Why Training Your Staff Is Vital as an NDIS Provider

Asha Neil

Written on 6 December, 2022
staff-training-ndis
Training will empower your team to better support people with disability. But that’s not the only advantage: it will also help you retain staff and run a more profitable business.

A well-trained workforce is essential to running an NDIS business. Keep reading as we explore the advantages of staff development for NDIS providers, along with practical tips that will enable you to identify and conduct valuable training.

5 Reasons Why You Should Train Your Staff

Whether you opt for in-house training or externally run courses, you and your employees will quickly see the benefits.

1. Improved Service Quality

Training will enable your workers to develop important skills and knowledge so they can deliver high-quality, empathetic services for participants. Whether they’re clinical courses or specialist workshops on working with refugees, your staff will as a result be better equipped to provide services.

What’s more, this training will reduce risk by ensuring your team always has the know-how for the job. 

2. Better Compliance

The NDIS Worker Screening is just the first part of compliance with the NDIS Code of Conduct. Providers will find that when their team is also well trained, compliance becomes much easier. 

In addition to skills-based and NDIS-based training, you can provide additional training on your internal systems. This will reduce the likelihood of non-compliance, especially when it comes to progress notes and other record-keeping.

3. Expand Your Range of Supports and Services

The majority of providers have had to turn away participants due to an inability to deliver a requested service. A lack of team members with specialist knowledge or certification can prevent your business from growing. But by providing your team with training on these topics, you can expand the range of supports you deliver and sign on additional clients.

4. Greater Efficiency

Trained employees are able to work more confidently and efficiently. Not only do they need to spend less time double-checking information and processes, but they are less likely to make mistakes. Whether you train them on how to use your system or on providing a specific disability service, it will have a positive impact on your business' use of resources.

5. Increased Staff Satisfaction

Retaining talented staff is key to running an NDIS business. Your experienced team members help keep your business running smoothly and your clients happy. Their institutional knowledge is invaluable.

In contrast, attracting talented support workers is neither easy nor quick. Even though we've written a guide to improving the NDIS support worker recruitment process, we know that hiring staff is almost always an expensive and lengthy process. Plus, NDIS worker screening can significantly delay the time it takes to get a new team member rostered.

Fortunately, relevant training can not only bolster your team's performance but also improve their motivation. By supporting them through professional development, you can demonstrate that you value your employees and recognise the effort and skill they bring to the job.

How to Identify the Professional Development Your Team Needs

The NDIS Commission offers a range of courses that will help your workers meet their obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct. They are an excellent starting point for NDIS providers aiming to provide training.

However, you should look beyond the NDIS Commission if you want to improve your workers' skills with an eye to expanding your supports and services. There are lots of training options that will give you a business advantage.

A simple way for employers to identify relevant training is to ask the workers. Which skills do they feel they lack? Where are they struggling? What professional development would they appreciate?

Another option is an analysis of your business needs and risk. Identify the most common reasons you're turning down requests for supports or services, what's stopping your team from operating more efficiently, and where in your system most issues crop up. This will help you spot opportunities for training and better grow your business.

Implementing Staff Training: Tips for Success

Successful training comes down to good implementation. Consider carefully the type of training you want your team to undertake and if it should be delivered internally or externally.

Evaluate whether you need to update your system to make training easier to track. Your workforce management software should be capable of storing certifications and completion dates. When rostering staff, set it up so that only workers with the relevant certification are considered. It's also worth enabling certification expiry dates and alerts as required.

You may wish to incentivise registration for staff training. By demonstrating that employees' effort is rewarded, you will boost staff morale and become a more attractive employer.

Training should support you and your employees, not make your life harder. Your time is precious, so make sure your systems are doing the heavy lifting for you. 

Tools Designed with NDIS Providers in Mind

As an NDIS provider, you're constantly juggling responsibilities. It can feel like you've got the world on your shoulders.

ShiftCare's NDIS software will help you manage all these tasks. It will simplify many of the admin and compliance items on your to-do list, from matching employees and participants based on workers' skills to providing staff members with on-the-go access to participants' documentation.

What's more, it's a complete solution that comes with a host of workforce management and client communication tools. And, it integrates with your accounting software.

ShiftCare takes care of the administrative tasks, so you can focus on the things that really matter — such as training your staff, providing quality supports, and growing your NDIS business.

Try ShiftCare for free.

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