Interim Evaluation of the Northern Territory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Aged Care Workforce Development Projects - Final Report

3: Overview of the Workforce Development Projects and the Evaluation

Up to Publications

prev page| TOC |next page

3.1 The Workforce Development Projects

3.1.1 Context

Prior to the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) in 2007, the provision of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community aged care services relied heavily on the use of people who were enrolled in the CDEP. Up to two thirds of the workforce in community aged care services in the NT worked on a casual, sometimes ad hoc basis, through CDEP placements.

Due to the reliance of the community aged care sector in the NT on CDEP placements, removal of the CDEP had the potential to impact negatively on service providers’ capacity to access local staff, the flexibility of working conditions, and on individual’s ability to work and meet their cultural and community obligations.

In recognition of the potential impacts, the Australian Government provided additional funding to assist the transition of CDEP placements to paid positions through workforce development and training initiatives.

Additionally, there has been historically, limited success in training outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote locations, not just those on CDEP. For example, in 2007 it was estimated that 8% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community aged care workforce in the NT held relevant industry qualifications¹². This evaluation has identified that this is an ongoing issue; currently 5% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce in the NT hold relevant industry qualifications¹³.

In response to these factors the Workforce Development Projects were initiated. The Projects contribute towards the commitment made by the Australian Government and the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to close the life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. They are also, by working collaboratively with the NT Government, providing support for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to live longer, healthier lives.

The Projects, supported by the National Indigenous Reform Agreement, aim to create real sustainable employment in areas that have previously relied on CDEP and provide paid employment for workers in aged care and are aimed to increase employment and development opportunities for NT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This approach supports the Australian Government’s commitment to halve the employment gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade.

To realise these aims, the NT and Australian Governments recognise that addressing one element, such as the provision of jobs, will not ensure ongoing sustainability or achievement of the Closing the Gap targets. By identifying the complex environment in which aged care service provision is situated, a multifaceted approach has been implemented that includes employment, resource development and appropriate training. These Projects aim to develop and realise the potential of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers providing care to older and disabled care recipients in the Northern Territory and eventually realise improved care outcomes for this population.

Within the context of the aged care sector, the Projects have been implemented in 59 NT services that deliver the HACC program. However, the majority of these services also deliver Community Aged Care Packages (CACP), and a considerable minority deliver other Commonwealth-funded programs in addition to residential care under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care program. The model of service delivery means that the majority of services involved in the initiative are funded to provide personal care, which demands a more highly skilled workforce than a meal delivery or domestic assistance service. This context is worth noting, as it assists in defining the skill profile that is required of this workforce.

The projects were implemented at a time when recent changes had been implemented in shire boundaries and management including changes to shire representative responsibilities in shire offices and communities, and relationships with local community representatives.

Other influences included the NT government changes to responsibility for programs and funding, policy changes, and other local Territory influences; and the Commonwealth government funding requirements, quality reporting requirements and policy changes.

3.1.2 The projects

The Workforce Development Projects include the NT Employment Project, the NT Resources Project and the NT Training Project. An additional project, the NT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Staff Mentoring Training Workshops Project, has commenced during the evaluation to provide support to service providers and coordinators in response to identifying the importance of this support to the success of the Workforce Development Projects. The outcomes of this Project have not been evaluated in this interim evaluation.

Collectively, the Workforce Development Projects aim to:

• Provide funding to aged care services to employ up to 349 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a result of changes to CDEP processes
• Develop the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care workforce through the provision of culturally appropriate training and resources
• Build capacity and sustainability in the training workforce in the NT, and
• Assist with the provision of quality community aged care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through appropriate staffing and training.

The Projects were underpinned by a workforce development model¹⁴ that aims to build capacity at the individual and organisational level, by improving employee performance and job satisfaction thereby developing a skilled workforce. Effective workforce development incorporates multiple activities that extend beyond training¹⁵, including:

• Identifying the necessary skills for a particular job role
• Producing resources tailored to teach these skills effectively
• Training workers to achieve skills matched to their job
• Mentoring and supporting learners to attain qualifications and build a career pathway
• Actively recruiting unemployed people into training as a pathway into employment
• Evaluating the appropriateness and effectiveness of workforce development programs to enable continuous improvement
• Building strategic linkages across sectors and organisations, and
• A long-term investment in workforce development.

Within this framework the Projects incorporate:

• The identification of core skills and the development of a skills audit tool to identify individual work based training needs
• The development of a resources database to identify required training resources and the development of resources tailored to teaching the core skills needed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers providing aged care in the NT
• Delivery of training based on identified job skills and service needs (ie. core skills) and individual needs
• A concurrent interim evaluation of the implementation of the Projects to identify successes, areas for improvement and recommendations for the ongoing implementation of the Projects
• Wide consultation with a range of stakeholders from local to Territory and Commonwealth Government agencies to inform the projects and then to obtain detailed, comprehensive and additional information for continuous improvement of the Projects, and
• Implementation of improvements throughout the Projects including the development and delivery of RTO, shire and coordinator workshops to ensure stakeholders understood the Projects and could provide the necessary support to workers and communities.

Top of page

The NT employment project

In 2007/08, 254 CDEP positions were converted to paid employment in the NT HACC workforce under the NTER Employment and Welfare Reform Measure. This measure included specific funding for the Northern Territory Jobs Package, which aims to create real employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that support delivery of Australian Government funded services in a range of areas, including aged care, across the Northern Territory. Conversions occurred in 49 remote communities throughout the NT, with 117 positions located in Central Australia and 137 positions in the Top End Remote.

In 2008/09 another 95 CDEP positions in community aged care services and Flexible Aged Care Services were converted to paid employment resulting in 349 converted positions as follows:

• 304 in HACC services, administered through funding agreements between DoHA and the NTDHF, and
• 45 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care services, administered through funding agreements between the Department and eligible Flexible Aged Care services¹⁶.

The NT Employment Project is complete and has achieved a transition to paid employment for the NT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care workers.

The evaluation findings related to this Project are included in Section 4: Evaluation Element 1: Northern Territory Employment Project.

The NT resources project

The key objectives of this project were:

• Define the skills required for effective service delivery by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care employees
• Map identified skill sets to the national competency framework under the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF)
• Identify existing learning and assessment resources
• Develop priority training resource materials appropriate for the target group and for use in the NT Resources Project
• Develop a model and business plan for the establishment of a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HACC training resource clearing house, and
• Revise and update the HACC Financial Management Manual.

The NT Resources Project has identified gaps in resources and produced resources that support the delivery and recording of training. A key deliverable of this Project is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learning and assessment modules that are in the final stages of development.

The evaluation findings related to this Project are included in Section 5: Evaluation Element 2: Northern Territory Resources Project.

The NT training project

The effectiveness of training for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community aged care workers in the NT has, in the past, been impeded by a number of factors including regional inaccessibility during the wet season, a lack of a culturally appropriate training, workforce and infrastructure issues, and difficulties providing effective on-site training in remote locations.

DoHA, in partnership with the NTDHF, engaged four RTOs to design and deliver culturally appropriate training and assessment processes to meet the professional needs of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community aged care workforce at both direct care and managerial levels. Four different regions were negotiated with the four RTOs to ensure training would be delivered throughout the NT.

RTOs used different approaches to meet the training needs of the communities they were working with that included a range of training timings, delivery methods and resources. Given the diverse nature of communities, participants’ skills and experience, and RTO experience, this first round of training, has, to some extent, used a developmental approach. This has resulted in identifying some improvements even though overall training participants were satisfied with the training delivery.

Through this Project, accredited training is provided to former CDEP participants in the NT who are employed under the HACC program or in Flexible Aged Care Services. Through the partnership with the NTDHF, training is also made available to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community aged care workers. Training is also available, where appropriate and space is available, to other community workers and community members in order to provide a pathway into aged care and improve care at home.

The aim of the training is to equip the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care workforce with skills to deliver effective community aged care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and to build workforce capacity.

DoHA identified that coordinators and shire representatives contribute to the success of the Projects through their roles in supporting staff and promoting improved service delivery and has provided workshops for both groups to support them in these roles as described in 9.2.5 Coordinator and shire representatives’ workshops.

The Training Project will continue past 2009-2010 to meet the ongoing need for skills development and qualifications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care workers.

The evaluation findings related to this Project are included in Section 6: Evaluation Element 3: Northern Territory Training Project.

3.2 The Evaluation

3.2.1 Evaluation objectives and outcomes

The Projects are ongoing and the evaluation was an interim evaluation of the Projects within their first year of implementation.

The objective of the evaluation was to provide DoHA and other key stakeholders with information on the implementation of the Projects, the achievement of project outcomes and the identification of improvements for the continued roll-out of the Projects that will ensure the most effective outcomes for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community aged care workforce, the aged care service providers and the people receiving care.

The evaluation specifically assessed whether the Projects were successful in:

1. Building the capacity and sustainability of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community aged care workforce in the NT
2. Improving the quality of community aged care services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the NT, and
3. Whether the Projects as a whole, have had a positive impact on the aged care workforce and what the impact is.

A project plan was developed within a framework of the seven elements specified by and approved by DoHA for the evaluation. The seven elements are:

• Element 1: Conversion of up to 349 CDEP placements to paid positions in the community aged care workforce
• Element 2: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Training Resources Development Project
• Element 3: Northern Territory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Training Project
• Element 4: The process undertaken by DoHA to establish and support the individual Projects
• Element 5: The partnership approach undertaken by DoHA
• Element 6: The information produced and disseminated through these Projects, and
• Element 7: An evaluation of the NT community aged care Workforce Development Projects as a whole.

3.2.2 Evaluation exclusions

Several elements within the Projects were specifically excluded from evaluation including the:

• Efficiency (value for money) of the Projects
• Policy underpinning the CDEP conversion process, and
• Performance of the RTOs in the delivery of training.

3.3 Evaluation Methodology

3.3.1 Evaluation methodology overview

The evaluation methodology is presented in Figure 3.1: The Evaluation Framework and is based on the seven elements specified by DoHA. The methodology included the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data as follows:

• RTO data: Fifty nine communities participated in the Projects¹⁷. RTOs collected data utilising the Skills Audit Database (SAD) from 44 of the 59 communities. This data was provided to the evaluators for use in compiling a workforce profile.
• Evaluator service provider data: Of the 59 communities that participated in the Projects 38 (66% service represented) were selected for inclusion in the evaluation. From the 38 communities, 39 community aged care service providers were identified and participated in the evaluation¹⁸ as follows:
  • Compilation of eight community case studies exploring the impact of the Projects on the aged care service, the workforce, aged care clients and the community. Case studies included communities delivering a range of service types including HACC, CACP and Flexible Aged Care services. Case studies included telephone interviews with key stakeholders (community care coordinators, care staff, clinic staff, community members, shire and community council representatives) pre or following the commencement of training and an on-site visit post or towards the end of the training. An additional on-site visit was also conducted with one community to further explore issues raised throughout the evaluation.
  • Telephone interviews with another 30 communities (31 services¹⁹) to gather in-depth information on the impact of the training on the aged care service, the workforce and aged care clients. The telephone interviews were conducted post or towards the end of the training.
• Assessment of the eight case study community aged care services against the Draft Community Care Common Standards - Outcome 1.5: Human Resource Management.
• Consultations with six shires/independent community representatives
• Consultations with four RTO’s
• Consultations with resource developers
• Consultations with government department representatives, and
• Review of project resources and information including material developed during the course of the evaluation.

The evaluation methods were reviewed in consultation with DoHA on an ongoing basis to ensure they were appropriate and effective in evaluating the Workforce Development Projects and in identifying areas for improvement.

All letters, questionnaires, and other evaluation tools were reviewed by DoHA prior to distribution.
Top of page
Figure 3.1: The Evaluation Framework

3.3.2 Consent and privacy of information

Consent

GGJ sought permission from the shires and the independent service providers to access identifying information on individual staff members or from the RTOs for the purpose of the evaluation. Consent from staff members was also requested by the RTOs when completing worker demographics and conducting the skills audits. Consent was sought from case study community participants to take photographs and include them in the evaluation report.

Privacy of information

In accordance with the commitment to all stakeholders in the evaluation no identifying information on individual community aged care workers and other stakeholders, including names, the community or the service, have been included in any reports or provided to any organisation or person outside of GGJ. Permission was given by stakeholders to use de-identified information in the report.

3.3.3 Minimising the impact on service providers

The evaluation minimised the impact on service providers by:

• Utilising information being collected by the RTOs where possible
• Requesting the RTOs to collect additional information relevant to their scope of operations
• Collecting information by telephone, email or other electronic means where possible, and
• Minimising the on-site visits to one visit to each of the eight case study communities.

3.3.4 Evaluation reporting and consultation

The evaluation included a range of reporting and consultation mechanisms with DoHA including:

• Project planning and negotiation resulting in Project Plan # 5 being accepted on 20/11/2009
• Structured and ad-hoc telephone discussions including interviews
• Face-to-face meetings in Canberra
• Five formal progress reports
• 16 weekly project updates (December 2009 – April 2010) to report progress, and
• Regular email exchange.

Top of page

3.4 Consultations

An overview of the consultations undertaken for this evaluation is provided in Table 3.1: Consultations. Consultations occurred with stakeholders from October 2009 through to April 2010. Site visits were conducted in March and April 2010.

Table 3.1: Consultations

Consultations	No. Consulted	Interviews Completed	Comments
DoHA Representatives	7	1	A formal interview was completed with the DoHA representatives in Canberra. Informal discussions occurred with 2 DoHA representatives in the NT
Northern Territory Government Representatives	2	2
Other Government Departments	Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) as identified in consultation with DoHA	1 interview was completed with DEEWR	Community profile information on some case study communities was obtained from FaHCSIA Retention information on converted CDEP placements was obtained from DoHA
Community Aged Care Services	Of the 59 communities identified as eligible for participation in the Workforce Development Projects 38 were included in the evaluation sample. From these, 39 aged care services were identified and consulted20. Another 4 were selected for on-site visits but withdrew after participating in pre-case study interviews. Responses from these interviews are included as appropriate.	31 non-case study/post training 8 case study/pre-training and post-training 4 ex-case study/pre-training	43 people participated in the community aged care interviews: 34 Coordinators 5 Supervisors/ Team Leaders 4 other persons
Aged Care Workers	168	8 Case study/pre-training 7 Case study post-training 31 non-case study 2 ex-case study/ pre-training	Workers were interviewed in groups. There was some overlap in the workers interviewed pre-training and post-training for the case studies. In 3 services the Coordinator was interviewed on behalf of the workers with the workers present.
RTOs	4	8	2 interviews were conducted with each RTO
Shire/Community Council Representatives	6 people comprising: 4 shire representatives for 8 communities 2 community council representatives for 2 communities	10 interviews comprising: 7 case study communities including 6 shire managed and 1 community council managed 3 ex-case study communities including 2 shire managed and 1 community council managed	Of the 10 interviews completed: 8 were conducted with shire representatives 2 were with community council representatives
ACAT Representatives	4	4
Clinic Nurses	4	4	Interviews were conducted in 4 communities during on-site visits
Aged Care Clients	22	22	Interviews were conducted in 7 communities during on-site visits

3.5 Literature Review

The literature review provides the context and background for the project and endeavours to demonstrate the baseline from which the Workforce Development Projects were envisaged.

The literature review included an internet search, review of research papers, review of government websites and reports, and review of recent media reports and includes the study of different research methodologies and background information on the Projects. The literature review informed the evaluation design and ensured an understanding of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community aged care sector in the NT.

The literature review includes an overview of:

• The Northern Territory Community Care Programs and Workforce
• CDEP
• The Northern Territory Emergency Response Employment and Welfare Reform Measure
• Training in the Northern Territory and the Workforce Development Approach, and
• The Evaluation Approach.

The literature review is included in the Attachments Section 2: Evaluation of the Northern Territory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Aged Care Workforce Development Projects - Attachments to the Final Report.
Top of page

12. Gevers Goddard Jones 2007 Addenda op cit p80
13. 4.3.10 Qualifications in health/aged care
14. Department of Health and Ageing Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Workforce Section Quality Policy & Programs Branch Office for Aged Care Quality & Compliance July 2009 Rationale for the NT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community aged care workforce development initiative under the NTER Canberra p2
15. NCOSS 2007 Models of workforce development http://www.ncoss.org.au/projects/workforce/workforce-development-models.pdf TAFE NSW Workforce Development - a whole-of-system model for workforce development
16. Department of Health and Ageing Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Workforce Section Quality Policy & Programs Branch Office for Aged Care Quality & Compliance op cit p2
17. Table ET3: Communities Participating in the Workforce Development Projects (Attachments Section 3: Data Tables: Evaluators Tables)
18. ibid
19. 30 communities and 31 services were interviewed: in the Kalano community the Kalano HACC Service and the Kalano Flexible Care Service operated entirely independently of each other and participated in the training separately.
20. DoHA identified 58 communities for participation in the Workforce Development Projects. 59 service providers were identified as in the Kalano community the Kalano HACC Service and the Kalano Flexible Care Service operated entirely independently of each other and participated in the training separately.

prev page| TOC |next page