Aged Care Pathways Program
How does it work?
A Disability Employment Service (DES) provider will recruit the participants living with disability for the program. Participants will complete four training modules through Registered Training Organisation EQUALS International. They will also have two immersion visits at an Aged Care facility to see the various job roles within the workplace. From these immersion visits the participants will identify which area(s) they are most interested in for their work experience. Purple Orange will match up a workplace and participant for work experience based on what job areas the organisation support for the work experience.
There will be a workshop for participants and staff from the aged care organisation to attend prior to starting the work experience placement to learn about disability inclusion and learnings from the traineeship program.
Participants will complete 16 hours of work experience. This will be 4 hours a day for 4 days for most participants, with the days being over 1 or 2 weeks.
What are the benefits for my organisation?
Embracing disability employment extends your recruitment pool and can mean, attracting loyal, long-term employees. Our participants bring a different perspective to the workplace. Living with disability themselves, they bring empathy and offer a high level of care to clients. When the participant and the team is supported, the impact and rewards on the culture of the team can be significant. Refer to Supervisor’s Story and Executive Endorsement videos.
Benefits include:
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Tap into new recruitment pool with potential to gain loyal long term employees and benefits to team culture from increased diversity
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Low risk opportunity to build confidence in disability employment and connect with potential employees before hiring
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High level support for participants and employers via EQUALS, Disability Employment Services (DES), and Purple Orange with a long term view to achieving outcomes
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Mentoring program for supervisors and mentors with disability inclusion training and 1:1 coaching to support successful outcomes.
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Build on the experiences of the aged care traineeship program
What Aged Care Organisations can participate?
Aged care providers based in Adelaide are encouraged to join our R2E Community of Practice (CoP) to learn from their peers about the options for disability employment or to engage in the 2023 Aged Care Pathways program. The group meet monthly, online. Interstate or regional providers are welcome to join our Community of Practice, however, currently, the 2023 program is limited to participants who can attend classes in the CBD.
EQUALS Training Program
The training program is a broad introductory course that equips participants with useful foundation skills for working in residential aged and/or community care.
The skills and knowledge taught will transfer to a number of potential job pathways, in individual support, service assistance, maintenance and cleaning, food service and kitchen preparations. As well as including soft skills, and inclusion training communicating in the workplace via a workshop.
The four training modules participants will complete will be:
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CHCCOM005 Communicate and work in health or community services
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CHCCCS012 Prepare and maintain beds
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HLTWHS001 Participate in workplace health and safety
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HLTINF001 Comply with infection prevention and control policies and procedures
When is the program starting?
Training at EQUALS International for the participants will begin in May 2023, including immersion visits.
The workshop for participants and one staff from the aged care organisation will be at the end of May or early June 2023.
Work experience will begin at the beginning of June 2023, after the workshop.
Is there a cost to be involved?
There is no cost to the Aged Care Organisation to be part of the program.
How do we register to be involved?
Registrations for organisations to be part of the program are now open. Please contact Ewa Lamont at EwaL@purpleorange.org.au or phone 8373 8388 by Thursday 20 April 2023.