertise in child and youth health, working in partnership.
- Lived Experience Navigators (LENs) rōpū — described by PSNZ as the voice of whānau and community within the network.
The LENs element is the clearest signal of how the partnership model is meant to operate: consumer and whānau experience is not an add-on but a named group within the network structure.
What it is trying to achieve
PSNZ's Strategic Plan 2021–2026 sets the wider frame. It aims to improve outcomes for all tamariki, with a focus on Māori, Pasifika, disabled and targeted groups. The CYHNCN is the clinical network through which that strategy is pursued on the child and youth health side.
The society's overarching vision statement is that "Tamariki in Aotearoa flourish in health and wellness."
How to get involved
PSNZ membership is the general entry point, and it is open to people involved with the health and wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa. Beyond membership, specific roles within the network are advertised through the PSNZ news section as they arise.
Current and recent examples from that news section include:
| Opening | What it is |
|---|---|
| Co-Chairs, Child & Youth Health National Clinical Network | Leadership roles for the network |
| Clinical Nurse Specialists, Paediatric Palliative Care Workstream | Expressions of interest for a workstream |
| Lived Experience Navigators (LENs) rōpū | Whānau and community voice within the CYHNCN |
Because these openings appear as news items, the practical way to find them is to check the PSNZ news page rather than a fixed vacancies list. Roles are posted with their own deadlines, so timing matters if you intend to apply.
What the network is not
PSNZ states plainly that it does not provide health care or advice for patients. The CYHNCN is a professional and consumer network, not a clinical service. If a child in your care is unwell, PSNZ directs you to:
- Your General Practitioner (GP)
- Healthline — free advice from Registered Nurses on 0800 611 116
- Emergency services — dial 111
A reasonable next step
If your interest is in joining the network's work, start with PSNZ membership and then watch the news section for role-specific expressions of interest such as the Co-Chair and workstream openings. If your interest is in the network's direction rather than a role, the Strategic Plan 2021–2026 is the document that explains the outcomes it is working toward.