The CS&H ISC commissioned specific research from the University of Sydney Workplace Research

Centre to inform workforce skill development activity and development of the CS&H Industries

Environmental Scan. The research identifies seven factors to apply to different health and community sectors. The degree to which the factors apply is determined through specific inquiry and effectively plotting an answer along a continuum. The combination of responses to these inquiries will determine the tendency toward skill growth or skill recession in a particular sector. This workshop will enable participants to understand and apply the model to their industry sector.

This workshop will draw on recent research done by the Workplace Research Centre including findings in aged care, mental health and childcare to outline critical issues for recruiting new workers and retaining current workers in a rapidly

changing environment. Skills and training issues will be considered in the broader context of the changing nature of work and changing labour markets. Participants will be asked to contribute to critical questions posed in light of the research findings.

Rod Peadon, Learning and Development Consultant, North Coast Area Health Service (northern NSW) and E-Learning Consultant (Coffs Harbour)

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We have all experienced ‘death by PowerPoint’. This workshop heralds the end of death by PowerPoint and its rebirth to get ‘the message’ across to the audience. Participants will learn the power of visual stimulation and of the limitations of cognitive load on our ability to remember what has been taught.

This workshop will present a powerful demonstration of how you can change a death by PowerPoint session into a memorable, engaging and enjoyable experience for both the presenter and the participant. 

Possible terrorist attacks, global warming, criminals invading our homes, eating disorders of children. These are the messages we hear from our politicians, the media, interest groups and others every day. What impact does this negative information have on our communities?

How many people will develop mental health issues because of the ‘fear’ this information can cause? Societal risk relates to people who may experience reduced access to services and supports, reduced respect and increased suspicion because they are ‘different’.

This workshop explores concepts of risk assessment and risk management and how they inform ‘societal risk’.

The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Education and Training Unit resumed delivery of training to Aboriginal Health Workers when the new nationally recognised qualifications in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Work were released in 2007.

These new qualifications present a career path for Aboriginal Health Workers commencing at Certificate II through to Advanced Diploma level.

These long awaited qualifications have created a groundswell of interest from Aboriginal Health Workers employed in Victoria’s urban and regional Aboriginal Medical Services.

There were challenges along the way to commencing delivery particularly in staffing and establishing relationships. So what were the challenges, what action did these challenges necessitate, and what is evolving? The answer is the circle is growing . . .

What do you know about PDRS community mental health service models in Victoria? Want to know more? If you’re interested in mental health promotion, community education, PDRS service models or an example of best practice in partnerships – then this one of a kind DVD is for you! Come along, watch ‘BUILDING HOPE’ and hear how our journey evolved from a production of seven minutes by one agency, to the involvement of six agencies and a 47-minute production.

There is a significant distinction between “managing information” and “managing for knowledge”. The idea of “quality-knowledge” is at the heart of an enterprise’s ability to:

• remain continuously curious about, and open to, new possibilities and emergent challenges

• retain access to new ideas and people-centric knowledge – which is fundamental to sustainability and adaptability

• focus on “what works” for clients where the principles of complexity are pervasive

• imagine, innovate, generate and implement creative solutions to problems.

This workshop will explore the Commonwealth approach to the audit of disability service providers. The Commonwealth makes a practice of involving people with disabilities in the auditing process as being the best judges of whether services have got it right. This workshop  highlights some of the common and not so common pitfalls and issues that come up.

Like to be at the cutting edge online? In 2008, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework has made available over one million dollars for Victorian innovative elearning projects in the VET sector. Several RTOs have formed strategic business partnerships with health and community service providers to embed innovative practice. These projects are currently in their early stages of development. The University of Ballarat will share with us their customising of frontline management training for Grampians Region Health Alliance Network. Victoria University and the Westgate GP Network have joined forces and will show us how they plan to use online collaborative learning amongst general practice staff.

Resulting from a collaborative, consultative process between the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, residential care services and the Department of Human Services this project develops comprehensive strategies to transform the ‘resi’ sector. Outputs include: customised learning materials to support the Certificate IV in Community Services (Protective Care); the delivery of a broad range of regional and organisationally based customised training; the establishment of network meetings with training providers to ensure consistency in the delivery and standards of training; residential worker scholarships scheme and an annual state-wide forum for residential workers “Resi Rocks”.

This joint presentation will explore the strengths of the model, the successes and challenges and look at future directions. This model may be of broader benefit to others within the Community Services and Health sector.

The workshop explores current policy directions and the impact these will have on training; it provides an overview of how changes will influence training to meet the needs of the workforce and aging population and some responses that the organization has undertaken.

These will include:

• Meeting policy requirements

• Demand on assessment and services

• A competent workforce

• Meeting the needs of Y Generation and older workers

• Redesigning roles.

Globally, training and assessment organisations face many issues such as access to and retention of trainers, access to trainees and post-training / assessment support. A new class of computer-based training model using “human behaviour technology” or HBT is the answer. The HBT “virtual trainer” captures knowledge as business rules, delivers training and provides on the job, “over the shoulder” HBT based support. This workshop introduces and demonstrates an HBT based virtual trainer / assessor and explains how this technology will change the face of computer assisted training forever. For more information, visit www.hr3d.com.

The process for recognising current competencies within the community services sector offers significant benefits for individuals and organisations by creating opportunities for skill development and the acknowledgement of skills already held by employees. The model for recognition of current competencies to be presented is one that looks at skills clusters assessed via an interview process and supported by relevant workplace documentation. The method encourages dialogue between student and assessor and delivers a far more satisfactory outcome  than the traditional, heavily paper-based processes.

Like to be at the cutting edge online? The Australian Flexible Learning Framework has made available in 2008 over one million dollars for Victoria for innovative e-learning projects in the VET sector. This year several RTOs have formed strategic business partnerships with health and community service providers to embed innovative practice. These projects are currently in their early stages of development. Gipps TAFE have teamed up with St Vincent’s Hospital and will show us their work enabling online dual diagnosis training for drug & alcohol workers. Box Hill Institute will demonstrate their development of hospital virtual room simulations for The Mercy and Western Health.

Berry Street Victoria works within a challenging and changing environment. Our staff, who are our greatest asset, aspire to be the best they can be, and there is an emphasis on refection and learning throughout the organisation. There are increasing demands on staff and on our systems. The organisation is moving forward by improving career development by mapping staff capabilities and associated training, and introducing a learning management system with improved reporting and online learning. Come and share our journey.

Over recent years the Victorian government has consciously focused on developing an outcomes approach to planning, monitoring and evaluating service delivery. As educators  and trainers we need to understand the current shifts and design learning opportunities to ensure that our new and existing workforce is skilled and works in partnership with communities to achieve better outcomes for people with disabilities. This workshop will explore what quality looks like in principle and practice and the impact on learning and development activities and strategies, plus tools available to support the implementation of outcome standards in disability.

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Recent VET research, including the ‘skills ecosystems’ project, is highlighting the need for fresh approaches to workforce development, including: more systemic and holistic approaches; innovative cross-sectoral and across ‘boundaries’ collaborations; new ‘hybrid’ forms of professional practice; and approaches which fully recognise and build upon place and context in VET practice. This interactive workshop aims to explore, from the practitioner’s perspective, how such issues relate to the community services and health sector.