Vision
A future in which all people can access a world of
opportunity to thrive in their community.
Purpose
Directly providing and advocating for innovative and
responsive mental health and disability services of the
highest possible quality.
Ermha provides
Psychosocial Rehabilitation– Provision of ongoing support that assists the
person with psychiatric disability to experience an improved quality of life,
learn or relearn the skills of daily living, participate to their maximum
extent in social, recreational, educational and vocational activities and live
successfully at an optimal level of independent functioning in the
community.
- Victorian PDRSS Standards 2004
Useful definitions
Home-Based Outreach Support– Provides individual rehabilitation
support to people in their own homes. It focuses on learning or relearning
the skills of daily living and social skills. These skills will provide the means
for the client to maintain their independence, develop supportive
networks outside of their home to reduce isolation and enable them to
participate more fully in their community.
- Victorian PDRSS Standards 2004
Funding
Ermha has 2 main funding streams:
PDRSS
Department of Health
Disability Services
Department of Human Services (& NDIS)
Other funding includes
HACC, FAHCSIA, St John of God
Ermha’s Workforce
• Ermha has doubled in size in 5 years and now
employs over 150 people
• Ermha’s employees come from a variety of
backgrounds
• The majority of people in leadership positions
began as direct service workers
• Ermha’s program types are many (19) and varied
– While programs operate from the same values and
philosophical foundations there is variety in functions
and approaches
Ermha’s Workforce Challenges
Ermha takes its responsibility to deliver high quality work very
seriously
– The work is complex and nuanced- finding appropriate employees takes
care and attention
– Employees must be well supported, professional development &
supervision are key to a healthy workforce
– Much of the work at Ermha is completed in unsupervised environments
Ermha’s Workforce Challenges
The PDRSS Reform Consultation Paper identified
– Sector management, leadership & practice governance need to improve
– There is a need for increasing professionalism, accountability and
transparency in the sector
The National Disability Insurance Scheme looks set to
– Increase the disability support workforce dramatically
– Increase importance of efficiency (which means greater clarity around
roles & functions, & improved supervision & development approaches)
Ermha’s Workforce Challenges
Ermha anticipates continued growth
– Mature recruitment & professional development practices are required
to support ongoing high quality service provision
Ermha’s Key Questions
• How can we provide our workforce with clarity around their
job functions?
• How can we support a culture of continuous development?
• How can we keep good staff & keep them healthy?
Ermha’s Key Questions
• Which tools will best support our managers and leaders to
continue to recruit, support and develop a highly skilled
workforce?
• How can we continue to recruit from a variety of backgrounds
(including from student placements) and support consistent
practices, that constantly improve?
Ermha’s Approach
• Systems
• Tools
• Associated Skills
Leadership Development Strategy
3 Frameworks
• Recruitment & Orientation
• Supervision
• Program Planning & Evaluation
Management Qualifications
• Delivered in house
Participatory Action Research
Workforce Development Strategy
• 3 Frameworks
• Recruitment & Orientation
• Supervision
• Program Planning & Evaluation
• Mandatory Training Package
• Delivered in house
Workforce Development Strategy
• 3 Frameworks
• Recruitment & Orientation
• Supervision
• Program Planning & Evaluation
• Mandatory Training Package
• Delivered in house
The Qualifying Workbook
• Encompasses:
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Supervision (educative, supportive & administrative)
Professional development for first 6 months of employment
Competency development planning (& review)
Qualifying/ performance review
• Seeks to achieve:
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People feel well supported
People lead their own professional development
Clarity around expectations (all levels)
A culture of growth and development (and review)
The Workforce Capability Framework
• Allows us to consider values, attributes and skills
• Provides a framework for broad reflection
• Communicates sector wide standards (useful for challenging
conversations)
The Workforce Capability Framework
• Supports managers and leaders to feel well equipped
• Provides the foundation for a balance between narrative
exploration and systematic review
• Allows clarity regarding expectations of each level
– Supports ‘up-managing’
– Supports career path planning
– Supports accountability
The Pilot
• 9 Months
• Qualitative & Quantitative
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How many new staff?
Retention rates
Interviews with Managers- most significant change
Interviews with Staff- qualifying period experience- how well equipped
do they feel for their work?- what’s the next position their getting ready
for?- what’s on their current professional development plan?
– Compare 2012/ 2013 TNA and Workforce Census