Check who will be conducting the yarning session (Is it you and/or nurse from a local clinic?).

Consider partnering with local existing groups in the community (An AMS, craft group, Bingo, Schools as Community Centres’ supported playgroups at NSW public schools or exercise groups) to promote the yarning session or ask to run a yarning session at their regular group meeting.

If there are no local existing groups, decide the location of the yarning session and consider:

• Where is the lowest cervical screening participation in your local region and who can you ask if you can hold your yarning session in this location? 
• Setting up a yarning session near your local school/AMS/other high foot traffic area to capture as many women as possible, such as mothers as they take their children to school or women already visiting the AMS
• Is there a private room or venue suitable?
• Does your clinic usually run yarning sessions? Could you book a date to talk about cervical screening for one of the yarning sessions? 
• Think about the needs of the local community - could the yarning session be after work hours? Could it be at a location where women usually go with family?

Approach the council or owner and seek permission to use their venue for the yarning session.

For example, if it is at the Community Health Centre, suggest writing to the owner.

• Is the location safe, easily accessible and how will you make the area private for women to discuss women’s business?
• Is there enough space to allow free movement while providing a yarning session? 
• Is there good public transport access/accessible parking?
• Is it easy to get in and out of the space (entrance/exits clearly marked and well lit, ramps)?
• Is there access to power and water?
• Does it meet other relevant public health requirements, such as COVID safety? (For COVID safety, refer to NSW Government’s COVID-19 Safety Plan Template)

Complete all necessary Work Health & Safety assessment forms and send to your local manager and Work Health & Safety Committee for approval. This whole process may take 4-6 weeks.

Get your public liability insurance certificate from your workplace in order to hold the yarning session. This may take up to 2 weeks to be provided to you.

• If you have a Media and Communications team, consider approaching them and ask for the media release template.

Otherwise, develop a media release 

• Summarise your key points of what you want people to know about the yarning session.
• Include your contact details.
• Request to include the yarning session dates on your organisation’s Facebook page.

Speak with the Health Service Manager and find a GP in town (someone who is well known and respected) to ask if they would mind being interviewed and quoted in a media release.

Find a local champion (e.g. an Aboriginal Health workforce member or well-respected Elder who understands the importance of cervical screening) to assist you with recruiting women and spreading the word to women in their community.

Promote your yarning session by:

• Provide promotional flyers to your community pharmacy, hairdressers, local existing community groups. 
• Promote your yarning session through the local Aboriginal radio station such as Koori Radio.
• Include details about your yarning session in the local community Facebook pages and council website.

If you have a Social Media team, discuss the following with them:

• Promote your yarning session via social media, get people talking and discussing cervical screening.
• If you are offering the Institute’s gift bag, make sure to include in your social media post that all women will receive a gift bag on the day (brochures, compact mirrors, lip balms and pens).

Set up signage for the yarning session including signs for the bathrooms.

1. Begin with Welcome/Acknowledgement of Country.
2. Cervical screening session including showing cervical screening test equipment.
3. Lunch. 
4. Fun activity around cervical screening.

• Video introducing the National Cervical Screening Program changes. 
• Your Guide to Cervical Screening Test Aboriginal video.
• Cervical screening - Taking care of your health flipchart – also available in PowerPoint.
• ​For ideas of activities, refer to the ‘Resources from State and Territory partners’ in 'Resources available for health promotion activities' .
• Tips for providing cervical screening resources to community.

It is important to think about and document what went well and what could be done better next time by using survey tools to seek feedback.

Download the cervical screening yarning session checklist >