Centacare

Here you will find a snapshot of a number of achievements to our commitments under the Internal Monitoring Processes strategic perspective for the 2010 – 2011 period.

Develop a Clear Compliant Policy Framework

• Audits and Compliancy
  
• Disabilities Audit
  
• External Audits
  
• Mackay FRC Audit
  
• Finance Audit
  
• Internal WHS Audits
  

Delivery of Quality Service

• At a Glance
  
• QMS Continuous Improvement
  
• New ICT Infrastructure
  
• Introduction of the HR3 Electronic Human Resource System
  
• CSNet Expansion
  
• Streamline Project
  

Plan for Future Services

"Develop a clear compliant policy framework to guarantee satisfactory, unqualified audits."

Audits and Compliancy

Being compliant with a number of standards, legislation and statutory guidelines is an imperative for the sustainability of providing a broad range of services to so many clients. During the 2010 - 2011 reporting period the Disability Services and Mackay FRSP Accreditation audits were conducted. In addition Home and Community Care (HACC) and Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs), DOCs, WHS and finance audits were also conducted.
The nine Community Service programs, funded by the Department of Communities, undergo annual reviews and each program successfully passed its audit, with only two requiring any follow up responses. The six auditors who reviewed our programs each made comment about CSNet, the database, and reporting mechanisms that are used, the budgeting systems that have been developed and our HR3 payroll and personnel database, as well as the overall value and effectiveness of our Quality Management System. 

Disabilities Audit

The Disabilities Audit was an unqualified success and resulted in the Recertification of Centacare with Disability Support Services.  The Auditors were able to track the ongoing work and continuous improvement that was carried out by Centacare as we transitioned to a new Quality Management System over the past three years.

External Audits

External audits were planned to be conducted in Blackwater and Rockhampton for the HACC and CACPs Accreditation under the new standards. The new ComCare standards were incorporated into Centacare’s Quality Management System and aged care services from a HACC and CACPS based service were delivered to these standards.

Mackay FRC Audit

The Mackay Family Relationship Centre was audited as part of the final step in having the whole Diocese accredited to provide Family Services programs funded by the Australian government.

Finance Audit

The finance audit was an unqualified audit. The decision to change the current auditors was made in March 2011 and after a short tender period new auditors were selected and approved by the Centacare Council. Preparation was underway for the finance audit to be completed in August 2012 and the audited financial statements are scheduled to be presented to the Centacare Finance Committee in September and Centacare Council in October.

Internal WHS Audits

The mandatory internal WHS site audits were completed and the summary of the findings and recommendations from this audit have been distributed to sites and action plans prepared.

"Implement appropriate information and communication technologies to support the delivery of quality service."

At a Glance

At the beginning of the 2010 – 2011 financial year we welcomed:

• Our new budget – our first complete budget that is based on program based activity.
• The beginning of some new programs in Bundaberg, Rockhampton and Mackay.
• Opportunities for new working partnerships in Emerald and Gladstone.
• Program/Services Manager roles.

And we were looking forward to:

• The introduction of HR3.
• Launching our Indigenous Employment Strategy.
• Working with Brisbane Centacare at Bundaberg.
• Implementing Diocese-wide work practices: in administration, family relationship services, and community care services.

QMS Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement on the quality management system (QMS) resulted in a number of changes.  The transfer of the QMS from the Centacare website to the internal Centacare Public Drive was finalised once staff at all sites had undertaken an induction in using the new QMS.  This achievement resulted in the removal of the previous iteration of the QMS from the Centacare website, bringing closure to this significant change. Another change was the de-commissioning of the “Record Folder”, which did not function as intended and an alternative process for storing confidential records was introduced to replace this process.

The 2010 - 2011 financial year saw the introduction of an email address devoted specifically to the QMS, along with a clear process and timeline for QMS feedback, comments and questions to be actioned.  The new email and follow up procedures has led to a more efficient way to send in QMS feedback to ensure QMS forms, procedures and work instructions as up-to-date as possible.  Feedback submitted was acknowledged within one week and an action initiated within two weeks.

New ICT Infrastructure

The introduction of the new ICT infrastructure in the previous financial year resulted in the development of some new processes enabling staff who work remotely with greater capacity to access the resources they need to do their jobs.  Processes and procedures introduced in 2010 - 2011 include accessing the telephone voicemail system from outside the office; and accessing the network from any thin client on the Centacare system.  A public folder of contacts was added to the Outlook email system, and a work instruction developed for staff to use this resource.

Introduction of the HR3 Electronic Human Resource System

The introduction of HR3, an electronic human resource system was introduced in the first six months of the 2010 - 2011 financial year. The HR3 system was viewed and reviewed by internal leadership team members in March 2009 and had taken some time to be ready for implementation. Whilst the change had no impact on service delivery it assisted in making a number of things easier, for example time sheets, payroll, and personnel record management.

The HR3 Kiosk is the companion software for the HR3Pay payroll system.  The Kiosk is a business tool designed to allow employees access to their own employee information and gives employees the ability to complete and submit leave forms and timesheets online. Implementation of the Kiosk streamlined the payroll process for employees, line managers and payroll staff and has helped provide a more efficient and responsive payroll service.
During the second half of the financial year, the Kiosk was rolled out across Centacare on a site by site basis. Training in use of the system was rolled out to all staff by the end of February 2011. Staff no longer receive paper based timesheets and payslips, and this change has seen significant saving of resources.

CSNet Expansion

The expansion of the reporting system CSNet to include our Family Relationship Services meant that now the majority of Centacare’s program data is stored in a central database. This enables program managers to access any file for their program anywhere within the Diocese.  Prior to introduction of this Diocese-wide system, a large team of staff were involved in testing and providing feedback about the system.
As all sites are now operating under an identical Client Contribution schedule, a client can now move seamlessly from one site to another.

Streamline Project

In September 2010, a number of staff met in order to identify barriers to and benefits of adopting the Streamline Project of the FRCs across the Diocese.  The importance of testing the value of innovation was recognised and Centacare is actively working from a governance perspective on endorsing a variety of communication and other interventions to cultivate change.

The project was guided by the FRS Annual Service Plan, Centacare Strategic Plan, FRS Performance Framework and the Rockhampton Service Delivery Plan. The vision of the Project was to align the two FRC’s (in Rockhampton and Mackay) resulting in improved service delivery and best practice, achieved by optimising the performance of both FRCs. The Project’s centre of attention was thus on productivity and better outcomes. In this vision clients benefited from increasing access to and the timely provision of high quality coordinated services, which was clearly outlined in an effort to promote a user-friendly model.

The Streamline Project was designed to identify, and develop opportunities for peer support and will enhance problem-solving. Staff members were able to share knowledge and expertise as well as training opportunities. Greater flexibility allowed staff members to be utilised between both the FRCs, depending on the needs of clients.

"Plan for future services to match the demand of localised community needs."