Latest News
Hello Everyone & Happy New Year for 2012.
This is our first newsletter for the year and we have lots happening, so read on and I hope you see some information that interests you. Last year was a huge year for us. We exceeded our goals for the year and I would like to say a big thank you to all my fabulous staff and the customers that supported us during our first full year of operation. Congratulations to all of our students who have graduated during 2011 are there are many more graduating in early 2012. Well done. I know it’s hard to combine work, learning and families.
Our team continues to grow and I welcome since our last newsletter;
- Rachel Hatch - Resource Officer
- Roslyn Wright - Trainer & Assessor (Aged Care & Community)
- Nicole O'Farrell - Trainer & Assessor (Disability)
- Kirsty Allen - Trainer & Assessor (Aged Care & Community)
- Caroline Hole - Trainer & Assessor (Community Service/Mental Health)
We offer a large selection of training topics and programs to aged and community care and disability services. In fact we can provide most of your training needs. Give us a call and we can fill those gaps on your training calendar for 2012.
Have great year.
Julie Fletcher - Managing Director
Best Practice seminars for the Hunter
EST is running a series of best practices seminars for the Hunter region, our palliative care seminars held late last year were a huge success. A big thank you to Jacqui Culver for an excellent presentation.
These seminars are aimed at assisting local organisations in attending valuable education and professional development opportunities outside of Sydney.
Hot Topics in Infection Control
Presented by Maria Dent - Bug Control (Infection Control Advisory Service)
- Importance of Hand Hygiene
- Risk Management to prevent infection
- Managing an Outbreak of Gastroenteritis
- Managing those superbugs!
Feburary 23rd 2012 - 10am to 2.30pm
Adamstown RSL Club; 282 Brunker Road, ADAMSTOWN
Cost: $100 pp + GST (includes Lunch)
Click Here for Seminar Flyer
For more information or to register call 1300 774 846
Aged Care Industry Forum - Community of Practice
The Community of Practice is targeted at aged and community care managers, human resource or learning and development staff, quality and education coordinators or other strategic personnel who are responsible for workforce learning within the aged and community care sector in the Hunter Region.
First Guest Speaker: “In’s and Outs of Accreditation”
Jillian Kidd –17 years across aged care sector, Graduate qualifications in Gerontology, Adult Education and Quality Improvement. Internal Assessor Accreditation Agency past 3 years. Currently Palliative Care Coordinator For Calvary Aged Care & Retirement Services Hunter- Manning. 
Date: Wednesday 7th March 2012
Time: 10am until 12 noon Morning Tea will be provided
Where: Groves House - 131 Main Road Cardiff Heights
Click Here for the Forum Flyer
For more information or to register call 1300 774 846
ACWVET Skills Sets
We received unexpected news from the Department of Health and Ageing this month to say that we had been selected as a provider of funded skill set training for the Hunter Region as part of their Aged Care Workforce Vocational Education and Training strategy. This is such a great initiative for aged and community care providers in the Hunter. We have received funding for 220 units from the nationally recognised skill sets including;
- medication assistance
- basic foot care
- palliative care
- dementia care
- quality systems
- community sector team leadership
At this stage we are taking EOIs for the allocated funding, please contact us if interested so we can send you a questionnaire about your training needs and how you could apply this funding in your organisation.
For more information or to register call 1300 774 846
Training Calendars
EST has commenced in the provision of providing complete annual training calendars for a major aged care provider and a stand alone aged care provider in the Hunter region.
These calendars have been individually tailored for each organisation as a cost effective option to provide high level training to all staff within each organisation.
Topics include; Infection control/ OHS/ Manual handling/ Bullying and Harassment/ Mandatory reporting/ Customer service/Cleaning/ Laundry & Catering/ Food Safety/ Mental health/ Palliative Care.
Clinical and professional developments days have also been included for Care staff and registered nurses.
Click here for the Training Calendar Flyer & Suggested Topics
Empowering/ Aligning & Improving the Workforce
EST is currently involved with a local Aged Care Facility to commence a pilot project; “Empowering/ Aligning & Improving the Workforce”
This project commences in March 2012 and involves a forum of staff along with management and facilitators from EST reviewing where they are at- what issues they have and where they want to be and then setting agreed strategies/ behaviours/ values/ structures to arrive at the desired destination.
This is an exciting project for all involved and has certainly already ‘ Sparked” lots of energy and motivation from staff who work in the facility.
Evidence will be collected along the way to show where there have been improvements and successes made.
Interestingly enough- As EST was establishing this project with the facility the Department of Health and Ageing and HealthWorkforce Australia both circulated applications for grants looking for submissions from interested parties to submit proposals for “ Aged Care WorkForce Reform”, they are looking for paradigm shifts in thinking about, “ workforce structure and workplace service evidence in place with rigid old workforce structures”. EST at this point has applied for one of the grants and will hopefully be successful at gaining funding to work with aged care providers across the Hunter.
For more information call or email Stephen on 1300 774 846 or stephen@essentialskills.com.au
Graduations
We have had many groups complete their qualifications in the last few months. We would like to congratulate all our students on their efforts and thank them for all their hard work.
We are sure you will be an asset to your organisations and will have very promising careers in the Community Services Industry.
Certificate III in Aged Care Students from Waterview Aged Care
Pre Vocational Training Program
EST embarked on a new recruitment and training strategy for some of our employer partners in October 2011 with outstanding results. The prevocational style of program aimed to recruit and train new workers in the aged care industry by delivering some units of competency from Cert III.
Thanks to Amaroo Aged Care, Bethel Aged Care, Sugarloaf Gardens, Woodlands Lodge and Wescott Presbyterian Aged Care for their time and efforts in providing work experience opportunities for these candidates and participating in the information sessions. Your contributions provided a real insight into the life of an aged care worker and gave a “realness” by sharing experiences!
A high number of candidates secured Certificate III in Aged Care Traineeships at the conclusion of the program, which is a positive outcome. This was celebrated at the graduation event. Thanks also to Steve Madden from Mission Australia who coordinated the traineeships and provided support with the program.
More programs are being planned for 2012.
Graduates from the 2011 Pre-Vocational Program