Page 3333 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 22 September 2015
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I understand and respect the desire of ACTAS officers to enable change without delay. That said, the challenges that fall within a 24/7 front-line service delivery organisation also need to be recognised. It is important that we accommodate rotating shifts and acknowledge the absolute dedication of ACTAS officers to the community. It is understood that yes they want change but they will always put our community first.
After the first six months I am pleased to report that ESA and ACTAS are moving ahead with a series of measures to achieve positive change. This includes actions on governance, workforce engagement and communications.
In accordance with recommendation 8 of the blueprint for change, an oversight committee was established to monitor progress and to provide my office with quarterly updates. The committee has met twice, the most recent meeting on 26 August. The oversight committee is headed by an independent chair, Dr David Place, who is the Director, Country Service Delivery, South Australian Ambulance Service. Members also include representatives from the JACS Directorate, the ESA Commissioner, an ACTAS staff representative and a Transport Workers Union representative. At its August meeting, the oversight committee discussed the governance arrangements for the blueprint, including the recognition of working group structures.
I highlight a number of the activities and actions that have occurred as well as ongoing work by ACTAS since I publicly released the blueprint in March this year. Work has commenced on defining with staff the actions that will arise from the recommendations as well as finalising the implementation charter. There have been five independently facilitated workshops held between May and July this year in which over 100 ACTAS staff participated. These workshops were undertaken in an atmosphere of open and frank discussions by all participants. The outcomes of the workshops provide a framework for the ongoing work which now needs to be undertaken by ACTAS.
All ACTAS officers have access through their intranet to the outcomes of these workshops and activities. The ACTAS Chief Officer has put out a communique reminding staff of the opportunities to contribute and has again put on public record his commitment to the blueprint for change.
All of the workshop participants agreed that the next stage of the blueprint for change is the formation of specific working groups that will progress priority areas for work identified by staff. And the key areas identified by the working groups which include staff representations are leadership and values, staff development and welfare, communications and information, and technical challenges. These specific project working groups are now in the process of being established with agreement from the oversight committee.
The working group members will be drawn from all areas of ACTAS to help develop and shape agreed strategies arising from these staff workshops, and expressions of interest for the project working groups were sent out on 2 September. To date over 30 nominations have been received, and 70 per cent are from front-line staff. The groups will engage together as employees, managers and with the directorate to work to identify current processes but more importantly the solutions.
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