NT leads the way with induction training
The Northern Territory is the first jurisdiction in Australia to have in place a standardised induction training program for all new aged care employees.
The Northern Territory is the first jurisdiction in Australia to have in place a standardised induction training program for all new aged care employees.
The staff training program has been piloted by the Human Services Training Advisory Council (HSTAC) in conjunction with local employers, and funded by the Community Services & Health Industry Skills Council (CS&HISC).
Judith McKay, chief executive of HSTAC, said the facilitated training program aims to share the same information and ensure consistency across aged care workplaces, regardless of where services are located.
With a flexible and mobile workforce, she says providers also understand the cost savings that can be achieved through the development of a common training program.
McKay told Australian Ageing Agenda that delayed access to mandatory induction training, either in-house or through external training providers, has also been an ongoing issue in the territory, especially in remote areas.
Sally Morris from the CS&HISC said the absence of quality and consistency in the induction training across the NT has significantly impacted the ability of aged care providers to effectively deliver services.
Through the development of a NT standard, new staff are more likely to have an increased confidence to meet the requirements of their work, said Ms Morris.
The training program, which was piloted in Darwin and Alice Springs, covers a range of areas including an industry overview, workplace health and safety, safe food handling, infection control and elder abuse.
Ms Morris said she hoped the training project will also assist with recruitment and retention of staff in the NT.
The project was funded as part of the Aged Care WIN program.
Well done NT, great initiative as staff more often than not work in more than one organisation. We need to see more initiatives like this, now all we need is someone to get some consistency in the Cert 111 & Cert 1V programs.