Intent of this requirement
This requirement expects organisations to have a system to work out workforce numbers and the range of skills they need to meet consumers’ needs and deliver safe and quality care and services at all times. This system needs to be in line with current legislation and guidance where it applies. The system for managing the workforce may be different for each type of care and service. It’s expected that an organisation uses a structured approach for rosters and schedules, hiring and keeping members of the workforce, managing different types of leave and the use of contracted staff.
Organisations are expected to consider the different levels of skills and abilities needed to meet consumers’ needs. This includes working out the registered professional and support staff needed, and the supervision and leadership needed.
Regularly reviewing workforce levels and their mix of skills is expected. This includes adapting these levels to respond to the changing needs and situations of consumers. As part of this, organisations need to manage growth and changes in workforce needs.
The organisation’s approach is expected to include ways to promptly identify and manage issues and risks that might result in not having enough members of the workforce, such as an influenza outbreak. They also need to think about ways to deal with shortages across the workforce.
In addition to having enough staff to deliver the usual work of the organisation, it is expected that the organisation will have considered its staffing needs during an internal or external emergency.
Reflective questions
- Is there a system to calculate the workforce numbers and range of skills the organisation needs so they can assess, plan and coordinate care and services to meet the needs of consumers and deliver safe and quality care and services at all times? How is this worked out?
- What processes does the organisation use to enable the workforce to give feedback on the number of staff and mix of skills needed to deliver care and services and any deficits?
- How has the organisation considered the skills needed to meet consumers’ needs across the different types of competencies of the workforce? This includes registered professionals, support workers, supervision and leadership roles.
- How does the organisation regularly review and adapt the workforce levels and mix of skills to respond to the changing needs and situations of consumers? How does the organisation know that the workforce is sufficient and can carry out the care and service needs of consumers?
- How does the organisation consider continuity of care and services for consumers in their planning workforce strategies and processes?
- How does the organisation identify short or long-term shortages in the capacity or skills of it’s workforce, and how do they tackle these shortages?
- Does the organisation use innovative ways of working, tailored to the needs of consumers?
Examples of actions and evidence
Consumers
- Consumers say they know the members of the workforce who care for them and that they have continuity of care.
- Consumers say they get quality care and services.
- Consumers say the organisation delivers their care and services as planned and safely.
- Consumers say members of the workforce have the time to deliver care and services and they don’t feel care and services are cut short or rushed.
Workforce and others
- Observations of workforce numbers and mix deployed at the service in relation to the consumers’ care and services plans.
- Observations that the delivery of particular care and services is undertaken by suitably qualified members of the workforce consistent with safe and quality care.
- The workforce say the organisation has enough staff and the right mix of staff to plan and deliver care and services so that consumers get safe and quality care.
- The workforce can describe how the organisation allocates staff to support continuity of care and services and build relationships of trust with consumers.
- The workforce say they know what to do when the organisation is experiencing staff shortages and are confident management will respond.
- The workforce can describe how there are enough staff rostered to meet consumers’ preferences. This includes showering at a particular time, or asking for a member of the workforce of a specific gender to care for them.
Organisation
- Evidence of a system for planning and managing the workforce that shows the organisation has the right number of workforce members, with the right blend of skills, delivering care and services at any time.
- Work schedules or rosters for the workforce show how the organisation makes sure there are enough workforce members to provide safe and quality care and services every day.
- Records show that when the organisation has a workforce shortage, they act on this promptly. This makes sure consumers receive safe and quality care and services.