NDIS WORKFORCE FORUM TOOWOOMBA 6 OCTOBER 2016 - FORUM SUMMARY

Over 80 participants attended a forum in Toowoomba focusing on the workforce and workforce issues for the NDIS which will begin rolling out in the South West from 1 January 2017. Participants came from a diverse range of services and organisations including: people with a disability, employers, training providers, employment service providers and government. This range reflected the skills ecosystem approach used by WorkAbility Queensland at both state-wide and regional levels.

The NDIS NGO Workforce Strategy has been funded by the Queensland Government through the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services.

AGENDA

OVERVIEW

Acknowledgement of CountryWelcome and overview of forumWorkability Qld Update - Richard Nelson, Queensland State Manager NDS and Paul Stephens, CEO Health and Community Services Workforce Council Participant perspective on workforce expectations - Sharon Boyce, QDNUpdate from NDIAAn update of the Toowoomba rollout - Regional Manager Queensland South, Peter SmalesOutline of engagement activities underway and planned including provider engagement - Director Stakeholder Relations Queensland South, Fiona AndersonTrial site experiences of workforce transformation - Senior Sector Support Consultant NDS, Karen Stace

Introduction to Focus Sessions processFocus Session OneIntroduction to conversation - Louise Villanova, Health and Community Services Workforce CouncilConversation processFocus Session TwoIntroduction to conversation - Kylie Hogan, NDSConversation processCall for membership of the regional workforce planning groupThank you and close

NDIS WORKFORCE FORUM TOOWOOMBAFORUM SUMMARY

The second part of the forum provided an opportunity for participants to hear from one another sharing knowledge in the room as well as reflections on the morning session. Two conversations took place the first focused on the current workforce and the second on the emerging workforce. The following are the notes taken on the day from these discussions.

CONVERSATION SESSIONS

SPEAKERS

The NDIS NGO Workforce Strategy has been funded by the Queensland Government through the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services.

Richard Nelson, Queensland State Manager NDS and Paul Stephens, CEO Health and Community Services Workforce Council gave an overview of WorkAbility Queensland and details of the projected workforce required in the South West Queensland Region. For more information see the WorkAbility Qld Local Workforce Profile for the South West Queensland Region. Sharon Boyce from Queensland Disability Network spoke of her experience of engaging workers directly under the current arrangements and her hopes and insights for the NDIS. Sharon spoke of her role in training and supporting workers to develop skills and knowledge that lead them to go on to further study noting the importance of engaging people with the right attributes.

Peter Smales, Regional Manager Queensland South provided an update of the NDIS roll out in the region. A number of staff had begun employment in the region to prepare for the commencement date of 1 January. Fiona Anderson, Director Stakeholder Relations, Queensland South encouraged people from the region to get involved in the engagement activities that are underway.

Karen Stace, Senior Sector Support Consultant, NDS spoke to the experiences coming out of the trial sites. Good leadership, change management and responsiveness were key themes.

CURRENT WORKFORCE ISSUES• Size of region• Diversity of needs versus services• Skill levels• Professional approach• Number of staff• Morale associated with change• Modern award and conditions• Travel associated support• Specialised care• Standardisation of accreditation of support

staff• Probity and checking against police and

criminal checks• Offering a service to cater to the client• Client as the employer

• Small pool in rural and remote areas – competition with mining companies

• Award restrictions (e.g. minimum engagement)

• Change culture – customer service• Upskilling of all levels (marketing, customer

service)• Female workforce predominantly• Criminal history screening process is

lengthy• Skill base does not suit a lot of the new

services• Where do we fit in?• Educating new students for the program• Retaining current understandings

NDIS WORKFORCE FORUM TOOWOOMBAFORUM SUMMARY

CURRENT WORKFORCE ISSUES CONTINUED• Skills development (competencies/skill

development)• Community/awareness (workforce)• Growing local/regional workforce• Breadth of jobs across industry• Available skill sets on higher level skills list

(that relate to community services) will use up full qualification funding for the individual

• Career changers for ATSI people with an old Cert 4 or Diploma prevented from retraining under QLD subsidies for training

• Wage subsidies to be utilised and greater understanding

• Small group of people who can do the work• Burn out / guilt• The current skill (how to determine if

suitable) whether they are suitable for the work

• Casual work• Flexibility• Prior engagements• Matching values with individual and

company• Education• Changing mindset of staff• Flexibility and availability of support workers• Changing workforce need with changing

number of providers• CALD community – do we have the diversity

of staff to service these groups?• Attracting new staff to disability support

positions• Worker knowledge of guardianship powers• High turnover of staff• Lack of flexibility in current workforce

(Monday to Friday services)• Affordability of weekend/after hours• Inadequate skill mix• Supported accommodation – award

doesn’t allow for “sleepover”• Coordination of care costs not covered by

NDIS• Supported accommodation – award

doesn’t allow for “sleepover”• Coordination of care costs not covered by

NDIS

• How do we buy into the funding?• What we perceive as a challenge is not so• How does management empower

frontline staff?• Emerging workforce – where to ATSIP fit in?• How do we communicate better?• Culturally appropriate services• What is the need so we can tailor a

service?• How do we train future staff?• Technology to task right – right – right• Relationship building• Retention of staff• Recruitment• HR practices• Location of clients (i.e. remote access)• Skill set of staff• Lack of customer service focus• Lack of flexibility• Not enough staff to create pathways• Finding the right culturally appropriate

people/workforce• How will the implementation work?• Fear of the unknown• Diversity (i.e. ageing population workforce)• Revitalisation of supports• Moving away and adapting different

services/changes• Mental health clients’ eligibility for NDIS• Clubhouse – young workforce, struggling

with change• Flexibility• Reliability of staff• Current demands• Demographic of region• Old fashioned staff thinking• Growing current workforce prior to NDIS• Attraction and retention • Union oriented workforce• Resistance to change• Technology literacy poor within workforce• Change to competitive marketplace

rather than block funding• Industrial relations issues

The NDIS NGO Workforce Strategy has been funded by the Queensland Government through the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services.

NDIS WORKFORCE FORUM TOOWOOMBAFORUM SUMMARY

The NDIS NGO Workforce Strategy has been funded by the Queensland Government through the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services.

CURRENT WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES• Capacity building• Identifying skills and opportunities to all learn• Morale development• Change management• Professional boundaries – where are the

lines drawn now?• Redefining risk – dignity of risk• Try providers• Employment providers• SBT• Job identification profiling• Attracting mature age• Promoting roles• Diverse, variety• Education – community business• Sharing success stories• Job sharing – more people involved• Senior management (mandatory PD) (EAP

accessing)• Multiple clients, careers• Provisions in plans• Self-employment opportunities• Start now• Variety of tasks• New business opportunities for existing and

new providers• Universities and TAFE training opportunities

(RTOs)• Web based system to link worker profiles

and clients so they can choose worker• Headhunting staff• Use of technology• Mobile staff• More valued workforce – higher pay rate• More efficient organisations• Entrepreneurship• Transparent accountability• Benchmarks• Increased workforce in the ‘disability’ sector

(e.g. disabled people managing their own workforce)

• Joining workforces• Education

• More valued workforce – higher pay rate• More efficient organisations• Entrepreneurship• Transparent accountability• Benchmarks• Increased workforce in the ‘disability’

sector (e.g. disabled people managing their own workforce)

• Research opportunities• Flexibility – new ways of working• Learning and development• Passing on knowledge and creating

pathways• Increasing cultural awareness• Joining workforces• Education• Embracing the changes• Sharing the journey with customers• Diversity of ageing population workforce• Revitalisation of supports• Recruitment with people with disability and

families• NDIS friendly EBAs• Training providers to tailor packages to

meet organisations and student’s needs• Partnerships• Promote the sector – career expos – as a

viable career option• Assistive technology• Attract more males – make the sector

“sexy”• More focus on soft skills rather than just

hard skills• Career opportunities• Research opportunities• Flexibility – new ways of working• Learning and development• Passing on knowledge and creating

pathways• Increasing cultural awareness• Sharing the journey with customers• Diversity of ageing population workforce• Embracing the changes• Revitalisation of supports

NDIS WORKFORCE FORUM TOOWOOMBAFORUM SUMMARY

The NDIS NGO Workforce Strategy has been funded by the Queensland Government through the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services.

EMERGING WORKFORCE ISSUES• Where are they coming from?• How do qualifications tie in with the new

focus?• Are qualifications relevant?• Retention• Quality of staff• Morals of staff• Flexibility• Awards – are they flexible?• Can goals/needs/choice work with current

awards?• People matching• IT systems• Recruiting for diversity• Level of coordination in recruiting, etc.• Other workforce shortfall• Recruiting• Confusion on who to choose – new players

within the industry• Appropriate skilling – soft skills• Organisational collapse and capital growth• Undervalued workforce• Efficiency and technology• Mobile workforce• Contractual liabilities• Retention of workforce• Relationship building and client matching• A realistic picture of the opportunities and

advantages of DSW missing• In some instances, those graduating from

training are not coming with experience – not “job ready”

• Current demographic tends to be older average 38 years. Younger people attracted to more glamorous “sexy” jobs

• Large number of people with the right values and attitudes caring/supporting someone with a disability informally and not able to work

• Meeting QA requirements• Literacy, numeracy skills of staff• Young people currently living in nursing

homes• Transition current workforce• Flexibility/availability• Financial risk of “planning” workforce

• Increased demand? Need for wait listing• No growth strategy• Retaining experienced staff – premium on

good staff• Can’t afford to broker agency staff under

NDIS price structure• Marketing – staff/clients• Reliable measures of service outcomes as

range of services expands – measures of worker effectiveness

• Can family members be hired as support worker as they have knowledge and availability?

• Technology requirements and understanding of workforce

• Regulation of new larger workforce• Impact on workers of client and needs

(e.g. client is hospitalised for a period)• The unknown• Quality of training• Regulations• Communication• Recruitment process – monitor / promotion

/ opportunities• Pay rate• Client’s issues / behaviours• At present there is no mandatory

requirement for staff to have a vocational qualification to enter the industry

• Remote communities may have problems with finding suitable carers. Cannot use family members. In small communities this is an issue

• Award – minimum engagement• Diluting skills and training• Looking for quantity not quality• Sourcing quality staff• Maximum use for funding dollars• Relationships within community• Reputation• No shows / refusals of shifts from clients• Coordination of care costs not covered by

NDIS• Not knowing demand – staff required• Client matching/staff profiling

NDIS WORKFORCE FORUM TOOWOOMBAFORUM SUMMARY

The NDIS NGO Workforce Strategy has been funded by the Queensland Government through the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services.

EMERGING WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES• Flexibility• New awards for new recruits• People matching• Developing HR tool packages for hiring /

training staff• Matching staff to clients• Larger talent pool of staff (i.e. musician,

chef, retail)• Opportunity to develop skills• Greater choice• Client management• Company opportunities• Valued workforce• Entrepreneurship• Performance accountability and

transparency• Standardised work performance• Disabled persons managing their own

workforce• Research opportunities• More traineeship opportunities• Engage ATI workers• Engage younger workers • Engage carers of a person with a disability• Positive image/promote success stories of

career advancement and satisfaction• Peer workers/mentors• Staff profiling to match to clients• Career paths• Staff pooling• Diverse workforce• Build a career• Labour market strategy• Skill workforce via volunteer/student

placements• Refined and expanded role of support

worker (e.g. educator, trainer)• Financial planning • Increase in regional services • Peer support for people with a disability• Innovative approaches to service delivery

and accommodation• Informal social networks

• Brokerage of a range of services• Religious sector providing spiritual support

services• Reduced unemployment in rural areas• Taster environment (day in the life) –

exposure• Information sessions• Identify skills required• Ongoing development• Communication• More opportunities for people to enter the

workforce• Client focused• Involving families• Culture diversity opportunities (culture

bond)• Business opportunities• Provider structure• Variety of tasks• Highlighting career pathways – real stories• Structured job roles, PDs – rewards,

recognition• Emerging need for basic level standards to

be identified• RPL opportunities• Reskilling existing workforce• People with a disability a potential for

employment opportunities as carers, etc.• Developing training for people with

disability to be carers, etc.• Increased male employment demand for

matching preferences • Profiling of employment needs• Review of language perception used• More niche services to cater to market

need• Onboarding• Accreditation• Partnership between businesses• Profit – for profit opportunities• Value added services, products and

equipment

NEXT STEPSAn invitation was issued for participants to nominate to become members of the South West Regional Workforce Planning Group.

For more information on WorkAbility Qld visit www.workabilityqld.org.au