SMR Sector Support and Development  October 2023

Welcome to our October 2023 Bulletin 

In this month's bulletin we have the latest news from the Department of Health and Aged Care, training opportunities and resources.  Most importantly you can now register for the SMR Best Practice Forum and Expo  on 16th November at the Springvale Main City Hall.

Latest news from the Department of Health and Aged Care 

Aged care reforms survey now open 

The Department has a short survey to help them measure your awareness of upcoming reforms and the support you need to prepare and implement changes. 

The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete and will close on 31 October 2023.

Please share this link with others in the sector, so they can have their say too. If the link doesn't work copy and paste https://healthau.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0AjHtfOxXA1dRNY 

Caring for older people in warmer weather – Home Care and CHSP 

Service providers need to be particularly aware of the severe hazards associated with extreme heat events. Older people living in the community may suffer from heat stress and those who live alone without regular contact from others may be particularly at risk. 

This checklist is for Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) providers. It has what to do before and during a heatwave. 

Heatwave checklist 

Training and Workshops

Understanding Professional Boundaries   

This 90-minute webinar provides an overview of professional boundaries and why they are so important in our everyday work.  

The session covers:

• How do policies and procedures provide support to you? 
• How can we be “friendly but not friends” with clients and recognise changes? 
• How does culture influence professional relationships? 
• What behaviours create risks and breaches in the workplace? 
• What to do if a breach of professional boundaries happens. 

Who should attend? 

Staff who work directly with clients and carers in CHSP-funded programs. This includes support workers, direct care workers, social support staff and allied health assistants.   

When: Tuesday 24th October 10:00am to 11.30am 

Facilitator: Trish Miller from Kate Pascale and Associates 

Understanding Confidentiality  

This 90-minute webinar builds on your understanding and knowledge of confidentiality and why it is so important. 

The session will cover:

• What are the seven principles of confidentiality and how can we apply them? 

• How is the Legislation (ACTs) used to create organisational policies to support staff? 

• Who can discuss a client’s information and when? 

• What behaviours create risks and breaches in the workplace? 

• What happens if an issue arises, and confidentiality is breached 

Who should attend? 

Staff who work directly with clients and carers in CHSP-funded programs. This includes support workers, direct care workers, social support staff and allied health assistants.   

When: Thursday 9th November 1:00pm -2.30pm 

Facilitator: Trish Miller from Kate Pascale and Associates. 

This series of eight online workshops supports you to understand the Specialisation Verification Framework and how it can help your organisation and communities. Each workshop focuses on the people and communities recognised as special needs groups. 

Specialisation Verification will be necessary when you are ready to promote your services on My Aged Care as the best fit for people who identify with special needs groups.   

The next webinar focuses on People who are Financially or Socially Disadvantaged, Homeless or at Risk of Becoming Homeless.

Thursday 26 October 9.30am to 11am  
Go here to find out more about the series & register 

Resources

This is a very useful tool to make sure you are reaching all your culturally diverse communities. 

Have you ever wondered where multicultural communities live in Australia? CultureVerse has worked with digital developers to create an interactive “Multicultural Map” that is a dynamic visualisation of our nation’s migrant and refugee populations. Using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2021 Census, this free online tool displays the countries of birth and the languages spoken by people across the country, based on their geographic location. View the map View the map here.

Inclusive use of digital and non-digital communications: A guide for Commonwealth Home Support Program Providers 

This guide supports Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) providers to meet the needs and preferences of older people who are not well digitally connected, or who face digital communication challenges. 

The guide offers suggestions and tips to help decision-making on alternative means of communication, across digital and non-digital options. 

This guidance applies across the full range of CHSP programs and activities. It is aimed at: 

• Strategic and operational leaders responsible for designing services. 

• Managers and staff involved in direct client service delivery. 

• Staff with responsibility for monitoring and improving agency performance. 

• All staff responsible for communicating with the public. 

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.