Combined Networks - Allied Health Needs Analysis
This was a collaborative project of the three Child Health Networks (CHN) in NSW. The objectives of the project were to:
- Identify the education and clinical support needs and priorities of Allied Health Professionals (AHP) working with children across NSW
- Identify currently available educational and clinical support resources
- Provide recommendations to improve AHP access to education and clinical support
- Produce a Project Report
(pdf 199K) containing summary information, resources and recommendations
The project was of six months duration and undertaken by a Project Officer. A Steering Committee was convened to oversee the project. The consultation process included focus groups at AHS level, a survey of AHP and gathering of information from HSW Health and other relevant organisations on resources currently available to AHP.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The issues identified during the project were grouped into five categories - clinical supervision, performance appraisal, caseload, access to education and training and access to technology. The recommendations have been grouped to reflect these categories and are:
- NSW Child Health Networks, in collaboration with other key stakeholders, undertake to develop clinical supervision options, which meet the needs of the individual AHP working with children, including that of novice and expert clinicians.
- NSW Child Health Networks collaborate with AHS and AHP to identify appropriate individuals as clinical leaders in the provision of clinical supervision of AHP working with children.
- AHS, in collaboration with other key stakeholders, develop a program of training key AHP working with children, to assume the role of supervisors.
- AHS ensure that allied health professionals working with children participate in a performance management process as discussed in Department of Health Circular 2003/12, NSW Department of Health Coaching and Performance System (CAPS) Policy.
- Relevant AHS, in collaboration with the Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH), develop a mechanism for performance management of sole AHP working with children in rural areas.
- NSW Child Health Networks, in collaboration with relevant paediatric allied health professionals, develop mechanisms by which community-based AHP working with children have access to colleagues working in specialist paediatric clinics across NSW.
- A database of currently available paediatric allied health clinical information and management guidelines is established as a statewide resource for AHP working with children.
- AHS, in collaboration with NSW Health and NSW Children's Hospitals, develop strategies to identify areas of need for paediatric allied health services, enhance service provision and minimise duplication of services.
- NSW Children's Hospitals, in collaboration with AHS, formalise mechanisms for outreach clinical education and support for AHP working with children in the community
- NSW Health and AHS ensure that AHP working with children are provided with the opportunity to be involved in paediatric related GMTT and Telehealth initiatives.
- NSW Child Health Networks, in collaboration with NSW Health and relevant AHP organisations, undertake a study to identify the current allied health workforce and the future requirements
- AHS and AHP organisations provide AHP working with children with educational opportunities in the use of various technologies.
- AHP working with children undertake research to investigate how technologies should be used to support and deliver allied health services.
- AHS ensure that allied health professionals working with children are provided with CIAP training.
- NSW Child Health Network collaborate with Universities and University Departments of Rural Health to develop appropriate post graduate and continuing education courses for AHP working with children.
- AHS and AHP organisations develop strategies to enhance the use of telehealth as a means of networking, providing education, support and supervision for AHP working with children.
- AHP organisations, together with key stakeholders conduct a comprehensive training needs assessment for AHP working with children.
- AHP organisations, together with key stakeholders, develop core competencies for AHP working with children.
- AHS provide access to email, NSW Health Intranet and internet to all allied health professionals working with children.
- The Computers for Rural Allied Health program is enhanced to include all AHP working with children, irrespective of the primary place of work.
- Relevant Allied Health disciplines establish discipline specific list serves, similar to the OT Paediatric list serve provided through NSW Health CIAP infrastructure.