Making Connections - The Skills Recognition newsletter

Innovative, streamlined, group-based RPL for experienced managers in the mental health sector

The mental health sector will experience a skills shortage during the next five to ten years. Many of today’s managers lack formal qualifications in management. Most have been promoted from within and have learnt on the job.

The community mental health sector has been expanding to meet the needs of the community and government priorities. Given the risks involved in managing services in this sector and the strict legislative and ethical boundaries of the work, managers have significant duty of care responsibilities.

The Mental Health Coordinating Council Skills Recognition Project was designed to address these needs. The project developed an innovative streamlined group-based RPL model for experienced managers in community services that focused on evidence gathering. It involved groups of ten candidates being assessed during a one day workshop using two facilitating assessors.

A Statement of Attainment for five units of competency from the Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management CHC60308 could be achieved and included:

• Manage risk (BSBRSK501A)
• Manage change in a community sector organisation (CHCORG610A)
• Manage OHS processes (HLTOHS500A)
• Manage innovation and continuous improvement (BSBMGT608B)
• Manage diversity (PSPMNGT605B)

Participants in the process were screened to ensure they were experienced community services managers with at least two years’ management experience in:

• developing and implementing risk management plans and strategies
• managing staff
• managing continuous improvement
• managing organisational change
• managing diversity
• OHS management

The workshop required participants to complete a mind map, a diversity audit, an audit report, a continuous improvement register, a project brief including evaluation strategy, and an OHS and risk management register and plan. These were based on the participants’ workplace and work role.

Participants submitted evidence and undertook tasks, and were encouraged to consult and discuss matters with other participants. This modelled good workplace practice and allowed cross-fertilisation and sharing of knowledge and ideas. Many participants felt they had their skills assessed thoroughly and learned different ways of working.

As participants completed the activities they had a final interview with an assessor. Having two assessors allowed completed activities and project plans to be assessed throughout the day giving participants feedback on their progress while addressing gaps in learning. This also allowed these participants to provide additional information and evidence during the workshop. By the completion of each workshop all 52 candidates were able to demonstrate competency against all five units. The 100% completion rate also showed the value and importance of the pre-screening process undertaken by these experienced managers and of the involvement of senior management in their selection for participation in the workshop.

The participant’s activities, reports and plans were based on real workplace situations, and were taken back to the workplace and implemented. The workshop contributed to capacity building and quality enhancement for organisations, thus helping to offset the cost of releasing a manager.

For more information contact:

Simone Montgomery
Manager of Learning and Development Unit
Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC)
Ph (02) 9555 8388
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.mhcc.org.au

Resources

For details of the Workshop Model: See the Candidate Workshop Guide in the Advanced Diploma of Community Services Management CH60402 Skills Express Recognition Project resources.

Candidate Workshop Guide contains:

• Diversity Mind Map
• Workforce and Service User Composition
• Work Practices, Values, Attitudes & Physical Environment Audit
• Diversity Audit Report
• Continuous Improvement Register
• Development of Diversity Strategy Project
• Risk Register (including OHS risks)
• Risk Strategy Plan (including OHS risks)

More resources include:

• Employer Guide (explaining the process and showing how they can support their candidate and promote the uptake of RPL)
• Candidate Information Folder (including information on the qualification, model, process, appeals, examples of forms (e.g. interview questions) and other activities required)
• Workshop session plan and group based model
• Supervisor/Third party report forms
• Assessor Guide (including forms and letters to be distributed by the assessor)
• Assessor Marking Guide (including mapping matrices, sample answers and guidelines)
• Record Book

Access the resources here.