The Ambulance Service NSW - Report Example

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this report was to analyze the results of a survey carried out at Ambulance Service NSW. The findings will show whether the Ambulance Management Qualification (AMQ) carried out is effective or not following its introduction in the company. INTRODUCTION a) Purpose The purpose of this report was to analyze the issues raised in case studies focusing on the best possible way to improve the performance of the ambulance services staff. It also seeks at accessing the development needs of the Ambulance service staff. This is due to the significant progress made by the top and frontline managers in operational and clinical excellence. b) Scope Some of the methods put in place to see this through are the launching of a major training and development initiative in an effort to boost a variety of people and leadership skills. c) Method According to Tricia Mawson, a senior Learning development Facilitator at Ambulance service NSW, a new approach needed to be developed so as to introduce the best practice in people management and thereby build a performance oriented culture. In a bid to strengthen its management processes, Ambulance Service NSW launched its Ambulance Management Qualification (AMQ) in 2008, in conjunction with industry leader in management training, the Australian Institute of Management (Botica, 2005). The AMQ developed is a cultural change program on management which is designed to build a performance culture outlined by the visions and values of the Ambulance Service NSW according to what Mawson says. She continues that it provides a support framework where the managers are trained, guided, coached and mentored in best practice approaches to managing and leading staff in a clinical operational environment. Aims and objectives of the methods to be adopted The AMQ aims at building skills and expertise of the top management in team building, conflict resolution and performance management. This is directly assessed through clearly articulated organizational values. d) Limitations Some of the limitations in the performance of the ambulance staff included Changing needs of the community due to the ageing population Increased incidences of chronic illnesses in the society. e) Background Ambulance Service NSW is one of the largest ambulance services in the world. It employs more than 4000 people in over 300 locations and has a fleet of 1500 ambulances to cover almost 801600 km2 of area. Ninety percent of its workforce is operational staff involved in the frontline delivery of care (Giuliani and Kurson, 2002). More than seven million people depend on them to provide high quality clinical care and health transport. Due to variations in the levels of demand, the number of emergency calls has increased. The ambulance company seeks at the delivery of high quality and cost effective emergency patient care to the community. DISCUSSION The development needs of the ambulance staff needs to be assessed. The skills, attitudes and knowledge required to develop successful projects will facilitate the achievement of the organizational goals. Development needs of staff can be identified in a number of ways. Some of them include; Discussions between the managers and the employees on a predetermined time period e.g. annually or semi annually Examination of the findings of various departments on the needs of the employees Observations and requests of the heads of departments Actions arising from opinion surveys carried out on the employees and their results e.g. questionnaires (Dorgam, 2011) Evaluation of feedback from the current projects. One of the most effective intervention strategies is training. Training must be advocated for so as to see to it that the staff is at a level in which achievement of results will be easy. For training to be effective, certain conditions must be met. They include; i. Buy-in from the top One of the most crucial things for training to be effective is the commitment from the top management. Through this, training must be incorporated in the business plan and in the development goals of the organization. The leaders and the top level management must have in them a culture that shows their commitment to the development of training practices (Jones, 2010). The management must emphasize the importance and the relationship between training, acquiring new skills, career development and the formal appraisal. ii. Alignment with organizational goals The training must well fit with the strategic plan of the company. The training should help the employees develop both their technical mastery as well as interpersonal skills such as effective communication, dispute resolution, quality management and team building. It will be more effective if it is shown as part of the programs set to be achieved and undertaken by the company. iii. Need analysis Proper training should be one that is done after the analysis of the strengths and the weak point of an employee. Through this the weak areas are strengthened and the strong areas lifted even to higher levels. As a result, goal achievement of the firm becomes attainable. Job performance of the employees is also better and more effective. iv. Delivery options The delivery of training should be well administered. It should be held at locations that motivate the employees rather than those that those that demoralize them. The trainers should also be well versed with the content. This is in a bid to reduce cases of misleading of the employees by the trainers (Zachary, 2012). v. Effective follow up procedures After the completion of the training, an opportunity for application of the skills learnt must be provided. This is due to the fact that people cannot successfully learn the skills without practicing on the job. You should also see to it that only relevant content is provided during the training sessions. An effective follow up gives opportunity to the management to underscore their commitment and to identify the future staff training needs of the organization. Smart training objectives are advocated for while undertaking any training. Smart refers to objectives which are; a. Specific- the objectives should explain a number of individual tasks to be undertaken. Each trainee should know the exact content he is supposed to have learnt by the end of the training session b. Measurable- this states that one should be able to determine the number of tasks completed or in line by checking on the target sheet or completion role. c. Achievable- this states that the resources available for the project have a time frame provided that in a normal situation can be achieved. d. Realistic- the training objectives outlined should be set at a level and be relevant to the individual McDonald, 2010). e. Time-bound- effective targets are those with a time duration attached to them. Completion should be possible and hence give a chance for the reviewing of the tasks done. So as to see to it the effectiveness of the training, a training cycle must be established. It comprises of three key stages namely Identification of the need Delivery of the training Evaluation of the training Another intervention strategy is the application of work based assessments. This helps in early identification of the employee’s difficulties in a task. It is made more useful by the use of a multi-source feedback process. This assists in determination of underperformance by the employee. Personal development plans is another intervention strategy. If it is used effectively can help the staff to recognize the gaps present in their experience, skills and knowledge and hence be used to set goals for their future development. The educational supervisor can assist the trainee in difficulty to identify the underdeveloped areas in their learning portfolio while encouraging the trainee to take the lead in this process (Mohammed, 2007). Facilitating ‘developmental conversations’ which highlight the possibilities for further personal growth and understanding through a consideration of new ideas and ways of addressing areas of difficulty are vital. Another key area of focus is the advocacy of team building practices and sessions. Team building is a philosophy of job design in which employees are viewed as members of interdependent teams instead of as individual workers. It refers to a wide range of activities presented to businesses and organizations designed for team performance. Team building is pursued via a variety of practices, and can range from simple bonding exercises to complex simulations and multi-day team building retreats designed to develop a team. It focuses on creating a good relationship between the team members. Conflict resolution refers to the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of conflict and disputes. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest of the group Intrapersonal skills refer to the ability to properly interact with others. In the work environment it is a requisite skill as it enables one to have the job done in unison with co-workers. Interpersonal skills may include communication, listening skills and attitude skills. Customer service refers to the provision of services to customers before, during and after a purchase (Khan, 2014). Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation and desire. Leadership skills refer to skills possessed by individuals which enables them to control, lead, direct and advice the others. A good leader should possess traits such as effective problem solving, time management and self motivation. He should also possess characters such as vision, power, values, charisma, intelligence and support. To determine if the learning strategies put in place was fruit bearing, some factors can be put in place to determine this. They include 1. Analysis of staff performance The management can thoroughly go through and scrutinize the performance of the employees. This can be done in a number of ways which include; Checking on employee speeds in the completion of certain tasks. The speeds can be compared with those the employees used in earlier periods before the implementation of different interventions. If the speeds are slower, then the interventions are not as effective as were set to be. If the speeds are higher than those of the previous sessions, then the intervention strategies can be assumed to be effective. 2. Analysis of end result and output The management can check on the condition of the final service provided by the employees. This includes the quality of service. Presence of better quality services is a sign of effectiveness of the intervention strategies. It the service is of an inferior quality, the management can come to a conclusion that the intervention strategies were not effective. An analysis can also be undertaken on the number of individuals catered for by a single employee. If a higher number of clients have been served by one ambulance staff member compared to the number of clients served previously by one staff member, then a conclusion can be made that the intervention strategy bore fruit. If a lesser number of patients in served by one ambulance staff compared to the previous numbers served, then, the management can come to a conclusion that the intervention strategies were not effective. FINDINGS According to the results of the survey, 84% of the participants in the study stated that AMQ had reaffirmed their responsibility to monitor the well being of their staff. 79% of the respondents to the survey also said that after participating in the study, their knowledge on how to manage workplace concerns and grievances had improved (Kelvin, 2009). Similarly, in the staff survey, 61% of the staff with a manager participating in the AMQ believed that their manager had been able to support them more effectively compared to previous times. Additionally, more than half of the staff surveyed stated clearly that since participating in the AMQ, their managers are more proactive in the promotion of workplace culture CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS According to the study and the findings of the survey, much result had been obtained after the AMQ. This clearly shows that its application in the Ambulance Service is more effective. It should hence be advocated for and its implementation continued without ceasing. A policy which advocates for employee motivation is well applicable and hence very profitable in the business environment. REFERENCES Botica, K&, Telecom Corporation of New Zealand 2005, Staff training, Auckland, N.Z: Taste Hospitality Ltd. Giuliani, R &, Kurson, K2002, Leadership. New York: Hyperion. Dorgam, M2011, Strategic planning and allocation, International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, Vol. 52, no.3, pp.28-36. Jones, B2010, Organisation development and change, London, Rutledge. Zachary, J2012, Facilitating effective learning relationships, New York, John Willey & Sons. McDonald, S2010, Advances in developing human resources, New York, Sage. Latham, P2008, Human resources training and development, Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 39, pp. 545-582. Mohammed, H2007, Human resources development: A strategic approach, Oxford, Oxford University Press. Khan, D2014, HR as a strategic partner: A critical review, International Journal of Human Resources Studies, vol.4, no.1, pp. 1-8. Kelvin, M2009, Human Resources and Leadership Development, London, Rutledge. Read More