Spotlight on MPA

The past three years have imposed a significant and sustained burden on the Australian healthcare sector. Our medical receptionists and administrative staff have been the unsung heroes of this story, as they have diligently responded to constantly changing rules, systems, services, and patient needs.

Investment in staff training could be a great way to reward these unsung heroes and to better prepare your practice for whatever new challenges the future may have planned for us. Medical assisting presents a great career pathway to allow your administrative team to get more actively involved with the clinical and medical operations of your practice.

How do you become a Medical Assistant?

UNE Partnerships is a contemporary Registered Training Organisation specialising in nationally accredited courses and qualifications. We enjoy a close working relationship with AAPM and have a suite of unique qualifications aimed at primary healthcare.

The HLT47715 Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting provides an opportunity for members of your administrative team to work directly with patients and collaborate with clinicians in the provision of services. Medical Assistants work under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner to assist across a broad range of healthcare and administrative functions. For those that want more variety in their daily duties this qualification provides a pathway to a fulfilling career as a healthcare Practitioner.

We will support your team to complete this program over two years through a combination of online learning, clinical face-to-face workshops, webinars, and the application of practical skills in the workplace.

Get in touch with UNE Partnerships today to learn more about how a medical assistant can benefit your team and your practice.

Levelling the playing field for women

Improving pathways for women’s leadership – and participation – in sport is the end game of a unique program just delivered by UNE in collaboration with NSW Rugby League (NSWRL).

The Women in Sport Leadership Program has sought to empower women leaders in rugby league, rugby union, soccer and wheelchair athletics through a series of workshops and individual mentoring. The first cohort of 13 women heard from head NSW Blues State of Origin coach Brad Fittler and Channel Nine sports presenter Emma Lawrence in two of the four face-to-face workshops that complemented 20 weeks of online learning.

As well as learning the practical theories and principles of coaching, participants discovered how to develop their emotional intelligence, communications and media skills as they mapped out personal and professional goals. The emphasis on inspiring and motivating women athletes is certain to have far-reaching benefits.

An era of growing women’s participation in sport

Chief executive officer of UNE Partnerships, Benjamin Gilmore, says the program provided credit pathways to the Certificate IV in Leadership and Management or Diploma of Leadership and Management. It met an important need in an era of growing women’s participation in sport at the grass-roots and elite level.

“The program was designed to strengthen education and career pathways for women in sport leadership roles,” Benjamin says. “Whether this is junior sport in our regions or semi-professional sport, we hope it has helped to build the skills and confidence women need, thereby providing more career opportunities for them.”

NSWRL Female Pathways Manager and NSW Sky Blues Coach Kylie Hilder, herself a course participant, says the program will have direct applications for her as one of just two women coaching elite rugby league. A former touch football and rugby league player, who has represented her state and Australia, she is committed to helping women to rise to the top of their game.

“I work in a very male-dominated environment in rugby league and we need more women coaches at all levels.”

“I work in a very male-dominated environment in rugby league and we need more women coaches at all levels,” she says. “They need the opportunities, but also the tools to gain the confidence to take up those opportunities. Rugby league is evolving – it’s no longer just about the men – and women are highly capable of assuming leadership roles within women’s and men’s teams.

“As a female player, who has mostly had male coaches, I know that women are wired differently – emotionally and mentally. Understanding how the female mind ticks, and being able to communicate effectively with women, is critical to getting the very best out of them as athletes. What we have learnt during this program will be valuable in our professional but also our personal lives.”

The Women in Sport Leadership program builds on UNE’s long-term partnership with NSWRL, which began in 2019 with sports-related teaching and research programs. The focus on women’s leadership represents an exciting opportunity, according to NSWRL Chief Executive David Trodden.

“The Australian sporting sector has the potential to become a leader in gender equity.”

“The Australian sporting sector has the potential to become a leader in gender equity, but to achieve this we need to enhance the recruitment and retention of women leaders, coaches and match officials,” David says. “We hope this program will help enable women to explore greater career opportunities. It not only supports the development of the Women’s Rugby League competition; it promotes the advancement of women into senior coaching and leadership roles in other sports and workplaces, too.”

Shift in thinking

For mother of three Paula (Pauline) Wagner, from Kyogle in northern NSW, the program offered a chance to improve the way she thinks as an individual, coach and community leader. She began coaching her son’s touch football team six years ago and now coaches a female league tag side. But, as a regionally-based league player, she has been frustrated by the lack of pathways for junior and senior competitors.

“Being a part of this leadership program has shifted my thinking, about the kind of leader I want to be and how I handle situations,” says the 2021 NSW Female Community Coach of the Year. “People in regional areas rarely get the chance to have such professional development, and what I have learnt in the past about coaching has almost entirely been from men. It was amazing to learn from other women.

“My goal is to one day coach at the elite level, but for now I want to support my community and women in rural areas, so they get the same opportunities as sportspeople in the cities. Many women would feel more comfortable if they were coached by a woman. If my daughter wants to play sport when she grows up, I want it to be easier than it has been for me for her to follow her dreams.”

Adapting to learning styles and abilities

Advancing women’s leadership also stands to improve equity in sport, according to elite para athlete and athletics coach Julie Charlton. She’s been coaching since the age of 16 and currently works with eight athletes as she completes her Bachelor of Sports Coaching and Management.

“But there are only about 12 para-specific coaches across Australia and few of them are women,” Julie says. “I am passionate about growing my level of emotional intelligence and helping other athletes get through situations that may be hindering their performance. As a coach, you encounter so many different kinds of people, who don’t think the same way and learn and perform the same way. You need to be able to adapt to different styles and ability levels to help them to meet their goals.”

Julie says coaches with a disability don’t readily feel they can take part in leadership coaching of this kind. “It’s an important step in growing the women coaching base across all para sports,” she says. “By doing that, we will encourage more women into a range of sports.”

Given the success of this pilot leadership program, the NSWRL will be offering the program to female coaches from all interested sports across the state in September.

Build a capable and resilient health workforce!

UNE Partnerships is a contemporary Registered Training Organisation specialising in nationally recognised courses and qualifications, with the backing of Australia’s oldest and highest rated regional online university – the University of New England.

We have worked closely with the Australian Association of Practice Management (AAPM) and the health care sector more broadly for more than 30 years, which has culminated in the development of a suite of unique programs in Medical Administration, Medical Assisting and Practice Management.

More recently we have started to deliver traineeship programs to school students to create a skills base for learners to enter the workforce and pursue a career in the health professions. Given the close working relationship we enjoy with our extensive health-based portfolio of clients, we share the pressure arising from the unprecedented amount of change demanded from government and the customer. In order to address these pressures, staff need to be properly trained and equipped to deal with rapid change and this is where UNE Partnerships can assist.

Speak with our partnerships team on how we can assist you in managing change more effectively using the skills and knowledge needed to motivate your team.

We can also offer for a limited time:

• Government funding that reduce course fees*
• Fee-free traineeships for new workers with a 50% wage subsidy paid to employers, as well as other regional financial incentives*
• Customised training that will meet your workplace needs

Example Job Roles: Receptionists, Health Administration, Health Managers, Business Managers and Clerical staff.

• Eligibility criteria apply.

My name is Amber Saltner, I am a proud participant in the first group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and managers, to enrol in the Diploma of Professional Practice Leadership in 2019.

This was possible due to Sandy Robertson from the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) and funding from Health Workforce QLD.

We had to fulfil requirements to prove our determination, suitability and motivation to learn. The study was relevant and challenged us as to why and how we process data and reporting, but there was a big emphasis on planning. We had some great, really informative Face to face lessons from Gary Smith, UNE Partnerships. He was extremely helpful and accommodating to our study needs.

Covid 19, the pandemic was very disruptive to our learning times and UNE Partnerships were very flexible and created webinars and study groups and teams events. It was excellent.

Even having a baby during this study time, I was able to plan and manage my time to complete the qualification, by watching the videos and requesting coaching help.

I enrolled to develop my skill set and apply them in daily operations during work and to assist my community of Cherbourg and surrounds, to better health for the future. This part time, further education study was challenging, I pushed through, adjusted my study plan and was really happy to hand in my last assessment on time.

By completing this qualification, it has given me a more clear understanding of the clinical setting and its operations and all the fundamentals involved, from management of staff to daily operations, this has also given me the confidence to successfully fulfil my duties as a clinic coordinator and further my career in the health sector.

Barbara Meredith Memorial Prize 

The Barbara Meredith memorial prize has been awarded by UNE Partnerships for the past 15 years. The award was established in November 2006 in honour of Professor Geoffrey Meredith’s late wife Barbara. The award was set up to raise the profile of practice management as a career and encourage practice managers to undertake formal study in ‘Practice Management’ qualifications for which Barbara was a strong supporter.

The prize is awarded on Academic merit and requires applicants to demonstrate excellence in their assessment submissions for the certificate and diploma courses in Practice Management.

Applicants are required to prepare and submit a report outlining how the practice management program has produced benefits for their practice. 11 students entered a submission for 2021 with a panel of judges including the Academic Directors of the program Cathy Baynie and Gary Smith awarding the following two prizes.

UNE Partnerships would like to congratulate this year’s Barbara Meredith Memorial prize winner – Elizabeth Akhiwu, Diploma of Professional Practice Leadership and runner up – Jillian Winfield, Certificate IV in Business for Practice Managers.

UNE Partnership and Ability First Australia to co-design and deliver Frontline Leadership Diploma!

UNE Partnerships has entered into a contract with Ability First Australia to co-design, develop and deliver a Frontline Leadership Diploma. Ability First Australia is one of the largest not-for-profit strategic alliances comprising 14 of Australia’s leading disability service providers. The organisation represents the interests of around $1 billion worth of support services to over 92,000 people with disability, their families, and carers.

The need for a Front-line Leadership Diploma stems from the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme which has brought significant change to providers, workers and participants in the disability sector. As part of these changes, the roles and responsibilities for the Frontline Leader and many other positions in provider organisations have changed considerably.

To address this industry training need, Ability First Australia received funding under the Australian Government’s Jobs and Market Fund and chose UNE Partnerships to undertake the co-design, development, accreditation with ASQA, and delivery of the pilot. When completed, the qualification will be owned by the Commonwealth and made available to all Registered Training Organisations once the pilot trials have been concluded.