Home and Community Care (HACC)
Diversity planning and practice priorities for 2015-16
September 2015
The HACC Program is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Victorian governments
Introduction
This bulletin provides information on Department of
Health and Human Services (the department) diversity
planning and practice priorities for 2015-16. It provides
information about current and planned activities that will
occur in 2015-16 to further embed diversity planning
and practice in the HACC program.
The priorities have been developed with consideration
of:
 the findings and recommendations of the Diversity
planning and practice implementation review (May
2015)
 training and workforce development needs
 alignment with the HACC Active Service Model.
This information will support regions and agencies in
the implementation of their 2015-16 diversity plans.
Diversity planning and practice
implementation review
In 2014 the department engaged HDG Consulting
Group to review the implementation of diversity
planning, the HACC Diversity Adviser (HDA) role and
the Access and Support (A&S) role.
The review findings are that each of these three
elements are well on the way to being embedded into
the Victorian HACC program. The review offers
recommendation to further embed diversity planning
and practice.
The priorities listed below include priorities and actions
that respond to the review’s recommendations.
Supporting partnerships
A key aspect of diversity planning and practice is
building relationships between the various parts of the
service system to improve outcomes for people with
diverse characteristics. The review identified that
partnerships/links/MOUs were the most reported
strategy in agencies’ 2014 diversity plans.
As recommended in the review, the department will
continue to promote and support effective network
structures including the state-wide HDA network and
the state-wide HACC Diversity Working Group.
The Diversity Working Group comprises
representatives from key stakeholders including
Alzheimers Australia Vic, the Ethnic Communities
Council of Victoria, the Victorian Aboriginal Community
Controlled Health Organisation, the Municipal
Association of Victoria, the Royal District Nursing
Service and Val’s Cafe.
In 2015-2016 the department will take a more strategic
approach to building links between the HDAs and
members of the HACC Diversity Working Group.
Improved links will support better understanding of the
extent of diversity within diverse communities and the
gaps in service access, so that each of the stakeholder
groups has an understanding of the others' diversity
priorities.
At the regional level the department will promote a
team approach between the HDAs, the Active Service
Model Industry Consultants (ASM ICs), and the
Aboriginal Development Officers (ADOs) in order to
coordinate the work of these sectoral development
roles.
Links between these roles and A&S services,
Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and
culturally and linguistically diverse organisations will
also be encouraged.
The regional diversity workshops which are occurring
from July - October, provide opportunities for agencies
to come together with a specific focus on diversity
planning. The department and the HDAs will continue
to work with existing alliances and networks, or
consider creating new ones, in order to provide ongoing
forums that focus on diversity planning and practice.
Training and workforce development
The review notes that staff training and professional
development was the second highest strategy that
agencies identified in their 2014 diversity plans.
HDAs play an important role in identifying regional
training and workforce development needs and will
continue to connect agencies with relevant training
opportunities.
The Victorian HACC Education & Training Service,
through its state-wide training calendar, will continue to
deliver a range of diversity training that is responsive to
workforce needs. Some of the courses scheduled and
planned for delivery through this service include:
 Work effectively with culturally diverse clients and
co-workers
 Lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and intersex
(LGBTI) awareness
 Building Aboriginal competence training.
Implementation resources
There are a range of resources to support diversity
planning and the implementation of diversity practice
which are available on the HACC website. These
include:
 Strengthening diversity planning and practice: a
guide for Victorian HACC services (DH 2011)
 Creating GLBTI inclusive HACC services (Val’s
Café 2014)
 Strengthening assessment and care planning:
dementia practice guidelines for HACC
assessment services (DH 2012)
 A guide to services for people with dementia and
their carers (DH 2012).
The department will ensure HACC managers and
relevant operational staff are aware of the resources,
particularly new staff.
HDAs will assist agencies to implement these
resources on the ground. This may occur through
forums, workshops or one-on-one discussions.
Development of agency diversity
plans
Diversity planning is an evidence-based population
planning process. Agencies need robust population
data in a format that is easy to understand in order to
develop their plans.
To support better understanding and consistency of
messaging about diversity planning within
organisations, the department will develop power point
presentations for HACC managers to present to their
boards/councils and direct care staff.
The department will also support HDAs to develop data
skills so they are better equipped to support agencies.
This will include support in utilising various data
sources and tools to identify changing demographics,
such as the new and emerging culturally and
linguistically diverse communities.
The review highlighted sector interest in how to
measure the impact of diversity planning. The
department and the HDAs will identify and disseminate
information about existing evaluation tools and diversity
standards at the agency level.
Client pathways
In July 2015 the department provided a bulletin to
agencies on the alignment of ASM and diversity plans.
Understanding the synergies between ASM and
diversity planning and practice should result in
improved access to services and improved service
responsiveness for people with diverse needs.
The Diversity Working Group will work with the HDAs
and the ASM ICS to identify areas for improvement in
client pathways through the service system for the
special needs groups, particularly as it relates to intake,
assessment and culturally appropriate service
provision.
In particular closer working relationships between A&S
services and the wider HACC service system will
support improved client outcomes.
Access and Support
Access and Support (A&S) services are well placed to
understand barriers to accessing HACC services. They
play an important role in working with the broader
HACC service system to support improved outcomes
for HACC eligible people with complex needs due to
diversity.
The review identified the need for closer working
relationships between HACC assessment services
(HAS) and A&S services.
The department will lead a project in collaboration with
Ethnic Communities Council Victoria and the Municipal
Association Victoria, which will develop strategies to
build closer working partnerships between A&S and
HAS.
For further information contact:
Ruth Reading ruth.reading@dhhs.vic.gov.au; your
regional PASA or HDA.
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