Department of Health and Families Central Australia Regional Plan 2010-2012 2012 - 2010 www.healthyterritory.nt.gov.au
Northern Territory Central Region
DARWIN NHULUNBUY
KATHERINE
TENNANT CREEK
Central Australia
ALICE SPRINGS
3 Central Australia Regional Plan
In 2009, former Chief Executive of the Department of Health and Families (DHF), Dr David Ashbridge, launched the Department of Health and Families Corporate Plan 2009–2012. He presented the Corporate Plan to Department staff, key Government and political representatives, associated non-government organisations, Aboriginal Medical Services and peak bodies.
The Central Australia Regional Plan is informed by the Corporate Plan and has brought together program activities that reflect the Department’s services that are provided in the region, and expected outcomes from these activities. Thanks go to the local staff for their input and support in developing this Plan.
4 Central Australia Regional Overview
In the very heart of the nation is the Central Australia Region, covering some 830,000 square kilometres. Encompassing the Simpson and Tanami Deserts and Barkly Tablelands, Central Australia shares borders with South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.
The Central Australia Region has a population of 46,315, of which 44 per cent identify as Indigenous Australians (2007). 1 Approximately 32,600 people live in the three largest centres of Alice Springs (28,000), Tennant Creek (3,000) and Yulara (1,600). The remainder of the population reside in the 45 remote communities and out-stations.
Territory 2030, the Northern Territory Government’s plan for the future, identifies 20 Growth Towns, five of which are in Central Australia – Elliott, Ali Curung, Yuendumu, Ntaria (Hermannsburg) and Papunya.
DHF services in the Central Australia Region
• Alice Springs Hospital – an accredited hospital providing 170 beds for non-specialist medical, diagnosis and treatment facility and maternity services.
• Tennant Creek Hospital – an accredited hospital providing 20 beds for non-specialist medical, diagnosis and treatment facility.
• Twenty eight remote Primary Health Care Centres and two Community Health Centres.
• Health services such as urban community health, aged and disability, mental health, health promotion and nutrition.
• Northern Territory Families and Children, providing child protection and foster care services, education and support for domestic and family violence and family support services.
• Health Protection services including alcohol and other drugs services, disease control and environmental health.
DHF employs 1,674 staff in Central Australia and provides visiting programs and services across the region. Servicing such a large geographical area requires innovation and close working relationships both within the Department and with non-government organisations and Aboriginal Medical Services.
Central Australia is unique in its need for flexible cross-border, or tri-partite service delivery agreements. DHF provides yearly emergency services to more than 4,000 people living adjacent to, but outside of, the Northern Territory, residing in South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.
1 NT Resident Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Indigenous Status and Health Districts (1971-2007). Health Gains Planning DHF based on ABS data.
5 Priority Action Area 1 Promoting and Protecting Good Health and Wellbeing and Preventing Injury
Key focus areas • Focusing on health promotion and minimising unhealthy behaviours and their impacts • Improving health awareness to reduce cost pressures on the health system that are derived from preventable chronic diseases • Assisting in ‘closing the gap’ in health outcomes and life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in the NT
Priorities 2009-2012 How to achieve them Recognising the achievements
Promote good Implement the revised Increased health promotion and services health and Chronic Conditions Prevention and reduced prevalence of chronic ear prevent and and Management Strategy disease such as Chronic Suppurative Otitis manage chronic 2010–2020 including: Media (CSOM) and hearing loss disease • Eat Better, Move More campaign in Central Australian 1 Indigenous communities
• Additional access to Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) and audiology services and case coordination for chronic ear disease
Prevent Conduct No Germs On Me A reduction in gastrointestinal illnesses outbreaks hand washing campaign in among Central Australian children of disease Central Australian remote 2 clinics and schools
Promote safety, Implement the NT Action Plan Suicide prevention strategies incorporated reduce injuries for Suicide Prevention including into work practices in government and NGOs and reduce providing support for non- suicide government organisations (NGOs) to deliver suicide prevention programs in remote communities
3 Implement injury reduction Raised awareness of patient safety practices strategies in Alice Springs and to prevent falls, and reduction in falls injuries Tennant Creek Hospitals including: for ‘at risk’ clients • Human Error and Patient Safety (HEAPS) • Falls Prevention
6 Priorities 2009-2012 How to achieve them Recognising the achievements
Improve men’s Develop local strategies to provide Increase in the number of men participating health and targeted health promotion to in healthy activities and health screenings wellbeing enable men to make good health 4 choices including men’s health stakeholder groups in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek
Build a healthier Develop and implement Health A reduction in staff smoking rates and a workforce Promoting Workforce and Active monthly bulletin on health and physical at Work policies including: activity information emailed to all staff • QUIT courses • Publishing a monthly health 5 promotion newsletter for staff • Supporting annual Healthy Weight Week campaigns
Addressing Encourage and support regional Decrease in NTG vehicle use in Alice climate change activities that contribute to energy Springs CBD impacts on saving and reducing greenhouse health and emissions, including walking and wellbeing 6 cycling around Alice Springs CBD PAA1
7 Priority Action Area 2 Healthy Children and Young People in Safe and Strong Families
Key focus areas • Enhancing the system for integrated maternity, early childhood and school-age health and wellbeing services • Strengthening the Northern Territory’s child protection system • Building family and community strength and resilience • Working together with the non-government sector to support vulnerable families • Preventing and responding to negative influences such as anti-social behaviour, domestic and family violence
Priorities 2009-2012 How to achieve them Recognising the achievements
Provide all NT Develop and implement suitable Decline in proportion of mothers attending no children with a approaches to ante-natal ante-natal care sessions and an increase in good start to life education for families such as the the proportion attending five or more sessions Positive Partnership Program with Central Australian Aboriginal Congress
1 Develop and implement targeted Decline in child mortality and hospitalisation family support programs for rates and a decrease in the proportion of prevention and management of babies with low birth weight Failure to Thrive in infants using a coordinated agency approach
Foster the Implement community and Community education strategy implemented development staff training strategies for and mandatory reporting workshops held of child domestic and family violence friendly and 2 and child safety, including child safe NT mandatory reporting communities
Support young Develop a Leaving Care program Decrease in the number of young people people to become for young people exiting the hospitalised for injuries and youth suicide strong, healthy Alternative Care system to assist rates adults fully them in successfully integrating engaged in back into their communities the social, cultural and economic 3 Promote Aboriginal Community ACWs engaged and receiving ongoing training life of their Workers (ACWs) in communities and mentoring communities to be involved in child protection and family support services by providing education and mentoring to enhance their skills
8 Priorities 2009-2012 How to achieve them Recognising the achievements
Build capacity in Implement the Alice Springs Youth Alice Springs Youth Hub established family support Action Plan strategies including: and a range of intervention programs systems to being provided by government and non- strengthen • Development of the Youth government organisations including four vulnerable Hub facility as a one-stop-shop youth rehabilitation camps in 2010 families whose service for young people and children are at their families risk of, or have 4 come into • Provision of regular youth contact with the rehabilitation camps child protection or youth justice • Family Responsibility systems Agreements negotiated with the Family Support Centre
Reduce the Improve access to services and Families referred to services and support incidence and support for families experiencing services and an increase in the number of impact of domestic and family violence individuals and families accessing services domestic and family 5 violence PAA2
9 Priority Action Area 3 Targeting Smoking, Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Key focus areas
• Developing and delivering targeted health promotion and educational strategies and messages • Assisting in the development and implementation of effective legislation and policy, including having a legislative and clinical responsibility under the Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act, Tobacco Control Act and the Poisons and Dangerous Drugs Act • Offering a range of treatment and rehabilitation services, acute and primary health care and family support and child protection services
Priorities 2009-2012 How to achieve them Recognising the achievements
Develop and Implement the DHF Smoke Free A reduction in the smoking rate for DHF staff implement Policy strategies across all DHF effective facilities and grounds through: legislation and policy in • Accredited and non-accredited the area of 1 training programs substance use and abuse • Brief Interventions
• Education about and access to Nicotine Replacement Therapy
Support Consult with communities Number of Alcohol and VSA plans developed, community developing and reviewing gazetted and reviewed in Central Australian action and Alcohol Management Plans communities education to and Volatile Substance Abuse prevent and (VSA) Management Plans manage substance abuse 2 Promote incentive grants for Reduction in tobacco consumption and tobacco, alcohol and other drugs increased expenditure on grants programs reduction initiatives including the Tobacco Incentive Grants Program
Enhance access Implement evidence-based Increase in number of staff undertaking AOD to alcohol and harm minimisation strategies training, the number of AOD workers in remote other drug and key initiatives from the communities and an increase in the number interventions Chronic Conditions Prevention of brief interventions at ASH and Tennant through and Management Strategy Creek Hospital primary and maternal and child and acute health programs through: health care 3 Families referred to services and support services • Implementation of the Alice services Individual and families accessing Springs Hospital (ASH) services Tobacco and Alcohol Project
• Distribution of alcohol flipcharts to all health centres and training provided on their use
10 Priorities 2009-2012 How to achieve them Recognising the achievements continued • Tobacco cessation training delivered in all hospitals and health centres
Expand and Implement the Alice Springs Expanded community-based alcohol improve Transformation Plan Safe and rehabilitation outreach and aftercare treatment and Sober project to provide services in Alice Springs and a reduction rehabilitation ambulatory intensive structured in alcohol related harm options in the 4 therapeutic interventions followed community by regular aftercare that may be delivered in a variety of settings
Improve care Construct a new Sobering Up New Tennant Creek Sobering Up Shelter for people Shelter in Tennant Creek constructed who are vulnerable and at risk 5 as a result of substance abuse PAA3
11 Priority Action Area 4 Connecting Care
Key focus areas • Working effectively and proactively with partners in the government, non-government and for-profit sectors to build the best possible service system for the Northern Territory • Placing clients and their needs at the centre of service planning and service delivery of family support and child protection services
Priorities 2009-2012 How to achieve them Recognising the achievements
Territory Growth Engage with relevant agencies Service hubs established and operating with Towns and communities regarding the care plans developed in the Shared Electronic development of service hubs Health Record (SEHR) and tele-Health video including: utilised for case conferencing 1 • The Digital Regions roll out • Provision of patient travel options
Increase services Implement the Alice Springs Youth Youth Hub and adolescent secure care facilities and support Action Plan strategies including: established and service programs operational to meet the health and • Development of the Youth Hub wellbeing facility as a one-stop-shop needs of 2 service for young people and adolescents their families
• Development of a secure care facility
Improve service Provide integrated maternity Client-centred maternity services provided delivery models services within the DHF agreed that support model integration of services 3 Develop joint service plans with Tri-State Service Level Agreements negotiated WYN Health, WAHAC and and operating Anyinginyi Congress to meet the needs of tri-state clients
Improve the Implement CanNET project to CanNET Phase 2 implemented with patients continuum expand and enhance cancer receiving appropriate care of care from services including radiation client intake oncology and chemotherapy, to departure and improve the patient journey from the health care system 4 (See over)
12 Priorities 2009-2012 How to achieve them Recognising the achievements continued Utilise eHealth options allowing Increase in digital eHealth case case conferencing by hospital conferences and use of SEHRs and remote providers and Shared Electronic Health Records
(SEHRs)
Establish Plan, develop and establish an Increased number of secure care beds Secure Alice Springs secure care facility available for medium and high risk clients Care for medium and high risk clients facilities 5
Assist the Implement the Indigenous Early Increased family and children’s services existing service Childhood project including in remote communities system for Healthy Kids Under 5 program children and families to 6 become better integrated and linked
Engage Implement the NGO Engagement NGO review undertaken with key community Project including a review of stakeholders consulted and service and relevant NGO partnerships and service agreements negotiated partners in delivery options service 7 planning and delivery
Develop Explore options for a treatment/ Options tabled for consideration appropriate healing facility for child and services to adolescent victims of trauma support young people with complex 8 behavioural health issues PAA4
13 Priority Action Area 5 Safety, Quality and Accountability
Key focus areas • Demonstrating our commitment to achieving culturally secure services through implementing and monitoring effective organisational, system-wide and staff implemented practices • Establishing a Safety and Quality Framework consistent with the national reform agenda, which is based on the imperative to improve care and service delivery and thereby reduce harm. The major tools of safety and quality-driven reform are derived from new understandings of incident analysis, business improvement practice and change management • Developing and employing research, knowledge exchange processes, performance monitoring and reporting to inform and continuously improve both planning and practices
Priorities 2009-2012 How to achieve them Recognising the achievements
Foster cultural Provide interpreters to ensure Improved access to information by Indigenous security Indigenous people receive clients advice and support to make informed decisions
1 Encourage all staff to undertake Increase in the number of staff undertaking Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Cultural Awareness training courses training courses and include cultural awareness as part of local Orientation programs
Facilitate safety Implement the strategies from the All programs have Safety and Quality Plans and quality Safety and Quality Framework developed and implemented including the development of Safety and Quality Plans in each program area under the auspices of the DHF Safety and Quality Committee
2 Implement the 2009 Hospital Hospital Boards are formed and active, with Boards Act by appointing links into the community and monitoring the community members to a new Hospitals’ implementation of contemporary Alice Springs and Tennant health standards Creek Hospital Board to engage in safety and quality standards and practices
Conduct regular reviews of the Regional Counter Disaster Plans and contact Alice Springs, Tennant Creek lists remain current and the Medical, Public and other local area counter Health and Welfare Counter Disaster Groups’ disaster management plans plans align with the NT All Hazards Approach in conjunction with the local counter disaster committees
14 Priorities 2009-2012 How to achieve them Recognising the achievements continued Provide training for all members of the Medical, Public Health and Welfare Counter Disaster Groups to enable ongoing up-skilling of DHF staff in local counter disaster and recovery responses
Conduct research, Develop eLibGuides (online Number of eLibGuides developed and utilised knowledge subject guides) on areas such as by staff exchange and chronic disease, sexual health, performance dietetics, nutrition, maternity and monitoring that child health and explore further leads to best opportunities for guides for health practice promotion and preventative health
3 Establish and participate in the Increase in number of LKLN forums held Living Knowledge Learning for sharing of information and increases in Network (LKLN), for the sharing evidence-based practices for service models of research and information about current practices in order to provide an evidence-base for best practice service delivery by DHF and non-government organisation health providers PAA5
15 Priority Action Area 6 Attract, Develop and Retain a Workforce for the Future
Key focus areas • Optimising service delivery through workforce planning, recruitment and retention strategies to meet identified community needs • Innovating and reforming workforce practice and service delivery models • Implementing our Strategic Workforce Plan and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategic Workforce Plan • Matching the workforce to the needs of the workplace and clients
Priorities 2009-2012 How to achieve them Recognising the achievements
Evidence-based Participate in workforce planning Data being distributed on a regular basis approach to activities and promote an for workforce planning determine evidence-based approach to current and identifying needs, including future the use of workforce modelling workforce 1 systems to forecast future needs workforce requirements across Central Australia
Strengthening Review Orientation to ensure Orientation reflects regional circumstances a capable all staff new to Central Australia and prepares staff appropriately, and an workforce are provided with relevant increase in the number of staff accessing information including: training
• Regional circumstances and assistance available
• Training and eLearning opportunities and how to access
• Career and succession planning
2 Participate in the Flinders Increase in students and professionals University and DHF attending the Rural Clinical School multi-disciplinary training partnership program and the Rural Clinical School
Building a Support Indigenous staff to Increase in the number of participants in sustainable participate in culturally targeted culturally targeted training programs Aboriginal and programs (e.g. Stepping Up Torres Strait and Surviving Bureaucracy) Islander 3 workforce
16 Priorities 2009-2012 How to achieve them Recognising the achievements continued Enhance cross-cultural Increase in the number of staff participating and community knowledge in cross-cultural education programs and implement cultural security policy directions
Engage Indigenous workers Increase in the number of Indigenous staff through cadetships and employed, with mentors, and receiving apprenticeships and provide training support through education, training and mentoring programs
Ability to attract Facilitate the key success Improved recruitment and retention rates and retain staff factors for recruitment across all sectors of the DHF workforce identified by staff including: Improved access to accommodation for • Student vacation employment staff in regional and remote locations
• Mentoring for all trainees 4 and apprentices • Integrated training sessions for Remote Area Nurses and Aboriginal Health Workers
• Training for community- based workers
• Investigate options for accommodation for staff in regional and remote communities
Supportive Recognise staff achievements Protocols for recognition awards and engaging with service pins/certificates established and ceremonies conducted workplace 5 PAA6
17 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILIES Vision-Mission-Values
Our Vision
Healthy Territorians living in Healthy Communities Our Mission
We promote, protect and improve the health and wellbeing of all Territorians in partnership with individuals, families and the community
What we Value
Respect and cooperation We respect the unique qualities of each individual, family and community and actively encourage partnerships and positive engagement to improve the quality of life in our community
Responsibility to society All our actions are underpinned by our commitment to equity and as part of that societal duty, DHF will promote access to our services across all population groups, particularly those with poorer health outcomes who stand to benefit the most
Pride in our work We strive for levels of excellence that meet and exceed community expectations and hold ourselves accountable to the highest professional standards in service delivery and ethical practice
We are here for our clients The needs of our clients are paramount in the planning, administration and delivery of services to ensure that our entrusted resources are directed towards meeting individual and community needs in the most effective and efficient manner
18 www.nt.gov.au/health