THURSDAY, 16 APRIL 2020
Professional Development
NEW Chat: Best practice guidelines for tele-services
Learn how you can apply the ESSA Telepractice Policy Statement information in your practice/business. We cover FAQs including legal obligations, client consent, choosing a secure platform and provide guidance around client suitability/exclusion criteria and how you and your client can prepare for tele-services. Listen to the recording here.
ESSA is building research about the effectiveness of exercise service delivery via tele-services delivered by ESSA accredited professionals. We welcome your de-identified client case studies and would appreciate you emailing these to [email protected]
Free Webinars for Disability Providers from National Disability Services (NDS)
The Queensland Office of NDS, the Australian peak body for non-government disability services has put together a national Covid-19 webinar series for disability service providers with assistance from the Queensland Government. To enable captions click on the CC subtitles/closed captions icon in the menu bar.
a. Understanding the risks and early responses to COVID-19 – recorded 24th March 2020
Gordon Duff (General Manager, Sector Development and Research, NDS) leads this webinar with panellists: Professor Nicholas Lennox (University of Queensland), Professor Anne Kavanagh (University of Melbourne) and David Moody (CEO, NDS). Panellists discuss risks to specific groups; outline the response by from Government and what more is required; resources available and the need for additional resourcing and expertise.
b. COVID-19: Disability Workforce Implications – recorded 1 April 2020
Mike Field (National Workforce Manager, NDS) facilitates this webinar dialogue with panellists: Michael Pegg (Industrial Relations Practitioner, Michael Pegg Consulting), Kerry Stubbs (CEO, Northcott) and David Moody (CEO, NDS). Panellists explore industrial relations issues, obligations and advice for the disability services sector, discussed responses from government, highlight resources and available supports, and responded to provider questions.
c. COVID-19: Positive Behaviour Support and Restrictive Practices – recorded 8 April 2020
Dave Relf (National Practice Lead – Zero Tolerance Initiative, NDS) guides a critical discussion with panellists: Professor Keith McVilly (Professor and Clinical Psychologist, University of Melbourne), Dr Jeffrey Chan, (Senior Practitioner, National Quality and Safeguards Commission) and Jennifer Morgan (Group Manager for Quality and Risk at Nextt). This webinar explores the issues providers are facing; emerging issues; and anticipated risks; and explored impacts and solutions during this challenging time.
d. Zero Tolerance Webinar: Discussing Risk and Safety during COVID-19
Date for Online Event Wednesday 6 May, 2020 Time: 10.00am – 12.00pm AEST
This free Zero Tolerance webinar explores the extent and impact of additional risks, and discussing practical solutions you can take to ensure service providers, people with disability and the wider community are as safe and supported as possible in the context of COVID-19. Register here.
Virtual conference on telehealth and virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Australasian Institute of Digital Health (a merger of the Health Informatics Society of Australia and the Australasian College of Health Informatics) is running a virtual conference on telehealth and virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cost: $250.00 Date: 24th April, 2020 Time: 9:00am-4.00pm AEST For more information click here.
Telehealth Resources
Quick Guides for Providers and Consumers
The University of Queensland Centre for Online Health has produced a range of quick guides for telehealth, with practical tips on how to prepare for and get the most out of telehealth consultations.
Guides for providers:
· Quick start to videoconferencing - Tips on optimising video and audio quality and how to set up your video conferencing space.
· Communicating effectively online - Tips on how to make the video conference as close to an in-person encounter as possible.
· Video conference software - Compares three cloud-based video conferencing platforms for telehealth (healthdirect, Coviu and Zoom).
· Purchasing video conferencing devices - Tips on purchasing webcams, headsets and microphone/speakers (speakerphones) for telehealth.
Guides for consumers:
· What is telehealth and is it right for you? - Explains the basics of telehealth and describes how to find telehealth services.
· Attending a video consultation - Explains how you should prepare so you can get the best out of your video consultation. Links to the quick guides can be found here.
Department of Health COVID-19 response update for Allied Health Practitioners Webinar – 16 April 2020
Recording available here in the coming days. ESSA will publish its summary of this meeting in the next Communique and if necessary post any critical information on State Chapter Facebook pages before then.
Sole Trader and Small Business Support Resource
Mental Health First Aid Australia has collated a comprehensive summary of business supports available across Australia and each State and Territory as of 16 April, 2020. Click here to access this document.
Planning Resource for People with a Disability
Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) has been working with the University of Sydney and the Queensland Government on some practical tools and information to help people with a disability think through how to make a plan for their own individual needs and situation during COVID-19.
COVID-19 redeployment programs
Aged Care Assistants
ESSA members may wish to consider working in aged care in temporary Aged Care Assistant support roles providing invaluable help with daily living activities and freeing up existing staff to focus on critical health care.
The new role is clearly defined and will include: Assistance with meal distribution, preparation, and supervision; Assistance with mobilising care recipients, including use of a wheelchair; Assistance with non-intimate hygiene (e.g. brushing teeth and hair, face and hand hygiene); Social assistance and recreational activities; Assistance with bed making and distribution of clean linen; General administrative duties.
The new position will be classified and paid as Aged Care Employee Level 2 under the Aged Care Award 2010 or the equivalent classification under an employer’s enterprise agreement. The program includes a ten hour online training package. Advertisements for the roles will be circulated on national job platforms over the coming days. More information here.