Page 3335 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 22 September 2015
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challenge in delivering its services to the community. The continued strong response performance by ACTAS clearly demonstrates that the community should continue to have full confidence in the capability and the quality of ambulance services that are delivered by front-line personnel on a daily basis.
While it is a strongly performing organisation, the blueprint has identified necessary reforms such as having a strong and unified leadership team, ensuring the executive lead by example, empowering middle management and staff by leading from the front, by motivating a workforce that knows why and sees that we are all in this together, and by establishing an accord that links the workforce with the leadership team and provides stronger engagement with staff through better internal communications so that they will continue to deliver the highest standards of service to the community.
The ESA, as a unified agency, is wholly committed to professionalism as a cultural standard. Responding to and addressing these adaptive challenges in ACTAS will be achieved by implementing this blueprint for change. This is a challenging period requiring difficult conversations as behavioural changes are implemented. ACTAS staff should be confident that their feedback and concerns have been heard, and the blueprint for change seeks to strengthen ACTAS for the future.
The government, ESA and the Chief Officer are committed to implementing the blueprint for change. We have started this reform journey and have a clear framework for its implementation, and the blueprint for change is the vehicle so that workplace concerns are addressed and change can occur.
It has been previously acknowledged in this Assembly how hard working and highly respected our paramedics are, and as a government and a community we have supported our Ambulance Service to expand and improve their capabilities in the past five years, and their performance outcomes stand testament to this service.
I am committed, as are the ESA, ACTAS and the directorate, to drive the necessary organisational reforms and change processes required to address all of the findings and recommendations of the blueprint for change. I am well aware that the majority of ACTAS staff as well as external stakeholders, including unions, have positively participated in the blueprint for change activities so far. And as I visit ACTAS workplaces it is clear that staff are indeed embracing the need for change and working towards the professionalism of our ambulance service.
As I said, I have met with and will continue to meet with ACTAS officers and TWU delegates. And through all of these meetings, we share one key thing, and that is our commitment to community and recognition that change is upon us. For some we are merely debating the timeliness of the change and I am pleased to come back next year and update the Assembly as key milestones are achieved. Let me assure Canberrans that this government is committed to ensuring the necessary reforms are implemented in a timely fashion to ensure that ACTAS and each of our emergency services are high performing organisations that continue to deliver quality services to the community.
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