Key messages
- Supported Residential Service (SRS) proprietors must ensure that they have appropriately trained staff, relevant to the SRS' resident's needs
- Personal support coordinators (PSC) must complete a minimum of 40-hours training every three years in priority training areas
- We fund Aged and Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) to provide free, specialised training courses and workshops for SRS staff and proprietors.
Funded training
We fund ACCPA to offer free, specialised training workshops for SRS staff and proprietors. The training provides the skills and knowledge to improve the safety and quality of services for residents.
For details on current courses and to register for training, visit ACCPA.
Personal support coordinator training
A PSC is responsible for coordinating and maintaining personal support provided to residents on behalf of or with the SRS proprietor.
Proprietors must ensure that PSC undertake a minimum of 40 hours of training every three years in approved priority areas.
You can find out more about this requirement in section 7 of Operating a supported residential service: A guide for proprietors.
Approved priority training areas
There are five priority training areas for 2022 to 2025. Each priority area has a list of suggested topics. We may add priority training areas in response to identified training needs in the sector.
Supporting resident health:
- mental health
- recognising and reporting changes in residents’ health status
- public health and hygiene, including infection prevention and control
- medication storage and management
- supporting residents with complex care needs
- first aid and CPR
- proactive health and wellbeing, including nutrition and exercise.
Responding to challenging behaviours:
- alcohol and other drugs
- aggression
- recognise and respond appropriately to family violence, including financial abuse, violence and threatening or controlling behaviour.
Facilitating access to health and support services:
- interacting with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Quality and Safeguards Commission and the National Disability Insurance Agency
- support planning and ongoing support of residents.
Preparing for and responding to incidents:
- emergency planning and response
- responding to allegations of sexual assault
- responding to and handling complaints
- record keeping and reporting.
Supporting resident choice and independence:
- communication skills
- supported decision making
- resident participation and engagement strategies.
We identify priority training areas by analysing:
- compliance data
- complaints
- incident records
- issues identified through the Community Visitors Program.
Mental health training
Proprietors and all pension-level SRS staff must undertake mental health training.
Proprietors are responsible for ensuring staff have had sufficient mental health training to meet the mental health training requirement. Many training providers provide quality free or low-cost training. The department or a registered training provider may provide training.
The training should enable staff to:
- understand mental illness
- recognise serious threats
- interpret threats
- take appropriate action.