Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services - Developing new skills
Developing the right skills and knowledge was a key objective for the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) for staff from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services in Queensland.
To maximise the benefits for QAIHC, UNE Partnerships worked with them to ensure that delivery for the Certificate III in Business (Medical Administration) was focused on the specific needs of Community Controlled Health. This not only makes learning more relevant, but means that new skills can be directly applied back into the workplace.
Workshops were presented by Gary Smith and Colleen Sullivan from UNE Partnerships, both with extensive experience in Practice Management, and long standing leadership roles within the Australian Association of Practice Management. Having worked with many workshop groups across the healthcare industry they see firsthand the benefits of training to the individual and the workplace. According to Gary, “Reviewing our skills sets and knowledge is a great way of managing the challenges we face, particularly when ‘change’ is a constant in most workplaces.
“Changes to systems, funding and regulations all have significant impacts on the day-to- day running of Community Health Centers, so developing skills through certified educational programs to process and handle these changes is extremely important.”
The program was conducted in two parts over two weeks.
“A huge advantage”, said Colleen Sullivan, “is that the students have the ability to use computers during the course and are able to complete their assessment tasks as they go. The group has the opportunity to work together during the course, see how other Health Services function and develop strong networks for the future.”
Sandy Robertson, project officer for the Regional Quality and Support Program and Quality Use of Medicines Maximised Program at QAIHC, has witnessed the positive outcomes this course has provided. “As the organiser, I can see the confidence of participants growing each day. It’s just amazing” commented Sandy.
This is the second group to complete the program, with 11 in the first group, 15 in the current group and already interest is being registered for a third intake. The group was from a wide geographic area and variety of ages, but the workshops provided them with a great opportunity to openly share their experiences in a safe and comfortable atmosphere.
