You’re a leader and want to know about Governance and Compliance

Your role as CEO or member of the exec team is fundamental to embedding spiritual care into a holistic aged care service. That’s because integrating spirituality into an organisation can provide the framework for values and build a positive organisational culture that benefits, encourages and supports leaders, staff and older people.

How does that link to governance and compliance?

It is a whole of organisation change that will position your organisation to best meet the governance and compliance responsibilities around your acknowledgment of, and services that support, faith/nonfaith/multi-faith; culture; diversity and expressions of identity.
It’s also an incredibly important component in meeting community expectations about the quality of care you provide – beyond facilities and in addition to clinical expertise.
Here are 5 resources and prompts to help you identify what you should focus on in the next 6 to 12 months:

1

National Guidelines for Spiritual Care in Aged Care

Undertake a National Guidelines for Spiritual Care in Aged Care gap analysis to affirm what you are doing well and which areas you need to focus on. This will provide you with a good summary of where you stand in relation to the spiritual care you provide. It will help you identify your next actions – eg Do you need stronger links to community engagement? Do you need to engage with HR to review interview questions to include understanding of empathy and spiritual care?

Tip: We recommend drawing on Meet Akira for a more effective recruitment process.

2

ACQS and the National Guidelines for Spiritual Care in Aged Care

Ensure the ACQS and the National Guidelines for Spiritual Care in Aged Care, and their connection, are well understood by key staff. It’s vital that these staff understand the full ‘what’ and ‘why’ behind both sets of requirements and recommendations. Different levels in the organisation will require tailored information to make clear the benefits and impacts of these – how will you manage this communication and education activity and at what intervals?

Tip: We can help you to streamline this information and consult with you about how to communicate and share within your team and other key staff.

3

ConnecTo & Connect-Explore

Innovate how you use ConnecTo and the Connect-Explore model to create rich reflective experiences for the older people you care for, ensure that care plans include all relevant information, and to bring to life the notion of spiritual care as self care for your staff. ConnecTo can also be part of your admissions process to ensure full multidisciplinary awareness and impact.

Tip: We can provide ConnecTo Train the Trainer programs for nominated staff to establish ConnecTo as the foundation for spiritual care awareness and activities.

4

spiritual care for end of life

Embed understanding and the everyday practices to support spiritual care for end of life for all care staff – not just those specialising in palliative care. A high level of comfort and ‘fluency’ around the topic of death and dying is fast becoming the hallmark of best-in-class aged care. There needs to be a clear organisational strategy for how staff learn more and communicate around death and dying – and handle pressures and obstacles that can come from familial and cultural demands and expectations.

Tip: We can provide education services for staff – from clinical staff to PCWs and lifestyle – in the form of tailored workshops: Death & Dying: How to support the older people you care for.

5

benchmarking survey

Complete the short benchmarking survey to gauge the level of your organisational readiness and capabilities when it comes to spiritual care as compared with your peer providers. We publish to survey participants twice a year where they sit relative to peers.

Tip: Use the survey questions – and the recommended actions that immediately follow the survey – to augment your strategy and reinvigorate both your current evaluation processes and recognition/reward systems.

Is your organisation a member of Meaningful Ageing Australia?

If so, don’t forget to log in through the member portal (and ensure staff know about this website and our newsletter too!)

Not a member and think you might benefit?

You can read about membership and apply here or you can contact our office to discuss your needs and how we can help.