‘Just in time’ professional development customised for provider needs

Boost your ability to stay ahead

No matter how you approach reform – with a ‘growth mindset’ or through the lens of ‘enforced change’ – the current aged care reform agenda can feel like an impossible task, particularly in the face of workforce shortages.

But despite significant challenges, there is also a green field of opportunity to build a sustainable sector into the future.

The Aged & Community Care Providers Association’s Learning & Professional Development offers a suite of programs, workshops, bootcamps and webinars to support providers to attract, recruit and retain a skilled workforce and to build capacity from boards to frontline, to meet reform expectations.

A selection of existing products is available as ‘on demand’ delivered exclusively for your organisation. Customisation of training or ‘bespoke’ is also available by consultation. Both options enable organisations to address key areas of professional development, building their teams with ‘just in time’ learning opportunities.

Tailored professional development enables organisations to review and reinforce their current policies and procedures, as well as identify and address areas of concerns in a confidential setting.

Our facilitators are highly respected and experienced, selected for their areas of expertise.

Providers can explore both online and face-to face delivery options, which are subject to participant numbers and the availability of the facilitator. Added expenses may be incurred to cover flights and accommodation if delivered in a face-to-face modality.

Professional development options include quality (standards and compliance), leadership (executive, clinical, managerial, change management), workforce planning, workforce retention (peer support), governance (board and clinical), care management and funding regulation.

Leadership programs

Since the inaugural program in 2021, the Leadership Accelerator Program has been accessed by 154 organisations and 467 participants, of which a third have engaged in a tailormade program.

Leadership exclusive programs can be either ‘public access’ or ‘on demand’, customised to suit organisational needs.

Customisation includes program delivery modality and timeframe, focused areas of growth capability and the unpacking of case studies that relate to specific organisational challenges.

For Laura Gay, Manager Talent and Capability at Suncare Community Services, partnering with ACCPA to deliver a Leadership Accelerator Program has proved to be a “gamechanger”.

“The comprehensive modules, interactive discussions, team collaboration, hands-on customised workshops and expert guidance helped boost our leadership training offering significantly,” she said. “Our people leaders now feel more confident and skilled, thanks to the training and resource toolkit support.”

Kate Olson, Connection Support Manager at Inclusee (Brisbane North Public Health Networks), also has only good things to say. “This training program is brilliant. It takes modern leadership into a reality, with great skills, methods and lots of additional resources provided. The facilitator is kind, relatable and very knowledgeable on this topic,” said Kate.

Governance workshops

Board governance workshops are available ‘on demand’ for providers keen to prepare themselves for current and impending changes required of board members.

A forensic lens into the expectations of board members under the revised quality standards, once finalised, will ensure organisations are better placed to respond to these changes.

Organisations can add to the set content to customise their program, for both the board and the executive team. This improves alignment with service provision and reporting to meet organisational compliance.

“ACCPA’s presentation to the board on the role of the governing body and the requirements surrounding aged care reform was informative and well-received,” said Amanda Birkin, CEO, St. Anna’s Residential Care Facility and Home Care Packages. “The workshop offered a comprehensive overview providing valuable insights for the board into key areas such as consumer engagement, leadership, culture and risk management. The facilitator’s emphasis on transparency and accountability resonated deeply.

“The expertise and ability of the facilitator to distil complex policies into accountable insights has equipped the Board with the knowledge needed to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape.”

Peer support workshops

Our ‘Embedding a Peer Support Culture’ workshop and associated implementation framework is available as an ‘on demand’ option for providers ready to maximise the leadership capacity and knowledge of their existing workforce, by creating effective supportive relationships between new employees or those new to the role, and seasoned front line care workers.

Riz Teng, Training Lead at Settlement Services International said, “Embedding a Peer Support Culture was very insightful, and providers would do well to extend this training to their staff to support industry retention.”

For Linda Wakley from People and Culture at Community Services #1, the peer support program was helpful as they look to implement a traineeship program. “As the organisation is looking to implement a traineeship program, we felt it was important that we set the trainees up for success by having a peer support network. This program captures the essence of what a peer support program is and is not, offers strategies for implementation to ensure success,” said Linda.

For more information about our training offerings that suit your needs and budget, please reach out to ACCPA.

An ‘on demand’ option for providers ready to maximise the leadership capacity and knowledge of their existing workforce

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