Working Effectively Within the Community Sector

-*-++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ What you have to do Choose a Community Services organisation and research the current issues influencing service delivery by answering the questions below based on your research. The organisation should belong to one of the following sectors: ? Home and community care ? Disability services, or ? Aged care Tip: Refer to the Assessment Tips document on the OLS under Assessment Information (you will locate this next to where you downloaded this assignment) Please reference your work.Referencing guides are available on the OLS under Assessment Guidelines. Task A –The Community Services Industry (CSI) Questions Name a Community Service organisation that you wish to research. Brightwater is the organisation chosen for this assignment. Brightwater belong to the private sector providing a diverse range of services, including; community care for older people, both at- home and residential, respite care, rehabilitation services, mobility equipment, transitional care and care for people with disabilities from 18 to 65yrs.Additionally, Brightwater are a part of Brightwater group who also provides services to larger corporations including mining companies, with whom they offer cleaning, linen and catering services. The Target Group: a. Describe the characteristics of this sector’s target group (50 words). The target group will be the frail elderly who are living in residential care. Residential care is a service provided to people in need of supervision and care in a variety of areas including meals, mobility assistance, transport, support with everyday living, medication assistance and management, rehabilitation and social activities.Their ages range from 70 to over a hundred years old. Identify the current needs of this sector’s target group (50 words). Current needs include ongoing need to access and equity, correct staffing numbers with appropriate training inclusive of ongoing work improvement train ing and assessing. Keeping informed on current legislation and policy so as to apply for possible funding as well as take action aligned with policies thus enabling long term benifits. . Outline any changing needs of this target group (50 words). You are required to research changing needs of your target group with examples eg funding, staffing, meals, transport. d. Identify examples of how your selected organisation meets the current needs of the target group. What are the Roles and Functions of your Organisation? The roles and functions of Brightwater cover a complex array of tasks involved in caring for elderly residents.Caring for the elderly involves coordinating staff management, medication and nursing management, volunteer management, traineeships and education, food and meal preparation, continuous monitoring of residents nutritional needs and ability to feed themselves or help required, correct documentation procedures, assistance with mobility, promoting services in which improve quality of life, independence, health and wellbeing (Aged Care in Australia 2012). 5. Access and Equity: a. Describe what principles access and equity cover. 1.Tafe NWS, Aged Care In Australia states that access and equity are â€Å"important parts of a social justice strategy that attempts to help disadvantaged groups gain equal opportunities by devising special services to improve accessibility†. Subsequently, people have easier access to previously hard to obtain items, or, situations are made easier for them. Examples include, ramps into buildings or places and posters in languages other than English (Aged Care In Australia 2012) or a job advertisement will welcome disabled people, aboriginals or women to apply.Furthermore, access and equity principles rest on the foundation of all people being equal, no matter their nationality, religion, appearance, sex, sexual preference etc are equally entitled to accessing education, services, housing etc. b. Identify example s of how your selected organisation demonstrates access and equity. Brightwater has posters in languages other than English, promoting services such as the mobile library times and emergency fire procedures.Additionally, access ramps are available at all convenient locations. Furthermore, Brightwater adheres to standards set by legislation and their organisations procedures in relation to cultural awareness, sharing information, occupational health and safety 6. Improving Work Practices: A) Describe ways that an organisation can improve work practices. Improving work practices is often a requirement as a part of government funding processes (Aged Care in Australia 2012) and quality improvement is another term for this process.Quality improvement is an evaluative process undertaken with particular focus on accreditation or other general guidelines, to improve work performance along a range of criteria with the goal being to provide services of high standards, assess workers and proce dures against industry standards, and maintain principles of continuous improvement (Aged Care in Australia 2012). An organisation can improve work practices through evaluation; observation, statistical analysis, interviews, focus groups, surveys, report writing and questionaries can help with this process (CHCCS411a; Reader LO 10138).Examples include, organisations complying with legislation, regular staff meetings focussing on goals, outcomes and progress, continuous hazard checks, equipment checks, reporting and acting on ideas for improvement, complying with safety procedures etc. B) Identify examples of how your selected organisation strives to improve work practices. An example of Brightwaters improved practice strategies include, weekly case studies on residents.Staff are rostered each week to write and read their case study during the handover meeting at the end of shift and a discussion is then held focussing on progress and reassessment. Another opportunity for a. Name at least four legislative Acts that this service must adhere to for this particular service. 1. Aged care act (1997) 2. Anti-discrimination Act 1997 (NSW) 3. Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (NSW) 4. Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW) Task B -Self-reflection Questions 7. Why is it important to reflect on your own work practices?It is important for workers to reflect on their own work practices in order to achieve their full potential. Reader LO 10139 (2009) states † all workers need to evaluate themselves and think about possible changes in their work performance if they want to be effective workers and stay enthusiastic about their work. Furthermore, to be an effective worker consists of cultivating a learning culture which includes; reflection, ongoing evaluation, openness to change, openness to diversity and continuous improvement. . Under the following headings, provide examples of ways that you could get feedback and monitor your own work performance. Formal methods: request formal feedback/ assessment/ performance appraisal from your supervisor or work colleagues (reader LO10139 2009). For example if there is a particularly challenging area the worker has been dealing with, then this might be a good area to request feedback on. Informal methods: request feedback on your work performance from work colleagues and/or supervisor. 9.Under the following headings, provide examples of various work practices from the Community Services Industry that you could reflect on. : all organisations have a range of skills an knowledge essential for staff to develop and maintain ( cert IV in disabilities: reader LO 10139 ). Knowledge: Through intellectually aquiring knowledge or through experience, knowing your organisations work policies and procedures is an important job requirement. For example, being able to recall the procedure for a fire drill.Skills: applying in the work place the work policies and procedures. For example, knowing that two people are requ ired when lifting an aged care resident or having first aid knowledge in case of an emergency are important skills to have. Attitudes: understanding how your personal attitude and values effects can impact on work will give you the opportunity to review and change outdated ideas. For example a person may believe Chinese are evil due to wartime stories and treat all Asians with a negative attitude.Then they may work with an Asian girl and realize this isn't true. Consequently a review on our attitudes can alert us to old ideas which may lead to a poor work performance. 10. From your responses to question 9: Identify and discuss an area where you would like professional development. First Aid is a skill I would like personally to have as its valued in the caring industry. Find a professional development opportunity which addresses this area that you would like professional 11. From your responses to question 10: development in. . Name the professional organisation that offers the prof essional development opportunity. â€Å"Training Course Experts† b. Title of the workshop/course or development that is offered. Senior First Aid Course c. Costs of the training. $130 d. Details of the workshop including the dates, location, hours, delivery method. Thursday 21st March 2013 Suite 5, 3 Aberdeen street, Northbridge WA 6003 8. 30am – 4. 30pm Delivery method includes external delivery of the theory and 1 day classroom practical.