FOCUS Education & Training
Survey findings help pave the way
for home health training A review of home health training has prompted a drive to up-skill its workforce. JUDE BARBACK finds out more. training. Approximately 31 per cent of community support workers hold this level of qualification, with 12 per cent working towards it and a further six per cent working towards the level 3 National Certificate in Community Support (Core Competencies). Julie Haggie, chief executive of NZHHA, is focused on raising the percentage of level 2 qualified staff in the home health sector. In two years she would like to see the number of staff with level 2 move from 31 per cent to 40 per cent and in ten years to 100 per cent. She is also keen to see an increase in Level 3 training in both individual units and the entire certificate. Martin Taylor, chief executive of New Zealand Aged Care Association (NZACA), agrees that in an ideal world caregivers would obtain level 3 training. While Taylor believes most providers are good at encouraging staff to work towards their level 2 and level 3 qualifications and provide the necessary on-the-job training, he says the current avenues for career progression are inadequate. He believes a senior caregiver position that provides a stepping stone from caregiver to registered nurse would be useful. Careerforce is driving the development of level 4 and level 5 qualifications, which might help to quell some of Taylor’s concerns
about ‘staircasing’. However, for these more advanced levels of training to be effective, they need to be recognised contractually with the appropriate funding in place. Haggie’s goal of up-skilling community support workers also hinges on contracts and funding. Funders are increasingly demanding level 2 training in some of their newer contracts with providers. There is a degree of irony here, however, as home care is funded primarily by government organisations that contract with providers on a ‘fee for service’ basis, meaning a certain number of hours of support are allocated following an assessment of need. With low contract rates set by funders and no regular contribution for trainer payment or staff training
time, there is often little incentive for workers to take on the training. The survey also identified more specific skills gaps among staff involved with elements of complex client care, such as dementia, diabetes, post-operative care and autism. Careerforce has since restructured its core competencies to allow providers to build a qualification tailored to their needs. Haggie agrees that training shouldn’t just be for training’s sake, but should provide workers with the necessary skills to do their job effectively. A worker helping with housework may not need any training, whereas a worker providing support for someone with dementia or a chronic condition might need elements of level 3 training.
natIonaL LCp oFFICe neW ZeaLanD
NZ NAtioNAl lCP trAiNiNg DAys 2012 the liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (lCP) is an integrated care pathway that guides the delivery of evidence-based, best practice care of dying patients and their family/wha- nau, irrespective of diagnosis or care setting.
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Workshop Dates anD Venues Friday 4 May 2012 Auckland Crowne Plaza Friday, 25 May 2012 Christchurch Commodore Friday, 1 June 2012 Wellington West Plaza
This day has made me feel more supported and given renewed confidence to help deliver the LCP as a supportive tool for the dying patient and their family/wha-nau.
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ike the retirement village sector, home health is an area which has also had the benefit of a recent formal review of its training and education. The survey, administered by Careerforce working alongside the New Zealand Home Health Association (NZHHA), identified literacy and numeracy as the most significant training needs for community support workers. As a result, Careerforce has secured Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) embedded literacy and numeracy funding for 2012, which will allow grants of $100 for each trainee who completes both a literary assessment pre- and post-training. Careerforce also provides professional development workshops on how to administer the national literacy and numeracy assessment tool, as well as access to relevant workbooks and reports. Employers can take advantage of the Skills Highway initiative, a website developed by the Department of Labour to provide assessment and measurement tools to assist with numeracy and literacy training. The survey also revealed that over half of community support workers do not hold the level 2 National Certificate in Community Support Services (Foundation Skills), despite it now being considered minimum
DetaILs time: 9.00am – 4.00pm Cost: $180.00 per day to register go to: www.lcpnz.org.nz Minimum for course to proceed: 15
www.insitemagazine.co.nz | February/March 2012 13