CHCCS411C Work Effectively in the Community Sector

#3Maintain Work Standards

Lesson outline

• Apply workplace policy & procedure• Legislative requirements of working in the sector• Maintaining standards via accreditation• Achieving your organisation’s goals• Sectors in the Community Services field of work• Improving your work practices• Working within the community Sector’s philosophy

Apply Workplace Policy & Procedure

• Policies are a set of principles, rules and guidelines formulated or adopted by an organisation to reach its long-term goals and typically published in a booklet or other form that is widely accessible.

• Procedures are the specific methods employed to express policies in action in day-to-day operations of the organisation.

Discuss: What type of procedures, rules and guidelines do you think need to be outlined for community workers?

Apply Workplace Policy & Procedure

• Together, policies and procedures are designed to influence and determine all major decision and actions, and all activities which take place within the boundaries set by them

• Policies are statements of principle that guide decision-making and service delivery. In the community and disability services sector, policies are often based on legislation, e.g. Commonwealth or state privacy legislation.

Policy & Procedures

Among many things policies and procedures address:• Standards of workplace behavior• Code of conduct• Workplace health and safety• Workplace harassment• Equal opportunity• First aid• Infection control• Grievance procedure• Emergency procedures• Eligibility criteria• Privacy and confidentiality

Weblinks Activity: In pairs, each pair look at a different policy from the samples policies on this link and tell the class about the policy you researched http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/boards/boards_article.jsp?articleId=1453

Apply Workplace Policy & Procedure

Legislative Requirements

• A working knowledge of the Anti-discrimination, anti-racist and anti vilification and harassment Acts.

• Adherence to the Occupational Health & Safety Act• Equal Opportunity Legislation• Gain knowledge of any and all specific legislation that is

pertinent to your sector.

• Youtube video: Bogutz & Gordon - Legal Issues for Mental Health Care Treatment (note: USA Laws) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmzOmdLpzyg&feature=related

Workplace health & Safety Policy

Workplace health & Safety Policy Act 1995 (Qld) states:• That employers have a duty to ensure the health and safety of all

employees and visitors.• An organisation might develop a critical incident policy which states a

commitment to putting in place strategies, systems and process to manage critical incidents such as:

• Bomb threats• Security• Breaches

Explanatory handout/link– Relevant legislation for community organisations

Awards

What is covered by ‘Awards’?• Base rates of pay including piecework rates• Types of employment: full-time, part-time, casual• Overtime and penalty rates• Work arrangements: rosters, variations to working hours• Annualised wage of salary arrangements• Allowances (travel allowances)• Leave, leave loading and taking leave• Superannuation

Standards

• As of 1/01/2010, all employers and employees in the national workplace system are covered by the National Employment Standards, (NES).

• The NES makes up the safety net that cannot be altered to the disadvantage of the employee.

• It includes: minimum entitlements to leave, public holidays, notice of termination and redundancy pay.

Accreditation & Standards

• Funding is often linked to the level of accreditation achieved.

• To achieve accreditation, an ongoing improvement process and review of policies and procedures is crucial.

• Accreditation ensures that the organisation is fulfilling its service requirements.

Maintaining Standards

Obligation to meet certain standards:• Relevant legislation• National HACC service standards• Disability Service standards• Organisational policy & Procedures• Community attitudes and expectations

Accreditation & Standards

• Funding is often linked to the level of accreditation achieved.

• To achieve accreditation, an ongoing improvement process and review of policies and procedures is crucial

• Accreditation ensures that the organisation is fulfilling its service requirements.

When Standards are at risk

How might these issues below affect policy or procedures?

• When you start working as a HACC worker• When you become comfortable with your role• When you are tired

Achieving Organisation Goals & Objectives

• Demonstrate understanding and focus on achieving organisation goals and objectives in all work undertaken

• Respond positively to changes to improve work practices and procedures in accordance with organisation requirements

• Identify issues requiring mandatory notification and report to supervisor and/or an appropriate authority

• Reflect and identify own scope of practice within each work context

Achieving Organisation Goals & Objectives

• Achievement of goals is gained through:– Identified timeframes– Rosters– Timetables– Setting goals and objectives– Organisational goals– Program goals– Team goals– Personal goals

Mandatory Notification & Procedures

• Knowledge of child abuse MUST be reported to your supervisor.

• There are 4 categories of child abuse:– Physical abuse– Sexual abuse– Neglect– Emotional abuseDiscussion Activity: Read the definitions of child abuse on this site:http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/childsafety/protecting-children/what-is-child-abuse

Mandatory Notification & Procedures

Other issues for Mandatory notification;

• Issues defined by government legislation and or regulatory requirements, e.g. disability access, cultural diversity equity to services.

• Issues specifically identified within organisation policies

Different roles

For example, with Community cultural development:• Health education & promotion activities & intervention • Interpreter services• Employment and training programs• A range of parent support services and programs• Transitional & other housing programsExample for housing: Under the one social housing system, there is a common

application system for all forms of social housing, including public housing and community-managed transitional and longer term housing.

See link: http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/housing/community-and-homelessness-programs/community-housing/information-for-applicants-and-tenants

Respecting Workers

Respect for all rights and responsibilities of all people, through considered application of work practices. Maintain respect for everyone with whom you work.

• Managers • Supervisors • Co-workers • Especially clients

Improving Work Practices

There are 3 key areas from which continuous quality improvement can be implemented:

• Benchmarking: the process of comparing one's business processes & performance metrics to industry bests or best practice from other industries

• Performance enhancement• Quality assurance: (QA) refers to the planned and systematic activities

implemented in a quality system so that quality requirements for a product or service will be fulfilled

Improving Work Practices

• Ongoing professional development• Networking• Inviting feedback• Being open to feedback• Performance Appraisals • Undertake self-evaluation with supervisors and peers

We are always trying to improve our skills and ourselves….continual self-growth.

Activity: In groups, discuss one of these topics per group. Give specific strategies on how work practices can be improved in relation to your topic & tell the rest of the class

ATSI Workplace Issues & Workplace Awareness

• Indigenous individuals have different needs which must be recognised and acknowledged in the workplace.

• What are some of our differences that we need to respect?

• While we have differences from our Indigenous colleagues, what are our similarities?

DVD “First Australians” & discussion questions handout

Working within the sector’s philosophy

Remember, your work practice must be guided by the values & philosophy of the Community Sector

Review of the philosophy:• Encompasses a holistic and person-centred approach• Embracing, the promotion of well being of staff, clients

and communities, through early identification of problems• Equity of access to non-discriminatory services for all

clients

Working within the sector’s philosophy

Delivery of appropriate services and a commitment to meet the need:

• To uphold the rights of people, through a belief in the empowerment of the individual or community

• Ethical behaviour • Preventative strategies • Being responsible • Accountable within the context of duty of care for clients.

Activity: In groups brainstorm strategies in how we can uphold this philosophy within the community sector

References •An introduction to Person Centred Therapy, online video, accessed 27 May, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpfm5sY0OX0&feature=relmfu• Assertiveness - Tips for being assertive & saying 'No‘, online video, accessed 28 May, 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZynhvBShqU• Bogutz & Gordon - Legal Issues for Mental Health Care Treatment, online video, accessed 28 May, 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmzOmdLpzyg&feature=related• Building Stronger Communities through Stronger Community Organisations, Our Community.com.au, Policy Bank,

West Melbourne, accessed 20 July, 2012, date site last updated not disclosed http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/boards/boards_article.jsp?articleId=1453

• Building Stronger Communities through Stronger Community Organisations, Our Community.com.au, Access & EquityPolicy, West Melbourne, accessed 13July, 2012, date site last updated not disclosed

• www.ourcommunity.com.au/files/boards/Access_&_Equity_Policy.doc• Chenoweth L & McAuliffe D 2011 The road to social work & human service practice, 3rd edn.,Cengage Learning

Australia. • Corey G, Corey MS & Callanan P 2011 Issues and ethics in the helping professions, 8th edn., Cengage Learning:

Brookes/Cole , United States.

References• David Batstone: Unethical Behavior at Work?, online video, accessed 28 May, 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-nz0kojLv8&feature=related• Dept. of Communities, Child Services & Disability Services, 2012, Queensland Government, What is Child

Abuse?, accessed 22 July, 2012, http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/childsafety/protecting-children/what-is-child-abuse

• Geldard D & Geldard K 2011 Basic personal counselling : a training manual for counsellors, 7th edn., Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.Pearson,Sydney.

• Kenny S 2011 Developing communities for the future, 4th edn., Cengage Learning Australia.• Lauren Mackler at Harvard Business School - Managing Conflict, online video, accessed 28 May, 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZOVWzKzpNg&feature=related• Maidment J & Egan R (eds) 2009 Practice skills in social work & welfare, 2nd edn., Allen & Unwin, Australia. • Managing Values Across Cultures, online vuideo, accessed 29 May, 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DSV1NUGS3o• McDonald C, Craik C, Hawkins L & Williams J 2011 Professional practice in human services organisations,

Allen & Unwin, Australia. • Nick Manning , 2005, YAPA (Youth Action & Policy Association), Surry hills NSW, accessed 23 July 2012

NSWhttp://www.yapa.org.au/youthwork/facts/dutyofcare.php• Reflective Practice - feedback from peers and learners, online video, accessed 29 May, 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmgJJrxOtaA

References

• The Meaning of Human Services, online video, accessed 30 May, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4XrBTBN2Ew

• This Could Be You: The Many Faces of Social Work, online video, accessed May 30, 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77UGDj48oHs&feature=related • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Welcome to the UN, it’s your world, 2012, New

York, accessed 28 May, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77UGDj48oHs&feature=related

• Three Life Lessons for New Social Workers, online video, accessed May 31, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b3RJbvOPtU&feature=relatedons

• Vanessa Allen - Aboriginal Community Worker, online video, accessed 29 May,2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHMrVlUh2Mo

• Wales this Week - Social Services Care Proceedings , online video, accessed 31 May, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OOrhvWwwrw&feature=related