ATP Table of Contents

Agency Training Plan (ATP) Resource Kit

Stage2 - Act

This stage...

...is about doing the training needs analysis, writing and implementing the training plan.

Are you ready?

You are ready to discuss staff and organisational training needs when you have:

A clear statement of job descriptions and agency directions for the next twelve months
You have identified client needs through analysis of their program plans
An agreement with staff and management about how and when each person will work through the TNA with you—if it is not being done within the SDR process
A process to work with participants in identifying training needs, for example the existing SDR process
Established times to meet clients and carers, Committee of Management and each member of staff
The TNA survey

Actions within the suggested approach to ATPs include:

Supplementing individual information with use of existing forums such as staff meetings and management meetings to get feedback on organisational issues that require a training response. The Disability Services Self-Assessment System can provide further information on organisational issues
Identifying, analysing, and prioritising training needs
Setting out delivery of training based on information from participants’ preferences and incorporating flexible, no/low cost approaches such as mentoring, self-paced learning, shadowing, action learning
Costing of training activities
Including a timeframe for implementation of each part of the ATP
Implementing the ATP and monitoring learning outcomes
Monitoring and evaluating benefits of training to staff, client and agency
Reporting on the acquittal of
DHS training funds

Making it happen

Time to Reflect and Discuss

Staff and Management

It is important to give staff one-to-one interview time to talk through the demands of their job and the level to which they are currently able to meet them. This approach also creates an environment of collaboration in developing the professionalism of staff and the organisation as a whole.

Management also need to go through this process. In some agencies an external facilitator is used to conduct the performance review process. Management and Board meetings can also be used to identify organisational training needs.

Meeting with Clients and Carers

Meetings with clients and carers need to be arranged, allowing plenty of time for them to give considered views on where staff need to improve. This is important information to build into the ATP. Consultation with clients and carers is also essential in meeting the Victorian Disability Standards criteria as expressed in the Disability Services Self-Assessment System - Management Section.

Individual Program Plans

Consultation with clients/carers can be linked into the regular meetings you have throughout the year such as Individual Program Plans (IPP).

Allow extra time at one of those meetings to get the opinions of clients on where staff are doing well and where they need to improve. It is important to ensure clients with high as well as low to medium support needs contribute. Specialist communication facilitators can be used to assist clients with high support needs. Carers can also be encouraged to contribute to the discussion.

This information can be added to the analysis of client needs as presented in IPPs.

Link into existing processes

ATP Part of Continuous Improvement Continuous Improvement Activities

The work done in identifying staff training needs meets the requirements of the ATP process, as well as covering some of the work required in the Disability Services Self-Assessment System and your annual SDR process. In this way, the ATP process is an essential part of your agency’s regular annual organisational requirements rather than being a one-off activity.

Workforce Planning Recruitment and Induction

Organisational functions such as recruitment and induction are on-going responsibilities for agencies. It is important to include information on staff movement in the ATP process. This allows your agency to plan for the training delivery and costs associated with induction of new staff.

The ATP process can also gather information on effective ways to induct staff into the service, based on what has worked/not worked for other staff.

Some agencies successfully use the shadowing approach for induction. This is where a new worker shadows a senior staff member for a period of time. (see Appendix 4 for description of Shadowing)

Organisational Needs

Staff/Management/Board Meetings

These existing forums can be used to discuss organisational training needs, complementing information gathered during the one-to-one discussions.

These meetings can also be used to gather information that feeds into the ATP.

The following issues will require some level of agency response:

Managing change due to agency amalgamations
Workplace stress, where organisational structures/approaches are seen to be contributing
Taking on the provision of more or new services
Where an agency wants to establish a new system, for example an internal email system between agency locations

Some issues will require training responses and other organisational systems change.

Prioritise...

Identify...

Analyse... Individual, Organisational, Common, Needs

When all information is gathered through the processes described previoulsy, you will need to analyse the data, identify the training needs and prioritise your agency’s response.

In analysing the information you will need to identify the individual, common and organisational training issues.

After analysing the information gathered, a breakdown of training needs for your agency could look like this:

Specific areas of training for the individual as identified in staff consultations

Induction into the agency
Induction into working with people with a disability
Infection control
Manual handling
Medication - side effects and administration
Working with people from a non-English speaking background

Organisational areas of training as identified by the agency

Change management
Creating a learning organisation
Working in teams
Multi-skilling/job rotation
Communication (managing up/down)
Writing skills
Development of Policy and Procedures

Common areas of training, where it is identified that 40-50% of staff require the training

First aid (basic/update)
Food handling
Managing challenging behaviours
Stress management
Certificate IV Disability Work under the Community Services Training Package (CSTP)
Communication skills/team building

Setting out the Agency Training Plan

The following provides a guide to setting out the information you have gathered throughout the whole ATP process for presentation to your own organisation as well as to the Department of Human Services. Appendix 12 has an example of a completed Agency Training Plan.

It is recommended that you attach a Summary Sheet to the front of your ATP so the reader, whether from within your organisation or DHS, can gain a snapshot of the key aspects detailed inside. Appendix 12 also has a sample Summary Sheet attached.

Agency Profile

Staff numbers, summary of roles and organisational structure
Target client group, number and characteristics
Agency objectives and directions
Vision statement

ATP Process

(i)Preparation and Consultation

How information was gathered
Who was consulted and how
Examples of surveys used, pro-formas, job descriptions
List of all training needs
Priority ranking of training needs and the relevant criteria

(ii) Training Activities

Each training activity should identify the following. The next page provides an example of a training activity set out using the headings described below and a blank pro-forma for recording training activities is in Appendix 7.
Training Objective
Target group and number
Level of training
Expected benefits
Mode of delivery/learning strategies
Training Provider
Funding source
Priority ranking
Cost Budget
Projected/Actual
CSTP Competencies
Monitoring and Evaluation

(iii) Monitoring and Evaluation

You need to indicate what level of evaluation you will undertake to determine the success of the training in achieving the expected benefits, and how the evaluation will be done.

Appendix 9 and appendix 10 describe the four levels of evaluation and provide samples of evaluation tools that you can customise for your Agency’s requirements.

The Training Activities pro-forma in Appendix 7 has space provided for recording of evaluation and monitoring feedback on the success of that particular training program.

Projected Budget

The projected costs of training need to reflect both your Agency’s contribution as well as any contribution from other sources. Typically another source would be TAFE Colleges through qualifications such as Community Services Training Package and Frontline Management.

Agency Training Plan - Training Activities

Training Objective	eg Manage Challenging Behaviour Type, frequency and triggers Strategies for prevention Strategies for management Organisational procedures
Target Group and Number	Direct care workers (5)
Level of Training	Refresher
Expected Benefits	Less staff stress more positive staff / client interactions
Mode of Delivery/Learning Strategies	Short course work project, mentoring, over 5 weeks
Provider	TAFE
Funding Source	Training budget/TAFE
Priority Ranking	1
Cost Budget (Total) Agency Contribution TAFE Other Contribution	Projected $ Projected $ Projected $ Projected $		Actual $ Actual $ Actual $ Actual $
CSTP Competencies	Certificate IV – Provide services to people with disabilities CHCDIS3A
Monitoring/Evaluation	This section is for on-going recording of outcomes / issues arising from training
Priority Key	1 = 1-3 months	2 = 3-6 months		3 = 6-12 months

Supports for ATP process

Training Action Plan

Before accessing available training, staff can be asked to complete a Training Action Plan form, indicating how the training will assist their work performance and benefit clients.

This clarity ensures that the training provider, staff and agency are all in agreement about the desired learning outcomes for participants. This can be discussed and refined through negotiations with the provider before training is delivered. Being clear and in agreement before the training will also help in evaluating its success.

This can be done by mapping out what they intend to learn through their training and how they intend to apply this learning on return to the workplace, preferably towards addressing a real workplace problem/challenge.

The Training Action Plan ensures maximum benefit to the agency, other staff and clients. It also feeds into the evaluation process, particularly medium-long term evaluation of outcomes.

Clear Expectations of Providers

Customising Training Delivery

It is important for agencies to be clear and assertive with training providers about the way they want training delivered. TAFE and other Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) as well as non-RTOs have an obligation to their clients - you - to match the training to the client not the client to the training. Negotiate to have the courses delivered in flexible ways that suit the customer in terms of learning style, timing and location.

Universities are offering a wide range of courses relevant to the Disability Services Sector. They are also offering a wider range of options for accessing courses, including action learning, internet, distance learning. It is also important to identify the skilled people you have on staff. They can mentor other staff, set up action learning sets, run training sessions etc.

A statement from your agency of what it expects from training providers (see Appendix 8 for example) makes the whole process of negotiation with them much more transparent and smooth. This can be your starting point in discussions and establishes the agency as the co-driver rather than the passenger.

FIELD

The Disability In-Service Training Support Service (FIELD) is available to any DHS funded non-government organisation (NGO) in the disability sector to:

Assist in the ATP process
Identify and broker training providers to meet the expressed training needs of NGOs
Provide information to the sector on effective ways to improve staff training outcomes, develop learning organisations and so improve service delivery
Advise on ways to maximise your training dollar through alliances with other agencies, linking into local or regional networks, accessing training offered by larger disability organisations, and accessing existing funded training through a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).