ACT Government Health Directorate Australian Capital Territory Health Information

2011 Projects

Speech Pathology Workforce Review Project

In response to identified workforce issues in speech pathology the Office of the Allied Health Adviser commenced a 24 week project in June 2011.

The project aims to:

• Map the speech pathology workforce in the ACT;
• Identify the factors that impact on retention and attrition within the workforce; and
• Identify possible workforce solutions.

Project Communiques

As work progresses on this project further information will be added to this site. The first Project Communique is available below:

Contact Officer
Further information can be obtained from Project Officer Jenny Cahill on (02)6244 2230 or Jenny.Cahill@act.gov.au

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Nutrition and Dietetic Scope of Practice Project

A 20 week project mapping the current role and potential scope of practice for nutrition and dietitian staff within the ACT Government Health Directorate has been undertaken. The project involved an extensive literature review, review and reporting on the current practice of nutrition and dietitian health professionals within the Health Directorate and a final report containing recommendations. The report is currently being finalised.

Project aims were as listed below

• Map the scope of practice for clinical dietetics in ACT Health’s existing Nutrition and Dietetics workforce; and
  
• Research the scope of practice for nutrition and dietetics nationally and internationally, including extended scope of practice (ESP).
  
  

The project findings, including recommendations for enhancing and extending the scope of practice in the Health Directorate's nutrition and dietetics workforce, will be documented in a project report which is currently being finalised.

Further information on this project and report findings will be added to this site as available.

Communiques

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Physiotherapy Extended Scope of Practice Project

Phase 2 of the project has commenced

A sixteen-week project commenced in February 2008 which aimed to scope the feasibility of introducing extended scope of practice for physiotherapy within ACT Health and Department Disability, Housing & Community Services (DHCS), Therapy ACT.

The Allied Health Adviser's Project Officer ran several focus groups with ACT public health physiotherapists to establish the current roles of physiotherapists and the viability of role extension within public health.

The final report has been completed (June 2008) and is now available.

Project Communiques can be downloaded here:

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COMPLETED PROJECTS

Radiation Therapy Extended Scope of Practice Project (2009)

A fifteen week project mapping the current role and any potential scope of practice creep for Radiation Therapists within ACT Health has been undertaken. The project involved an extensive literature review on Extended Scope of Practice for Radiation Therapists, a report on the current practice of Radiation Therapists within ACT Health and a final report containing recommendations to move to a trial of extended roles. The project included consultation with stakeholders locally and nationally as well as a survey and focus groups of current ACT Radiation Therapists.

The final report along with the literature review and current practice report is now available.

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Strengthening the Occupational Therapy Workforce Project (2008)

A sixteen-week project commenced in April 2008 which aimed to review the current and projected occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant workforce, across both ACT Health and Calvary Health Care ACT. The project examined workforce attraction and retention, education and training opportunities as well as occupational therapy current scope of practice. The project final report has been endorsed by Portfolio Executive and is now available from this web site. This report will guide further workforce planning initiatives.

Project Report

Project bacground documents

Project Communiques

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Providing Training for Allied Health Clinical Supervisors(2008)

This project has identified the training needs of the allied health staff within ACT health who provide clinical supervision to junior staff and allied health assistants. The project has produced a discussion paper which can be downloaded from the link below. This paper examines the evidence around clinical supervision models and the training which compliments these models. The project officer has spoken to staff groups to gather their views on gaps in training. Those staff who weren't able to make a group meeting, were sent an electronic survey.

Discussion Paper

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ACT Social Worker Background Paper (2007)

This background paper was developed in 2007 to inform the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Social Worker Working Group, a collaborative group of key stakeholders from ACT Health and the Australian Catholic University (ACU). The aim of this paper was to provide an overview of the social worker workforce within the ACT.

The final report is now available.

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