Findings from Ideagen CompliSpace’s recent aged care report highlights the challenge for many aged care providers across Australia, with the workload increasing for many workers since the introduction of COVID-19 regulations (94% experiencing an increase) the 2019 Aged Care Quality Standards (85% experiencing an increase).
Now more than ever, it is important for providers to adopt tools to support workers so they can manage an increasing barrage of paperwork and ongoing compliance obligations.
The Willochra Home – a Residential Aged Care facility in South Australia – explains how their use of Ideagen CompliSpace helps them meet accreditation requirements and stay on top of changes, including the Aged Care Quality Standards, to focus instead on the care they provide to residents.
For HR Officer Stephanie Dunning and Admin Officer Bonny Hill, Ideagen CompliSpace has helped transform their policy management and compliance practices for both the Home and their Board.
“CompliSpace has helped with better reporting for Board and Governance meetings – it really has been a great improvement, especially as we are a small aged care facility and do not have an ample amount of admin staff. It has decreased the workload and stress on our admin team dramatically.”
Prior to Ideagen CompliSpace, the Home was spending hundreds of hours at an admin and Board level updating, researching and approving policies to meet the changing Standards. The Home now has policies approved within days, helping streamline the approval process for both their admin team and the Board.
The Home estimated previously it took 2-3 months each year to review, update and approve policies alone, including gathering information from different peak industry bodies and time and money spent on lawyers.
“We would spend hundreds of hours on policies, which would be sent off to the Board to read through and approve. It was taking up not only our hours, but Board hours to keep policies up to date, not including everything else. Once it took 6 months to receive a policy back. Having CompliSpace I can just send off the updates to the Resident Care Manager to read and approve, and then pass on to the Board, so they are aware of the policy updates. They don’t have to approve the policies anymore because it’s legislated.”
Improving Board Governance
With the support of Ideagen CompliSpace, the Home keeps their Board informed through updated policies and supporting resources.
“I send through everything CompliSpace provides so they have the information they need for their Board meetings to ensure they are compliant with the new legislation for Boards. They are constantly updated on everything to meet their obligations – our Board even sends information to the Board above us, then to the Bishop, so everything goes from us to the top.”
The Home have also used Ideagen CompliSpace to identify gaps, establish systems for continuous improvement, and implement better reporting for Board and governance meetings, along with establishing better education practices.
“At the start we identified we weren’t reporting properly to the Board and there were a lot of things that were missing. It helped us establish a clinical governance board which works alongside our Board, and the Board above them. We can prove what we’re doing, as well as improve. Our Board loves it, and they also provide feedback on audits that can become part of our CI Program. Every part of HR, reporting, auditing, and anything to do with paperwork we’ve improved on in leaps and bounds. And everything is in one place. We can log in to see the status of all forms and registers – I can then say straight to the Board what has been done and show them what we’ve done. Our incident forms, reporting and investigations are now faster and comprehensive, which means we can instantly and accurately report to the Board and management.”
About Ideagen
Ideagen help the quiet voices and safe hands that protect organisations to minimise risk, strengthen compliance and keep people safe. Ideagen CompliSpace is a SaaS enabled solution helping organisations in highly regulated industries meet their governance, risk, compliance, and policy management obligations. This allows our customers to focus on providing the highest quality of service and care for those they serve. Ideagen CompliSpace supports thousands of Aged Care workers every day.
If you would like to learn more about Ideagen CompliSpace for aged care providers, visit https://www.complispace.com.au/agedcare.
2023 Aged Care Workforce Survey
Please have your say – join the hundreds of aged care workers voicing their opinions on the future of aged care. To have a voice, with Government, regulators and influencers, quality data and simple messages are required. Your voice and this workforce survey will deliver this data – with survey sections allowing you to make your own short, free-range contributions. Ideagen’s third annual report will be released in September and will be available to you.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
