Support coordination: Lessons from the trenches – Question 12

Lessons from the trenches - panel members

• Miranda Purchase (MP) – Support Coordinator, MP Coordination
• Veronica Santomingo (VS) – Support Coordinator, Richmond Fellowship Queensland
• Aylin Taylor (AT) – Support Coordinator, Tailored Options
• Sue Grier (SG) – Managing Director, Let’s Connect Support Services
• Elizabeth Hickey (EH) – Support Coordinator, AFA Support Coordination
• Hannah Redford (HR) - Support Coordinator, Tulip Coordination
• Sabine Hazlett (SH) – Support Coordinator, Lifestyle Mentor Services
• Zena Dyson (ZD) – Specialist Support Coordinator/Team Leader, Esteem Care Services
• Sera CrichtonAita (SC) – Support Coordinator, Australian Regional & Remote Community Services

We all know there are issues with recruitment and retention in the disability workforce – and support coordination is not immune to that. What factors do you believe influence the development of a stable support coordination workforce?

MP – Training, professional development, lower KPIs (i.e. providers who are prepared to structure their business so that it is feasible for their workers to remain in the job long term).

VS – A good workplace environment. Being able to debrief with co-workers and bounce ideas.

AT – Ongoing support, training, commitment, communication and passion to help others.

SG – Regular training, staff meetings, and supervision each month. Regular catch ups.

EH – The development of a stable workforce for the disability and the whole caring sector requires recognition that this support is important, can be a career, and will pay a liveable wage.

The way to get a sustainable, stable support coordination workforce in my opinion would be the recognition by both the NIDS and the wider community that support coordinators on the whole save money – either through good use of funds, by helping people to implement supports that can actually make a difference, and potentially though partnership with the NDIA to develop a model where the support coordinators can work directly with planners to actually assist with the planning process as a whole, not just to support the participant.

HR – I believe that there are many factors that influence the development of a stable support coordination workforce and that companies need to ensure that they don’t believe a ‘one size fits all’ approach will work on their support coordinators as much as it doesn’t work on the participants.

Training is often overlooked as a factor because people hire excellent people into the role and expect them to figure it out on their own. It requires not just up-front training but regular training over time to ensure that skills are staying sharp.

Supervision is also important, as the role is quite emotional.

Trust the support coordinator when they say they have enough participants on their caseload. Don’t just focus on the hours or that other support coordinators in your company take on more – not everyone can take on the same caseload.

Ensure that KPIs are realistic and that they are looked at over time, so that if this week I had a skinny week, next week I might have a lot booked in and overdo the KPIs.

Be really upfront with people in interviews about how difficult the role truly is and how much responsibility is put on to a support coordinator. I think that if more people understood what the job entails at the beginning, they wouldn’t sign up for it and this would help reduce turnover.

Pay support coordinators what they are worth. If you as the manager would not do the job of a support coordinator for the money you are offering, you aren’t offering enough for such a complex role. Show that you value the role by paying for it.

SH – Billable hours often mean that support coordinators cannot provide the most needed aspect of their role – connection.

Support coordinators need to have good working relationships with service providers so they can obtain that ‘extra touch’ of care.

ZD – Not sure about this one!

SC – Not thinking that this is a job. This is you supporting those who don’t have a voice