3.3 S URVEY OF C OORDINATORS AND M ANAGERS
3.3.4 Features of the day respite service
‘The day centre has its own equipment etc. Day centre clients mainly join in activities with facility residents. Occasionally facility residents join with day centre clients and are always welcomed.’
o The flexibility and adaptability in service provision offered by the service model
‘Compared to Planned Activity Groups we are able to offer more flexible and longer hours, a wider variety of activities for clients and residents to participate in small groups and 1:1 time. Carers get a better understanding about residential care, the negative perception of residential care is diminished. It depends on the individual client as to whether the transition into full time residential care is easier. Some clients have used the overnight respite and that has been very successful, clients have accepted being in residential respite because they know the staff, the routines, and they still attend the …*day respite service] while in respite so their normal routine is almost the same.’
However, a number of challenges and difficulties were also identified, and these involved - o The need to address stigma associated with residential delivery of care
‘The stigma of RACFs and Day Respite being linked has some doctors and local community members believe that the facility where day respite is run is full of bugs, viruses and infections.’
‘The presentation of the day respite service is the key to avoid or manage any negative public perception.’
o Industrial issues associated with the existence of different awards for staff
‘Organisational issues - 2 sets of awards has not assisted with more effective use of staffing resources. A 'community' care worker needs to be registered with the Regional Care Worker Team and a separate agreement needs to be drawn up as there are different rates of pay.’
‘At this time due to pay roll complexities, residential staff are reluctant to work in the program.’
o The need to develop processes for communicating and coordinating across different groups of staff in the organisation.
‘It takes time to build up communication among staff of the aged care facility and respite day care centre in service planning and sharing of resources.’
‘Issues we have faced: not enough space, lack of communication between RACF and Respite service, RACF and Respite staff not understanding each other's roles, the residents' families are complaining that they pay a huge amount of money to send their loved in to the RACF whereas Respite clients only pay a small fee to be looked after their during the day.’
‘There are some difficulties between Residential Staff and Community Care staff who are employed to run Day Respite. I believe that the staff's belief in "ownership" is the biggest contributor. This is not an insurmountable problem and is being resolved.’
o The need to train and develop day respite staff in a different way to residential staff
‘Also we need a "special' type of care worker who is confident and savvy enough to understand how the program works, encourage independence in the guests, does not work to a menu or timetable and basically can "think on their feet".’
Figure 43: Coordinators’ and Managers’ opinion of features of their day respite service – Distribution of responses
0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
32.4%
67.6%
0.0%
% 20%
40%
60%
80%
Strongly Disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Don't Know / Not Stated
Usually flexible in adapting to the needs of carers
0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
29.4%
70.6%
0.0%
% 20%
40%
60%
80%
Strongly Disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Don't Know / Not Stated
Usually flexible in adapting to the needs of care recipients
0.0% 0.0%
5.9%
29.4%
64.7%
0.0%
% 20%
40%
60%
80%
Strongly Disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Don't Know / Not Stated
Provides care that is appropriate to the needs of care recipients
0.0%
5.9%
17.6%
32.4%
41.2%
2.9%
% 20%
40%
60%
80%
Strongly Disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Don't Know / Not Stated
Offers care workers sufficient training and development opportunities
Figure 44: Coordinators’ and Managers’ opinion of features of their day respite service – Mean scores
0.0%
8.8%
20.6%
38.2%
14.7% 17.6%
% 20%
40%
60%
80%
Strongly Disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Don't Know / Not Stated
Provides workers with cross-cultural training in how to work effectively with people from non
English speaking backgrounds
0.0%
8.8%
32.4%
29.4%
5.9%
23.5%
% 20%
40%
60%
80%
Strongly Disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Don't Know / Not Stated
Provides workers with cross-cultural training in how to work effectively with Indigenous people
4.7
4.7
4.7
4.6 4.7
4.7
4.6
3.9 4.1
4.0
3.3
3.8 3.7
3.4
1 2 3 4 5
Usually flexible in adapting to the needs of carers Usually flexible in adapting to the needs of
care recipients
Provides a service that is appropriate to the needs and circumstances of carers
Provides care that is appropriate to the needs of care recipients
Offers good quality care for care recipients
Offers good quality support for carers Provides a safe environment for the person
receiving care
Has enough care workers for the number of people using the Program
Offers care workers sufficient training and development opportunities Employs care workers from diverse cultural backgrounds to meet the needs of care recipients Employs care workers from Indigenous backgrounds
to meet the needs of Indigenous care recipients Provides care workers with access to interpreters if
they are needed
Provides workers with cross-cultural training in how to work effectively with people from NESBs Provides care workers with cross-cultural training in
how to work effectively with Indigenous people
Features of the day respite service: Mean scores
As Figure 44 indicates, Coordinators and Managers were most likely to value the day respite service because of its flexibility in adapting to care recipients’ and carers’ needs, its provision of an appropriate service for carers, and its provision of quality care and support for carers and care recipients (all receiving an average rate of 4.7).
Their lowest ratings were assigned to employment of care workers able to meet the needs of people from Indigenous backgrounds (average rating of 3.3) and to provide appropriate training for working with Indigenous people (average rating of 3.4).
Additional comments were able to be provided regarding the ratings applied and any other features of their services beyond those identified. Nine respondents chose to do so, and seven of these provided additional information relating to the provision of services for people from culturally diverse backgrounds, and from Indigenous backgrounds. Two coordinators noted that their service is culturally specific, and does not provide for Indigenous clients.
‘(NB. Cultural qs are not applicable here). The organisation that I am working is Chinese specific and all care workers in the day centre are from Chinese cultural background. We do not provide a service to indigenous people.’
Others noted that most of their clients were not from a CALD or Indigenous background and therefore, they had not focused on this specialisation. However, they were attempting to build their capacity through strategies like linking with service providers with this specialist knowledge, or establishing staff training.
‘The program would employ care workers form indigenous background to meet needs of indigenous care recipients, but currently the program does not have a need for this. At the moment we are working with aboriginal service providers to become more culturally aware and competent.’
‘At this stage most of the clients are Anglo or if CALD speak English. We have had difficulties in the past accessing CALD workers who speak the appropriate language. We have tried to overcome this by developing word books which have basic language to try make the guest feel more comfortable.’
‘We are in the process of developing ties with the ATSI Community - having children from the Aboriginal kindergarten visit and meeting with Aboriginal service providers.’
‘There has been no training in regards to CALD carers or care recipients. This, however, is being addressed.’
The remaining two coordinators commented on staff shortages and their reliance on volunteers.
‘Without the use of Volunteers it would be a struggle to manage the client load on some days.’
‘Staffing levels and use of volunteers ensures we provide a person-centred approach in our service to care recipients. This is also supported with relevant training opportunities.’
One noted that they provide a monthly Carer Support Group as an additional carer service.
‘We have in place a monthly Carer Support Group - this is well supported and received by carers.’