Welcome to our May bulletin

We are planning our training and development program for the next financial year and are interested to know what support you need to manage and understand the aged care reforms as well as demonstrating high quality service delivery.  By completing this short, 5 question training survey, you will help us to develop the workshops, training and resources that best fit your needs.

To keep up-to-date with all our training and events, to head to our Training and Events page.

To receive important emails about any training events we hold:

• Add order@humanitix.com & info@humanitix.com to your contacts, safe senders & domains list 

The Federal government released their 2024-2025 Budget on Tuesday 14^th February which includes $2.2 billion  towards aged care services . Importantly we have confirmation that the go-live for the new Aged Care Act has been set for 1st July 2025 alongside the new Support at Home ( for HCP/STRC)

Further information on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s reform priorities and Budget spending can be found  here

 Further information and a  different perspective from peaks and stakeholders: OPAN , COTA ,  ACCPA  and  Hello Leaders Aged Care Journal 

Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards 

The strengthened Quality Standards will come into effect in line with the new Aged Care Act in July 2025. Make sure you review the resources to prepare for the strengthened Standards. 

We also want to draw your attention to the latest Sector Performance Report. This report provides data and insights on how the sector performed from 1 October to 31 December last year. 

Training Opportunities 

There are lots of training opportunities coming over the next 6 months. Remember, if there is anything that you would like us to focus on, please complete the training survey

Shared Decision Making: Advance Care Planning

This one-hour, online information session for CHSP providers will provide an overview of:

• What Shared Decision Making and Advance Care Planning (ACP) is
• The legal documents involved and your responsibilities
• Why it is important for your clients to be offered an opportunity to undertake ACP
• How you can introduce ACP to your clients and support them to complete ACP

There will be opportunity for questions and discussion.

Small group session, limited places, facilitated by Monash Health.

6 August 12 Noon online

We have 4 different Goal Directed Care Planning sessions, facilitated by Kate Pascale . Places are limited places so make sure you get in early.

Developing Effective Goal Directed Care Plans

This one-day workshop provides staff with practical tools and strategies to support them understand and embed effective person-centred goal setting and care planning. Staff have the opportunity to practice a range of techniques to engage clients in the goal setting process and work through case studies to put these skills into practice.

This one-day workshop includes:

• Effectively engaging clients and carers in GDCP
• Strategies to understand client’s needs and priorities and how to translate these into tangible goals
• How to develop and document person centred care plans
• Reviewing care plans efficiently and effectively
• An introduction to the organisational systems, tools and templates that support effective GDCP

Who - This workshop is designed for staff who are responsible for assessment, goal setting and care planning. No prerequisite training is required

When - Thursday 22 August 9am to 4pm, Morning Tea, Lunch and Afternoon Tea provided

Where - Mentone Life Saving Club, Beach Road, Mentone VIC 3194

Goal Directed Care Planning in Group Sessions

Tips and tricks to help you set individualised goals and create meaningful care plans quickly and easily, within a group setting.  

This 3 hour workshop is designed to build on your existing knowledge and skills to specifically explore the unique elements of care planning in a group setting.  We will discuss how you can work together to document meaningful, individualised care plans for each participant.  The session will include information about:

• Making individualised goals meaningful within group activities
• The key elements that need to be documented in GDCP and how these can be recorded effectively and efficiently. 
• Using appropriate language and strategies to reinforce a strengths based approach within GDCP documentation.
• Incorporating different perspectives within a GDCP (e.g. client, carers and staff).

Note: This course is designed specifically for staff working in group settings (e.g. social support, allied health, respite, lifestyle and skill development programs).

Who - This workshop is designed for staff who have previously completed introductory GDCP training and are actively involved in completing and reviewing GDCP with their clients in a group setting.

When - Tuesday 10 September 9:30am to 12:30pm

Where - Woodlands Golf Club, Mordialloc

Reviewing Goal Directed Care Plans

This workshop will focus on strategies and tools to support staff to monitor and review Goal Directed Care Plans (GDCP). This will include discussion about:

• how GDCP reviews can be completely efficiently and effectively within different settings
• conversation skills and strategies to support effective GDCP review
• documentation requirements for GDCP review
• indicators for reassessment.

Who - This workshop is designed for staff who have previously completed introductory GDCP training and are actively involved in completing and reviewing GDCP with their clients.

When - Tuesday 10 September 1.30pm to 4.30pm

Where - Woodlands Golf Club, Mordialloc

Goal Directed Care Planning for people with low literacy

This 1-day program will focus on practical strategies and tools that support effective goal setting and person-centred care planning for people with low literacy levels. The session will include discussion about a range of ways that GDCP can be created so that they are relevant for people with variable literacy skills.

This will include:
• Introducing the concept of goal setting and care planning to clients from different backgrounds (and those with limited understanding of goal setting)
• Creative ways to document meaningful care plans (including simplified GDCP formats, visual care plans and easy English solutions)
• Policies and Procedures to support a flexible approach to GDCP.

Participants will be provided with a range of resources and examples of care plans that have been successfully created in a range of formats.
 

Who - This workshop is designed for staff who have previously completed introductory GDCP training and are actively involved in completing and reviewing GDCP with their clients.

When - Wednesday 25 September 9.30am to 4.30pm

Where - Woodlands Golf Club, Mordialloc

We'd like all SSD and CHSP Service Providers to join us to learn more about the resource, find out how to use the toolkit, and take the opportunity to ask questions.

Exploring Diversity & Wellness, A Toolkit for Reflective Conversations resource on Tuesday 28 May @ 12.30pm -1pm AEDT. 

The Exploring Diversity & Wellness Toolkit has been designed to support conversations and learning opportunities to broaden our understanding of the many people we work with. It provides a foundation to explore diversity, inclusion, wellness and reablement through case studies for organisations providing Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).

The toolkit aims to support CHSP service providers to:

• Understand various guidelines and best practice principles that are central to the CHSP in the context of the person being supported
• Draw upon the resources and discussion points to consider innovation and inclusive service principles in relation to diversity, wellness and reablement
• Utilise the case studies and discussion cards at in-house professional development opportunities to discuss and learn from specific scenarios
• Strengthen consumer-centred care and consumer participation practice
• Further develop the knowledge and skills to enhance staff practice
• Incorporate case studies and questions within recruitment and induction processes.

When: Tuesday 28 May @ 12.30pm -1pm AEDT via Zoom.

Registration Link:  Meeting Registration - Zoom

The Grampians Sector Development Team has developed the resource. An online version can be accessed at: Exploring Diversity & Wellness - Community Sector Development (csdgrampians.org.au)

Consumer engagement in Aged Care – Practice essentials

This 3-hour webinar is designed to build staff’s understanding of consumer engagement in aged care services.  We will discuss the importance of consumer engagement to support the design, delivery, and evaluation of services in in line with sector requirements.  This includes an overview of:·   

•  Consumer engagement as a core component part of ongoing quality improvement
• Aged care service provider requirements in relation to consumer engagement (in alignment with the Aged Care Act, Aged Care Quality Standards, Strengthening Provider Governance
• Guiding principles of effective consumer engagement
• Key consumer engagement strategies (e.g. Quality Care Advisory Group, Consumer Reps, Feedback systems etc.)
• Practical ways to ensure consumer engagement strategies are meaningful and achievable (within the scope of your service and resources)
• Resources to support implementation.

Target group

These workshops are designed for staff who are actively involved in ongoing quality improvement within their agency. This may include managers and program leaders, quality improvement staff and staff involved in consumer engagement strategies.  

 Registration (you only need to register and attend 1 webinar)

Wednesday 29^th May 2024 9:30am – 12:30pm Register here 

Thursday 6^th June 2024 9:30am – 12:30pm Register here

Wednesday 12^th June 2024 9:30am – 12:30pm Register here

Culturally inclusive recreation & social support program activities 

This webinar aims to increase the capacity of aged care organisations to develop and deliver culturally inclusive social support activities. 
 
Sylvia Wan from the Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre will talk about their multicultural and culturally inclusive Social Support program activities.  
Lisa Dean from the Eastern Sector Development Team will present an overview of their Building Culturally Inclusive Social Support Groups help sheets.  
WHERE: Zoom 
WHEN: Tuesday 28 May  
 
PRESENTED BY: The Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing 
 
Click here to register for the webinar 

Enrol in the cyber security course for small businesses 

The Cyber Wardens program is a short course funded by the Australian government to protect small businesses from daily online threats. 

• Designed for small business 
• Complete in 45 minutes 
• Free online training 
• Simple and practical wins 

National Volunteer week 20-26 May 2024 

National Volunteer Week is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering and will be next held on 20-26 May 2024. This special event provides an opportunity to highlight the important role of volunteers in our community and invites people not currently volunteering to give it a go 

Here are some great tools and resources to support volunteers in your workplace. 

https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/get-involved/nvw/ 

Volunteer recognition is ongoing. Here is a simple template which you can download and modify as needed to create your own Volunteer Recognition Action Plan. 
Volunteer Recognition Action Plan 

Do you need some further ideas for volunteer recognition? 
Ideas for Volunteer Recognition Activities 
101 Ways to Recognise Your Volunteers 

Reconciliation Week is a time is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. 

Connect with the team

The Sector Support & Development Team wish to acknowledge the traditional owners on the lands on which we live and work and the lands on which you find yourselves accessing this Bulletin. We pay our respects to Elders past present and emerging and celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal peoples.