Element 3: Data collection

Collecting the whole set of data will ensure you successfully achieve the aims of the Victorian Assistant Workforce Model (VAWM).

You need to collect quantitative data from both the baseline workforce staffing profile and the quantification survey in order to accurately measure the need for allied health assistants (AHAs) and allied health professionals (AHPs).

Workforce survey

Data collected:

• AHP/AHA job satisfaction
• AHP confidence in AHA performance and AHP supervision
• AHA professional development opportunities
• Potential tasks for delegation to an AHA

Objective of data collection:

• To measure workforce satisfaction and AHP confidence in delegation. This will provide a baseline to measure against, as well as identify priority development areas, such as clinical governance and supervision training, to allow an effective increase in AHA scope of practice.

Data type:

• Qualitative
• Quantitative

Focus groups

Data collected:

• Enablers, barriers, limitations and misconceptions for AHA uptake
• Tasks that could be completed by AHAs

Objective of data collection:

• To identify AHA tasks that are appropriate to the programs, services or disciplines in the project scope
• To identify potential barriers to achieving the VAWM aims. This will enable careful and deliberate use of change management strategies throughout the process

Data type:

• Qualitative

Baseline workforce staffing profile

Data collected:

• Point in time workforce staffing profiles, including FTE and physical numbers. This includes AHA and AHP workforce compositions

Objective of data collection:

• To determine the magnitude of need for AHAs
• To compare staffing structures pre and post implementation of AHA workforce strategic plans

Data type:

• Quantitative

Quantification survey

Data collected:

• Time spent by AHPs on tasks that could be delegated to an AHA

Objective of data collection:

• To determine the magnitude of need for AHAs
• To identify priority areas across the organisation for an adjusted or new AHA workforce according

Data type:

• Quantitative

Data collection tool

You can use the VAWM data collection tool template for data entry and analysis related to the VAWM.

The database stores data from the baseline workforce staffing profile and quantification survey, and you can use it to generate the reports described in Element 4.

Instructions for using the data collection and analysis tool for the Victorian Assistant Workforce Model

Word 4.41 MB

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Victorian Assistant Workforce Model data collection tool

Excel 6.24 MB

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Hints

• Reassure staff participation is confidential.
• Engaging executives in the process of collecting baseline workforce staffing profile data will make the job easier, and also help to ensure that information is communicated to managers.

The workforce survey is a multiple-choice survey that collects:

• organisational demographics
• job satisfaction of allied health assistants (AHA) and allied health practitioners (AHPs) rated on a Likert Scale
• existing AHA and potential AHA tasks provided in free text
• confidence of AHPs in current delegation to AHAs rated on a Likert scale
• data identifying potential barriers (real or perceived) to implementing or redesigning an AHA workforce.

There are two workforce surveys, one for AHPs and one for AHAs. Each survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Workforce survey: allied health assistants

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Workforce survey: allied health practitioners

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You should adapt the survey questions to meet the needs of your organisation, paying particular attention to the demographic questions and answer choices.

Hints

• To maximise collection of unbiased data, schedule the workforce survey before other staff engagement activities.
• We recommend leaving the survey open for two to four weeks.
• Promote the surveys often in the lead up to the open period, and in separate communications to AHAs and AHPs. This can reduce confusion and incorrect data.
• Continue to promote participation in the survey throughout the open period.
• Consult with managers and project champions to ensure reminders are issued to staff in the lead up to, and throughout the survey period.
• Establish a strategy to monitor levels of participation throughout the open period.
• An online survey may be a more efficient data collection method than a paper-based survey.

Activity outputs

• AHA and AHP workforce surveys finalised.
• Workforce surveys scheduled and promoted.

This data will fluctuate in response to staff vacancies, recruitment, and leave, and represents a point in time only.

You will also use it in the analysis of quantification data to determine the percentage of time AHPs spend on AHA tasks. Please note: this data will only be collected once and it will not be continually updated.

Download the VAWM data collection tool template and enter the workforce staffing profile data.

Instructions for using the data collection and analysis tool for the Victorian Assistant Workforce Model

Word 4.41 MB

(opens in a new window)

Victorian Assistant Workforce Model data collection tool

Excel 6.24 MB

(opens in a new window)

Collect the following workforce staffing profile data:

• current budgeted FTE – record full-time equivalents of each AHP and AHA grade against program, team and discipline, providing a total AHP and AHA full-time equivalent for your organisation
• physical numbers of AHP and AHA staff – AHP and AHA staff headcount by program, team and discipline.

You may also collect the following optional baseline data to use as additional before and after measures:

• current vacancies for AHPs and AHAs – vacancies for each program, team and discipline, including the position grade, FTE and total number of weeks each position has remained vacant
• wait lists – recorded by program type, team and discipline with a waitlist description and length of wait (in weeks). Define how your organisation prioritises the current waitlist. This may be different for every service, so your explanation needs to be clear, for example, priority 1 = needs to be seen within two weeks; red = requires immediate response.
• clinical incidents involving AHAs (within the previous six months before commencing), including type of incident (falls related; food, nutrition or diet; pressure ulcer related; or other), level of risk (ISR1, ISR2), number of incidents, and any comments.

Hints

Consult with managers to confirm accuracy of baseline data.

Activity outputs

• Method determined for sourcing baseline workforce staffing profile data.
• Workforce staffing profile data entered into database.

Each of these methods provides rich qualitative data that will:

• inform the development of the quantification survey
• identify the change management processes required to implement the Victorian Assistant Workforce Model (VAWM)
• identify level of engagement of allied health assistants (AHAs) and allied health practitioners (AHPs) in the implementation of the VAWM
• inform the AHA strategic workforce plan and goals.

You should consider the best way to record data at focus groups so that it can be easily analysed (see Element 4).

Element 2 contains information on facilitating focus groups and other staff engagement activities.

Hints

Do not discard any information collected at staff engagement activities just because it does not seem to ‘fit’. Keep a record of all information so it can be included in analysis (Element 4).

Activity outputs

• Determine methods to record data at focus groups and staff engagement activities.
• Collect data at focus groups and staff engagement activities.

The quantification survey asks staff to enter their time under ten practice categories that are common to all allied health disciplines.

There are four steps to the process:

• Review the AHA task list and focus group data to create draft survey forms.
• Meet with managers to ratify tasks in the draft survey forms.
• Finalise the survey forms.
• Conduct data collection.

Task list

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Quantification survey

Word 351 KB

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Hints

• We recommend using a five-day data collection period, but you can consider a ten-day period to optimise quality of data and accommodate part-time staff.
• Schedule the survey around conflicting commitments such as internal quality activities or seminars, public holidays or large amounts of staff leave.
• Staff who work across multiple service areas in one day may find the survey difficult to complete. If this is the case, they may complete the survey using their primary site or service.
• Use managers and project champions to facilitate data collection (delivering and collecting surveys, reminding colleagues to complete survey).
• The method of collecting completed surveys will depend on the number of AHPs, the size of the organisation, and number of sites participating in the survey.

Activity outputs

• Quantification survey finalised and approved by managers.
• Quantification survey scheduled.
• Promotion strategies developed and scheduled.
• Quantification survey information sheet finalised.
• Method of disseminating and collecting completed surveys determined.
• Quantification survey distributed.
• Completed quantification surveys collected.
• Quantification data entered into database.