Allied Health Assistants: Future Workforce Directions Sharon Downie - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Allied Health Assistants: Future Workforce Directions

Sharon Downie Manager, Allied Health Workforce Department of Health and Human Services November 2019

What do we know about the Victorian AHA Workforce?

• The majority of the AHA workforce hold a Certificate IV qualification
• r equivalent
• Approx. 80% of AHA’s have had a previous profession/career
• Most AHA’s operationally report to & are supervised by Allied Health

professionals (80%)

2014 2018 Workforce No. n=1009 n=1043 (3.4% growth) Gender 88% Female 12% Male 87% Female 13% Male

• Av. Age

49 years 48 years

Current Landscape

• Health, Disability & Aged Care sectors are experiencing

unprecedented challenges and reform agendas:

• Increased demand for health services & associated costs
• Increased healthcare costs & budgetary pressures
• Increased focus on patient experience/outcomes
• NDIS rollout & transition from State-operated disability

services

• Impacts of the Aged Care & Mental Health Royal

Commissions

• Emergence of Digital Health solutions

DHHS Investment in AHA Workforce

• Supervision & Delegation

Framework for Allied Health Assistants in Health (2012)

• Victorian Allied Health Assistant

Workforce Model (2015)

• Supervision & Delegation

Framework for Allied Health Assistants & the Support Workforce in Disability (2018)

• Victorian Allied Health Workforce

Research Project – AHA Report (2018)

Challenges & Opportunities

• Difference in the structure & function
• f AHA roles across health services

& practice settings

• Slow adoption of AHA workforce

models across all sectors

• Concerns that current AHA training

pathways do not provide ‘work ready’ graduates

• Limited opportunities for post-graduate education/training specific

to AHA needs

• Resistance from Allied Health professionals to delegate tasks at full

scope of AHA role

The Workforce of the Future

The AHA Workforce of the Future – 5 Objectives

Embedded across sectors Greater workforce representation Work-ready & flexible skill-sets Viewed as core to the Allied Health Working at full scope of practice

Questions?

alliedhealthworkforce@dhhs.vic.gov.au