Interprofessional Practice
Kristy Tomlinson
– IPP
Facilitator
Challis
Early
Childhood
Education Centre
Kristy Tomlinson – Interprofessional Practice Facilitator
Margo Brewer – Director of Interprofessional Practice
Lee Musumeci – Principal, Challis ECE
Sue Jones – Director Learning Design
Perth, Western Australia
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Clinical Training Innovation
 Non traditional setting in
partnership with Challis Early
Childhood Education Centre
 Low SES area
 Population includes 15%
Aboriginal people
 Primary health care – training
students where services are
needed
 Model of care – IP, clientcentred
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(Known) Factors affecting families at Challis
Higher prevalence of:
 Mental health issues
 Either/both parents
incarcerated
 Domestic violence –
mothers in refuges/moving
house to house
 Children spending
extensive time in day care
(6am-7pm)
 Homelessness
 Drug/alcohol addiction
 Significant trauma
 Adolescent mothers
 Refugees
 Children in foster care
 Poverty
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 Illness
 Crime
Model of Service Provision
 All services client centred
 IPP capabilities endorsed
throughout placement and
form basis of learning
outcomes
 Overarching goal – safety &
quality and enhanced
collaboration
(Brewer & Jones 2013)
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Building Capacity (Structural)
 7 -15 students per placement
 Speech pathology, nursing, OT, physiotherapy, dietetics
psychology, social work, Aboriginal health workers
 Placement length – 2 - 17 weeks
 2011 – 81 students
 2012 – 65 students
 2013 – 78 students
 Dependent on profession fieldwork allocations
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Building Capacity (People)
 Enhancing health literacy and engagement/empowerment
of community to advocate for their own health needs
 Awareness of variety of HPs – important aspiration raising
 Teacher capacity to recognise health needs of children
 IPP capabilities of graduates
 IPP facilitation – 1 supervisor for 7-15 students
Critical success factor
 Discipline specific supervisors increased knowledge of IPP
 Opportunity to practice within a culturally safe and
responsive environment
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Boosting Productivity
 Provide 33 individual IP sessions to children/day
1462 x 30 min individual sessions provided in 2012
 Active caseload varies from 112 – 180 children
 Targeted small group interventions
Eg stuttering, fine motor skill development
 Facilitated playgroup x 2/wk
 Health promotion activities embedded in classrooms
 Parent education workshops (weekly)
New mothers groups, Aboriginal play group, multicultural play group,
teenage mothers group
 Teacher education/consultation
 Collaborative assessment and intervention
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Improving Distribution
 Service provided where it is needed and best utilised
 ECEC Service
“At risk” children identified in a timely manner
On site health professionals provide early advice and intervention
Accessible and free services for families in low SES areas
‘One stop shop’ for services
 “Convenient for parents/carers who do not have to take the children
out of school for services and for those who would not otherwise use
the services if they had to take them somewhere.”
 “Parents are very grateful that their child can receive free support in
areas which are generally not catered for at school.”
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Building Evidence
 Annual evaluation of students, teachers, supervisors
 72% of teachers reported significant gains in relation to:
Incorporating therapy goals in classroom; knowledge of child development
and when to refer; strategies to assist children with specific needs;
monitoring of children’s skill development
 “I think this program is fantastic. I have seen first-hand the enormous impact it
can have on children's academic performance, behaviour, self-esteem and
enjoyment of school. This is an excellent partnership between (school) and
Curtin and I hope that it continues. The children I have had go through the
individual support sessions have benefited greatly and the whole class
activities are fun and hands on, yet informative.”
 “At risk” children identified and assisted in a timely manner
 ICAT
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Building Evidence
 Benefits for Students
Authentic learning experience
Linkage between health and education practice
Increased capacity to work collaboratively with health professionals and
education staff
Diversity of experiences available and large casemix
Improved behaviour management of children
Improved understanding of determinants of health and impact on service
provision
Improved understanding of own roles
 Model now replicated in two additional Schools
 Fieldwork Coordinators – “gold standard” in supervision
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Reading 2010
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Reading 2013
Enablers
 Funding!!
 Partnership with School and strong leadership
Has an ethos which is aligned with IPP
 Resources to initiate, develop and manage partnership
 Dedicated and skilful IPP Facilitator
 Engagement of discipline specific Fieldwork Coordinators
 Professional development in IPP
Preparation for Students; IPP facilitators; Discipline specific supervisors
 Client-centred approach
 Assessment - ICAT – IPP valued
 Flexibility and adaptability – accommodation!
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Acknowledgements
Staff at Challis Early Childhood Education Centre
Curtin Students
Students and families at Challis ECEC
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“No one can whistle a symphony.
It takes a whole orchestra to play
it.”
- H.E. Luccock
Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J