Action 1.20

Maintaining a competent and capable workforce requires education and training. All health service organisations have a responsibility to provide access to ongoing education and training for their workforce.

The governing body and management should consider whether regular training in safety, quality, leadership and risk (including orientation to relevant organisational policies, procedures and protocols) is reliably provided to the whole workforce.

The governing body and management should ensure that the organisation’s education and training policies:

• Define mandatory education and training requirements in relevant aspects of safety, quality, leadership and clinical risk for all members of the workforce
• Support the provision of education and training to the workforce based on comprehensive and regularly updated assessment of need
• Require evaluation of the outcomes of education and training in safety, quality, leadership and risk
• Ensure that appropriate records are maintained of education and training undertaken by each member of the workforce
• Provide each member of the workforce with the opportunity (through performance review and development programs) to define their education and training goals, and agree with their manager on opportunities to achieve these goals.

Training for the governing body and the workforce can be provided internally or externally using a variety of formats, including:

• Face-to-face programs
• Short sessions
• Peer review, mentoring and supervised practice
• Self-directed programs
• Online learning modules
• Audio or video content
• Competency-based assessments
• Conferences and seminars
• Secondments and placements.

Regularly assess the training needs of workforce members, and implement a training program that both meets the needs of the workforce to effectively perform their roles and incorporates elements to meet the requirements of the NSQHS Standards. Training needs may be identified through several pathways, including professional development activities, analysis of incident management and investigation systems, or a workforce survey.

Use a risk management approach to schedule training for the workforce based on a needs assessment.

Use external training providers if training cannot be efficiently provided internally. Record and monitor attendance at training sessions to ensure that the workforce maintains skills and competencies.

The organisation is responsible for ensuring that members of the workforce who are employed indirectly (for example, using contract or locum arrangements) have the required qualifications, training and skills to effectively perform their roles.

Organisations may:

• Have a contractual arrangement with agencies that provide temporary or locum members of the workforce
• Implement a formal process to verify that visiting medical practitioners or locum members of the workforce have the required qualifications, training and skills
• Provide training to locum or agency members of the workforce at orientation and induction.

Examples of evidence

Select only examples currently in use:

• Policy documents about orientation and training of the clinical workforce
• Employment records that detail the skills and competencies required of the position, as well as the safety and quality roles and responsibilities
• Evidence of the assessment of clinicians’ needs for education and competency-based training
• Schedule of clinical workforce education and competency-based training that includes the requirements of the NSQHS Standards
• Orientation manuals, education resources or records of attendance at workforce training
• Audit results of the proportion of the workforce with completed performance reviews
• Skills appraisals and records of competencies for the workforce, including the locum and agency workforce
• Feedback from the workforce about their training needs
• Reviews and evaluation reports of education and training programs
• Communication to the workforce about annual mandatory training requirements.

Maintaining a competent and capable workforce requires education and training. All health service organisations have a responsibility to provide access to ongoing education and training. Day procedure services that do not have the capability to provide in-house training should consider using external training providers.

The governing body and management should consider whether regular training in safety, quality, leadership and risk (including orientation to relevant organisational policies, procedures and protocols) is reliably provided to the whole workforce.

The governing body and management should ensure that the organisation’s education and training policies:

• Define mandatory education and training requirements in relevant aspects of safety, quality, leadership and clinical risk for all members of the workforce
• Support the provision of education and training to the workforce based on comprehensive and regularly updated assessment of need
• Require evaluation of the outcomes of education and training in safety, quality, leadership and risk
• Ensure that appropriate records are maintained of education and training undertaken by each member of the workforce
• Provide each member of the workforce with the opportunity (through performance review and development programs) to define their education and training goals, and agree with their manager on opportunities to achieve these goals.

Training for the governing body and the workforce can be provided internally or externally using a variety of formats, including:

• Face-to-face programs
• Short sessions
• Peer review, mentoring and supervised practice
• Self-directed programs
• Online learning modules
• Audio or video content
• Competency-based assessments
• Conferences and seminars
• Secondments and placements.

Regularly assess the training needs of workforce members, and implement a training program that both meets the needs of the workforce to effectively perform their roles and incorporates elements to meet the requirements of the NSQHS Standards. Training needs may be identified through several pathways, including professional development activities, analysis of incident management and investigation systems, or a workforce survey.

Use a risk management approach to schedule training for the workforce based on a needs assessment. Use external training providers if training cannot be efficiently provided internally. Record and monitor attendance at training sessions to ensure that the workforce maintains skills and competencies.

The organisation is responsible for ensuring that members of the workforce who are employed indirectly (for example, using contract or locum arrangements) have the required qualifications, training and skills to effectively perform their roles. Organisations may:

• Have a contractual arrangement with agencies that provide temporary or locum members of the workforce
• Implement a formal process to verify that credentialed medical practitioners or locum members of the workforce have the required qualifications, training and skills
• Provide training to locum or agency members of the workforce at orientation and induction.

Examples of evidence

Select only examples currently in use:

• Policy documents about orientation and training of the clinical workforce
• Employment records that detail the skills and competencies required of the position, as well as the safety and quality roles and responsibilities
• Evidence of the assessment of clinicians’ needs for education and competency-based training
• Schedule of clinical workforce education and competency-based training that includes the requirements of the NSQHS Standards
• Orientation manuals, education resources or records of attendance at workforce training
• Audit results of the proportion of the workforce with completed performance reviews
• Skills appraisals and records of competencies for the workforce, including the locum and agency workforce
• Feedback from the workforce about their training needs
• Reviews and evaluation reports of education and training programs
• Communication to the workforce about annual mandatory training requirements.

MPSs or small hospitals that are part of a local health network or private hospital group should adopt or adapt the established training policies and programs.

Small hospitals that are not part of a local health network or private hospital group should develop or adapt a training policy and program to provide appropriate and effective education and training in safety, quality and clinical governance.

The organisation’s education and training policies should:

• Define mandatory education and training requirements in relevant aspects of safety, quality, leadership and clinical risk for all members of the workforce
• Support the provision of education and training to the workforce based on comprehensive and regularly updated assessment of need
• Require evaluation of the outcomes of education and training in safety, quality, leadership and risk
• Ensure that appropriate records are maintained of education and training undertaken by each member of the workforce
• Provide each member of the workforce with the opportunity (through performance review and development programs) to define their education and training goals, and agree with their manager on opportunities to achieve these goals.

Regularly assess the training needs of workforce members, and implement a training program that both meets the needs of the workforce to effectively perform their roles and incorporates elements to meet the requirements of the NSQHS Standards. Training needs may be identified through several pathways, including professional development activities, analysis of incident management and investigation systems, or a workforce survey.

Use a risk management approach to schedule training for the workforce based on a needs assessment. Use external training providers if training cannot be efficiently provided internally. Record and monitor attendance at training sessions to ensure that the workforce maintains skills and competencies.

The organisation is responsible for ensuring that members of the workforce who are employed indirectly (for example, using contract or locum arrangements) have the required qualifications, training and skills to effectively perform their roles. Organisations may:

• Have a contractual arrangement with agencies that provide temporary or locum members of the workforce
• Implement a formal process to verify that credentialed medical practitioners or locum members of the workforce have the required qualifications, training and skills
• Provide training to locum or agency members of the workforce at orientation and induction.

Examples of evidence

Select only examples currently in use:

• Policy documents about orientation and training of the clinical workforce
• Employment records that detail the skills and competencies required of the position, as well as the safety and quality roles and responsibilities
• Evidence of the assessment of clinicians’ needs for education and competency-based training
• Schedule of clinical workforce education and competency-based training that includes the requirements of the NSQHS Standards
• Orientation manuals, education resources or records of attendance at workforce training
• Audit results of the proportion of the workforce with completed performance reviews
• Skills appraisals and records of competencies for the workforce, including the locum and agency workforce
• Feedback from the workforce about their training needs
• Reviews and evaluation reports of education and training programs
• Communication to the workforce about annual mandatory training requirements.