Contents

Project background

The Workplace Communication project looks at the effectiveness of workplace communication broadly, barriers to this effectiveness and strategies for improvement.

The Disability Learning and Development Unit (DLDU), which is a section of the Department of Human Services, as part of its Learning and Development Strategy, has funded this project to explore workplace communication issues for direct support workers in both the Government and Non-government sectors. A mix of small, medium and statewide organisations, both metropolitan and rural, participated in the project.

We explored how communication occurs in some residential and attendant services to see whether it can be improved. In all services involved in the study, staff and management spoke of changes that could be made which would improve the quality of communication and workplace practice for their staff and service.

It is hoped that supports for staff affected by workplace communication issues will be created so that staff can participate in all work processes. This is particularly timely as there has been a move in the disability sector for services to take up New Apprenticeships and some staff may need to be supported to meet the academic requirements of this training.

Interviews

In each of the services, interviews were conducted with ten permanent staff employed at a range of occupational levels, including Direct Support Staff, House Supervisors and Residential Services Managers.

These involved a one-to-one confidential interview which took up to 30 minutes. A guided self-assessment was used covering the speaking, listening, reading, writing, maths and computer tasks required at work. Staff were asked to make comments on these tasks and to suggest improvements that would be taken back to management. Staff were also asked to bring along completed examples of their workplace writing.

Project management

A working group has been formed including representation from the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) and staff from the Disability Learning and Development Unit (DLDU). DISTSS is responsible for project management.

Case studies

Here are some Case Studies of services that participated in the project.