Language and Literacy Programme. Setting up the Training Program

Transcription

1 WELL Case Study

2 Workplace English Settg up Trag Program The trag program was established as a result of an Aged Care facility havg identified need for improved communication skills of its Care staff. In partnership with a chosen Registered Trag Organisation (RTO), acknowledged for its literacy and numeracy expertise, facility and RTO successfully applied for Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) fundg. Jemal is employed at Aged Care facility as a Carer. He has a LOTE background and arrived Australia 3 years ago. He is enrolled Certificate 111 Aged Care Work but his managers do not regard his language and literacy skills as beg adequate for job requirements. Jemal was a qualified primary school teacher Nigeria and speaks English well but his supervisors, colleagues and residents fd it hard to understand him. Although Jemal s writg skills are sufficient to meet his everyday needs, y are not at standard dustry and facility require for reportg on residents progress or contributg to development of residents care plans. Jemal is a well regarded staff member because of high standard of his work and excellent terpersonal skills so facility was very terested helpg him improve his LLN skills so that both Jemal and facility could benefit furr from his work. sheet outlg proposed trag was distributed amongst personal carers vitg m to dicate ir terest. Jemal and or staff members welcomed opportunity and agreed to participate program. As part of fundg application process, RTO and facility management identified followg key skills as essential to effectively meet workplace requirements: - English language and literacy skills required for reportg and documentation - ability to convey critical formation about aged care residents both orally and writg to ternal and external personnel and family members - ability to communicate effectively with residents. The relevant unit of competence which would address se skills requirements was specified submission: Comply with formation requirements of aged care and community care sectors, from Community Services Trag Package. This unit of competence forms part of Certificate III Aged Care Work which Jemal is currently enrolled. The WELL focus however is specifically on development of language, literacy and numeracy skills. The facility refore decided that Jemal and or staff would benefit from communication skills trag. An formation

3 Workplace English Selectg Participants and Conductg Pre-Trag Assessments The specific learng outcomes of a trag programme depend on dividual needs of target group of employees, this case Aged Care personal carers, so pre-trag assessments were conducted to confirm existg LLN skills of potential participants, identify LLN skills gaps and consequent trag needs. Jemal attended terview which he was assessed by specialist LLN traer/assessor usg a customised assessment tool with tasks developed usg processes, workplace standards and documents from Aged Care facility where Jemal works. These tasks were developed with required language and literacy skills md and mapped agast. The Assessment tasks were divided to Readg, Writg, Oral and Numeracy and covered areas such as: - readg about residents details care plans and profile forms - terpretg and recordg formation on charts for behaviour / toiletg / fection control / activities of daily livg - documentg a resident s dietary needs Jemal s results showed that his pre-trag levels of competence were at level 2 Readg and Writg, level 2 Oral procedural, technical and systems Aspects of but level 3 personal Aspect of. His numeracy skills were also at level 3, which is above required level for Certificate 111, so it was not necessary for him to undertake specific numeracy trag. From se results, it was clear that Jemal required trag to improve his Readg, Writg and certa areas of his Oral skills. The Traer/Assessor n used Jemal s results to form development of trag programme, this way ensurg that Jemal s needs were beg directly addressed. To identify additional core skills trag Jemal required to ensure he was able to manage Certificate 111 course requirements, traer/assessor compared Jemal s level of competence across core skills with those required to undertake Certificate 111. These have been identified as level 3 Learng, Readg, Writg and Oral and level 2 Numeracy. - understandg spoken and written structions - relayg formation orally - enterg numerical formation onto charts; calculatg time; measurg medication.

4 Workplace English Develop Curriculum and Deliver trag As with development of pre trag assessment kit, curriculum development process needed to take account of: - identified LLN needs of participants - facility s processes, documentation and communication requirements and standards - competency unit - levels and Aspects of. The 80 hour trag program was delivered as a weekly 2 hour class over 40 weeks. The Aged Care facility toger with trag provider and LLN traer decided on this format takg to account work demands of participants, timetablg issues and expert advice of LLN traer as to best possible trag program for LLN purposes. Jemal s trag focused on language, literacy skills required for effective Aged Care documentation and communication through use of Aged Care Fundg Instrument (ACFI). The ACFI comprises 12 questions on which all Aged Care facilities depend for ir assessment of resident requirements as well as for ir ongog Government fundg and support. The ACFI 12 questions cover entire range of care for aged under 3 domas of: Activities of Daily Livg (ADL); Behaviour; Complex Health Care. Assessment The assessment procedure cluded: - on gog (formative) assessment of Jemal s development of skills through class activities such as readg and writg progress notes for each of ACFI 12 questions - evidence of effective oral reportg at handover - demonstration of improved knowledge, use and spellg of Aged Care termology. A fal terview to discuss Jemal s evidence portfolio of class work, workplace documents, workplace projects undertaken partly class and partly workplace- such as writg or re- evaluatg a care plan, formed ma assessment method for this trag program. The assessment terview also cluded discussion of self assessment Jemal had completed prior to terview and oral questions based on workplace procedures relatg to trag curriculum. In event of a participant not havg sufficient evidence, 3rd party evidence of a supervisor or colleague would be cluded. Jemal s fal assessment outcomes were aligned to as reflected followg table. (Please note that at time this case study was written table used was adapted from previously used WELL/NRS Table of Outcomes. It is not a format approved by DEEWR). By focusg on LLN requirements of se care areas, trag programme ensured that Jemal was developg and improvg areas most vital for him to carry out his work effectively. - readg ( resident details Care Plans / care structions/ medication structions / resident dietary needs and nutritional formation / Progress Notes/ fection control etc) - writg ( reportg changes condition of residents Progress Notes / reportg behaviour problems / fillg charts / recordg formation Care plans) - speakg & listeng skills (communication with fellow staff durg handover/ givg & receivg structions / communication with supervisors, colleagues, residents, families etc person and on phone)

5 Workplace English WELL / Table of Outcomes Jemal s Pre-Trag Assessment Outcomes x Jemal s Fal Assessment Outcomes Aspects Level 1 Core Skills & Indicators of Competence Learng Readg Writg Oral Numeracy Level 2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Level 3 x x x Level 4 Level 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

6 Workplace English The outcomes show that, as a result of trag, Jemal s levels creased from level 2 to level 3 Readg and Writg. In Oral Jemal creased his skill level from 2 to 3 procedural, technical and systems Aspects of targeted trag, and also improved personal Aspect from level 3 to level 4. Based on Jemal s evidence, traer/assessor made decision that he was Competent Unit Comply with formation requirements of aged care dustry and community care sectors. As a result of his beg deemed Competent by his assessor, Jemal received a Statement of Attament from RTO. Reportg The reportg requirements for WELL fundg specify that trag provider must deliver an terim progress report at 6 months which progress of whole group is reported general terms. This does not clude assessment outcomes. When trag has been completed, a fal WELL report is submitted which assessment outcomes of trag are reported as aggregated data. In addition, as part of trag evaluation, formation is provided on gas to both participants and employer organisation as a result of trag. The formation reflects feedback from employer/employee and RTO. As a result of Jemal s trag outcomes for facility were: - improved accuracy completg documentation, - creased efficiency, - improved productivity, - more effective quality control. Jemal s and his classmates fal assessment outcomes were reported fal WELL Report general descriptive terms as well as beg recorded on an Table of Outcomes where assessment outcomes were measured agast 5 Levels of Performance, 5 Core Skills reflected through 11 Indicators of Competence and, 6 Aspects of. In WELL Table of Outcomes below are assessment outcomes of Jemal and his 6 classmates. The consolidated outcomes are reflected numerically and entered agast achieved level of performance, Indicators of Competence and relevant Aspects of. The table reveals that most of Jemal s group achieved required level 3 across Core Skills of Readg, Writg and Oral, and a small number achieved level 4. The outcomes for Jemal and his colleagues were: - improved workplace skills, - more effective communication, - creased confidence - greater participation teams and meetgs - improved moral and attendance

7 Workplace English WELL / Table of Outcomes Numbers of Participants: 7 Aspects Level 1 Level 2 Core Skills & Indicators of Competence Learng Readg Writg Oral Numeracy Level Level Level (Please note that at time this case study was written table used here was adapted from previously used WELL/NRS Table of Outcomes. It is not a format approved by DEEWR).