online webinar

The OPQ: A New App to Assess the Quality of Staff Support

The ‘Observing Practice Quality Tool’ (OPQ) provides a way for leaders to measure, evaluate and offer feedback on the supports provided by Disability Support Workers. This short and sharp webinar will guide you through the new app.

Registration

Flexible rescheduling

Change up to 4 hours before.

Why take this course?

Good staff support is critical for people with intellectual disabilities to experience good quality of life. But how do you ensure staff are providing good support? 

Observation is one of the most effective ways of knowing how well staff provide support: their strengths and areas to improve. Observation can also be the basis for feedback to staff that helps them to improve. But what should you look for and how do you evaluate the quality of support?  

La Trobe's Living with a Disability Research Centre has developed the Observing Practice Quality tool (OPQ), an easy to use app designed to assess the quality of support provided by staff to individuals with intellectual disabilities. The app guides the user in what to observe and how to evaluate the quality of staff support. 

What you’ll gain

In 1 hour, we’ll dive into:

  • What is the Observing Practice Quality (OPQ) tool?

  • The 11 main items to support observations 

  • Why is the OPQ tool important? And how does it promote and track quality supports?

  • How to access the OPQ training

Who’s it for?

  • Frontline Managers

  • Practice Coaches

  • Quality and Safeguarding Teams

  • Service Auditors

  • Community Visitors


What’s included?

  • 1 hour virtual webinar via Zoom 

  • Links to the online Observing Practice Quality training

  • Certificate of completion

Sessions

😍
Free for DSC On-Demand Learning members

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Your timezone

$35.00

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FAQ

Facilitators

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Natarsha Warren

Natarsha has clocked 20 years in the Disability sector and loves the wonderful people that cross her path. She is passionate about simplifying and streamlining practices in the workplace. As someone who thrives on creatively thinking outside the box coupled with a love to challenge people to do the same she's found a good fit at DSC. Starting out in accommodation while studying a Bachelor of Education and Music at uni she moved into Day Programs where she launched a music program and after various roles in management is currently also General Manager of Day Services at Bayley House. On the other side of Covid, Natarsha (a Melbournian) looks forward to getting back to her favourite things – travel and trying new restaurants.

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Professor Christine Bigby

Professor Christine Bigby is Director of the Living with Disability Research Centre at La Trobe University. She has a long track record of working in partnership with disability support and advocacy organisations investigating the effectiveness of programs and practice to support the social inclusion of adults and older people with intellectual disabilities. She has led a team studying the practice of supported decision making since 2015 and a longitudinal study of the quality of support in group homes since 2009. She has won the Research award of the Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability four times since 1993. 

Professor Bigby was a member of the College of Experts of the Australian Research Council from 2019- 2023 and has published 10 books, 51 book chapters, 189 journal articles and numerous research reports. She is the founding editor of the Research and Practice in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and currently serves as president of the Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability.