Jeff Gilling, Head of Community Partnerships

A technology innovation for the workforce challenges in the aged care and disability support sectors

CDC Policy Forum, Brisbane, 30 November, 2016

CDC and the NDIS is a fundamental shift

Old model – Providers in control

COMPETE FOR FUNDING

PASSIVE

RECIPIENTS

New model – Consumers in control

Aged care and disability support: undergoing rapid and fundamental change

• Changing attitudes, behaviour and expectations – for both consumers and workers

• People want to have choice and control over their care and their life – to age actively and well

• Regulatory and funding changes are creating a consumer-led market, “the market of one”

• Presents multiple challenges … and opportunities

• Technology and workforce innovation is a necessary response

Increasingly, consumers will choose individual care and support workers, as much as they choose a provider

Consumers will choose solutions based on:

• Individual Preferences

• Brand Experience

• Quality (Consumer’s Perception)

• Value (Quality v Cost)

• Real Choice

Real Choice has to be:

Consumer ExpectationsRecognise consumers have diverse needs, preferences, abilities and interests.

“market of one”

ChoiceWe like having choices because it makes us feel in control.

Choice is valued in and of itself

To take advantage of this new world consumers need:

• Transparent information, independent advice and advocacy;

• Enabling technology solutions that empower and connect, are transparent and efficient, make choice simple and convenient;

• Access to a diverse, flexible, responsive workforce that is local, motivated, skilled, and affordable

Quality

POSITIVE APPROACH TO

RISKEASY TO

IMPLEMENTDIVERSEINFORMEDPERSON-CENTRED

“

• It is quality of life for consumers that is important

• Quality of services and cost of services impact quality of life

• Quality as judged by the consumer – this is a shift from the old model where quality was regulated

• Attitudes, motivations and values of workers are just as important as skills and knowledge

NDIS Presentation - 22 August 2014Workforce Impacts of NDIS

“ No one is buying your traditional workers any more” - Manager, medium sized service

“I interview more people now. I don’t reject people if they don’t have qualification or experience. I look for different things”- Service Coordinator, Mental Health Service, Hunter

The changing nature of work … the rise of independent sole traders

Self-employment is becoming an aspirational goal.

Reasons for self-employment

• Fulfilment

• Flexibility

• Income prospects

• Security

“Part-time is the new full-time”The big Idea, SMH Alexandra CainNov 25 2015

“Many of the people I know who run small or microbusinesses choose not to work full-time. This might be

“

because they are running the family home as well, or simply because they can earn as much as they need without filling all their time with work”

“the trend for part-time work underscores an important turning point in our society. You can achieve satisfaction in your job – as a small business or working for someone else – without running yourself into the ground”

Independent contractors: “the business of one”

They operate by being entirely adaptable to their client’s needs. They are, and have to be personally and individually at one with the market.

Ken PhillipsExecutive Director Independent Contractors of Australia (ICA)

What does the future look like?

Unbundling of offerings

What is Better Caring?

An online platform that connects consumers with local, independent care and support workers, and nurses.

Consumers have diverse choice and control over who supports them, while care and support workers also have choice, and feel more valued and fairly compensated.

Better Caring:

Acommunity of independent care and support workers offering services directly to their clients

A diverse, responsive, flexible, motivated, skilled, local, and affordable workforce solution responsive to individual choice

More than 800 approved and visible care and support workers on the platform

Fund holder

Admin

Care coordination

Case management / client advice

Service delivery

Full service, bundled offering

EXPECT

Specialisation – based on core competency

New entrants

Collaboration to improve choice and outcomes

Better Caring is a peer to peer marketplace connecting consumers and care workers and providers

With

Core standards Policies and procedures Oversight Real Choice Transparent feedback

MARKET PLACECARE WORKERS

BETTER CARING

SUPPORT

CONSUMERS

INDUSTRY

PARTNER

Buildawareness

community and capacity

Build awareness, community and capacity

Peer to peer (P2P) market places are community driven and are built on:

• Trust - Individuals earning and maintaining the trust of the community via transparent feedback

• Convenience –people can simply and easily find what they are looking for and simply exercise choice

• Community – people gathering around the market place to meet, connect, build relationships and provide transparent feedback.

P2P market places empower and are led by their stakeholders

Core standards, access to training and competency assessment remain important:

• Police checks, key qualification checks, reference checks, insurances are minimum core standards and safeguards

• Independent care workers are motivated to invest in training to build their knowledge and skills so they can better deliver to their clients. Many will develop areas of speciality

• New models of training and competency assessments will emerge

• Workers have “living, breathing” profiles on Better Caring reflecting who they are, skills and qualifications, experience and transparent client feedback

Collaboration: the ability to respond to consumers based on their preferences

No one model suits everyone

Service ProviderAdmin

Service Providers

Service ProviderAdministrationCase MngmtCoordination

Desire to take part control, but prefers/needs a level of hand holding

Prefer a “one- stop-shop” solution

Desire and capability to take control

““

Observations

• Growing demand ensures there is plenty of work for good care workers. It is how services are delivered and the type of services that will change

• Organisations will face pressure to reduce costs/overheads – but front line staff will earn more

• Better Caring is as much about choice and better outcomes for workers as it is about choice and better outcomes for consumers

• Reduced overheads can be shared by the consumer and worker. Greater efficiency = more hours of services = more local jobs

• Quality is at the heart of the Better Caring model

• May not be the right model for every consumer or every worker

• The most vulnerable require additional safety net, but building the whole system around the most vulnerable raises costs and reduces choice for everyone

The best benefit of using Better Caring was having a really personalised service, one that was flexible enough to adapt to the circumstance. That was able to offer above and beyond our expectations. Absolutely above and beyond. It’s become a new life for my father. His life is improving. It’s marvellous

Carol

I decided to join Better Caring as I needed to get back into the workforce. What I was hoping would happen is exactly what’s happened. I’ve got regular work, I have clients that I love and they love me. The best thing about the Better Caring platform is that clients have chosen me.

Lisa

Jeff GillingHead of Community Partnerships

jeff@bettercaring.com.au

M. 0432 011 600

@jeffgilling