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The Child Safe Governance Review Governance Advisory Panel (the Panel) met for the fifth time on Tuesday, 18 October 2022 in Launceston.
The meeting agenda focussed on:
- a report from the Chair of the Lived Experience: Expert Reference Group
- a report from the Co-Chairs on a meeting with members of the Consumer and Community Engagement Council
- a presentation and discussion on recommended changes to the Human Resources governance and organisational arrangements
- a presentation and discussion on leadership and management training at the Launceston General Hospital under the One Health Cultural Improvement Program, including details of currently available training.
Report from the Chair of the Lived Experience: Expert Reference Group
Dr Maria Harries spoke about her continued work with those who expressed interest in the Lived Experience: Expert Reference Group to enable input from the lived experience of victim-survivors to the Panel.
Maria was on-site in Launceston prior to the Governance Advisory Panel meeting and met face-to-face with two of the victim-survivor participants.
Maria has advised that she will write a summary of what the Lived Experience: Expert Reference Group is telling her to share with the Governance Advisory Panel.
Report on Consumer and Community Engagement Council (CCEC)
The Co-Chairs provided an update on the meeting they attended with some of the members of the Northern CCEC. The members of the CCEC provided further observations on the governance of the LGH and their specific role.
The Co-Chairs noted that they have been impressed with the level of engagement the CCEC has with the LGH and its Executive.
The CCEC would like to see a clear, concise and well-targeted summary of the complaints made in relation to the LGH and other useful reports in a concise easy to access format. It has therefore been recommended that dashboard reports on complaints management, SRLS data and Hospital Acquired Complications be provided routinely to the CCEC.
Human Resources Governance and Organisational Arrangements
Robyn Burley, the HR Expert on the Panel, gave a presentation to the Panel on her observations of the current statewide and local HR services and opportunities for improvement. The current strategic direction of statewide HR was supported including the establishment of a statewide functional model for Human Resources. This functional model details how HR services should be delivered at the statewide and local level.
Robyn noted that there are a number of projects already being undertaken by HR that will address some of the issues identified, but has also made a number of recommendations including:
- continuation of the transition to a Business Partner Model and development of a standard service charter for each regional service
- upskilling of locally based HR staff to enable full implementation of the HR Business Partner Role
- development of an HR Service and Enterprise Risk Management Framework
- continued implementation of new systems, such as the Human Resources Information System (HRIS) and a new rostering system, to support statewide management of HR matters
- accountability of executives and managers at the local level to be expressly identified in policies, protocols and statements of duties
- better targeted and relevant HR reporting for the Executive and frontline managers and
- all HR Business Partners to complete child safety and reporting training by the end of 2022.
Some of the industrial organisation members of the Panel emphasised the need for detailed industrial consultation on the transition to the new HR functional model including consultation on any restructuring required and transition matters such as award mapping for the new HRIS.
Panel members supported the recommendations in-principle but noted that there must be a well-designed and clear statewide implementation and consultative program to complement the design and rollout of reforms and system improvements.
The Governance Advisory Panel requested further detail around how HR connects with the broader governance structure of the LGH. This will be considered at the next meeting when the executive structure of the LGH is considered in detail by the Governance Advisory Panel.
Leadership and Management Training
Michelle Searle, Chief People Officer, provided the Panel with an overview of the framework and implementation of leadership and management training under the One Health Cultural Improvement Program.
Michelle noted that the initial focus at the LGH will be on leadership accountability and building capability.
A number of programs under One Health are already available to staff at the LGH, including the Aspire Leadership Program which is currently being piloted.
A number of other programs are also in the development phase, including the Inspire Management Program.
The Acting Chief Executive Hospitals North, Jen Duncan, provided a presentation on the Studer accountability framework that is now being implemented at the LGH.
A senior HR officer has been working closely with the Acting Chief Executive Hospitals North to ensure there is consistency between the accountability framework being implemented and the One Health Cultural Improvement Program leadership and management development program.
Some of the staff members on the Panel noted that there were some good outcomes from the first workshop for the accountability framework and discussions around the framework have been positive.
After considering both presentations, the Panel supported the following recommendations:
- supported the continued rollout of the leadership and management training through the One Health Cultural Improvement Program noting that it should reinforce the Studer accountability framework that is being implemented at the LGH
- supported the continued rollout of the accountability framework at the LGH noting that it needs to be embedded within the day-to-day business at the LGH
- recommended that credit for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and similar incentives, such as Recognition of Prior Learning for formal external management qualification courses such as those offered through the University of Tasmania, be explored for those health professional managers undertaking One Health leadership and management programs, but this should not impact existing CPD budgets at LGH
- recommended further consideration of how to frame the Leadership and Management training as a supportive and enabling opportunity for staff and for the benefit of the organisational rather than within the compliance frame of “mandatory training”
- supported a multi-disciplinary focus for the Leadership and Management Training programs to ensure training programs are not siloed into different professional cohorts
- recommended prioritisation of the Leadership and Management training for frontline and middle managers at LGH who have not yet undertaken any structured leadership or management training
The Panel also agreed that undertaking Leadership and Management training programs will be critical to the successful delivery of health care and therefore the training needs to be recognised as a core part of a manager’s role and therefore appropriate support and relief should be provided to enable staff to undertake the training during work hours.
The Panel also noted that at the meeting on 15 November 2022, there will be the opportunity to review the inventory of current mandatory training requirements at the LGH, as part of considering the optimal context for implementing new mandatory training requirements including those related to child safety.
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Governance Advisory Panel is scheduled for 1 November 2022 and will be held online via Microsoft Teams.
The Governance Advisory Panel will also further discuss the establishment of an independent Central Complaints Management Unit for the Department of Health.
View the Interim Recommendations of the Child Safe Governance Review – Governance Advisory Panel