For allied health staff — Waikato

Allied health have linked with the nursing staff to join the academic writing workshops.

These workshops are aimed at staff members who are taking part in post graduate study.

The session looks at how to break down questions and the library session looks at referencing and literature searches.

All allied health staff members completing postgraduate study are encouraged to attend.

All allied health therapy assistants are encouraged to attend study days.

Assistant positions include:

• physiotherapy
• occupational therapy
• speech-language therapy
• audiology
• dietetic assistants.

There are 2 study days a year aimed at building relationships between therapy assistants, sharing knowledge and celebrating the good work that the assistants complete.

Experienced staff members are encouraged to attend CASP/merit training.

This training focusses on how to write objectives and reassures staff members of the CASP/merit process as detailed in the MECA.

A separate session is delivered for allied health therapy assistants.

A group of experienced staff have developed a programme of manual handling training sessions.

These sessions incorporate different levels of training depending on the need of the staff member — from basic Level 1 training including LITE principles to more comprehensive Level 3 training including complex manual handling equipment.

All new graduates within allied health are invited to complete this 12-month new graduate development programme within their first year at Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Waikato.

This is a structured programme for 12 months aimed at learning and developing core organisational knowledge and expectations for new graduate allied health professionals within their first year of practice.

This encourages multidisciplinary engagement and awareness of roles between allied health professionals from the beginning of a new graduate's career.

Upon successful completion, a badge and certificate are presented at a graduation ceremony.

This programme also gives opportunity for experienced professionals to engage in presentations and structured discussions with the new graduates.

All allied health therapy assistants are given the opportunity to complete the New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing.

Assistant positions include:

• physiotherapy
• occupational therapy
• speech language therapy
• audiology
• dietetic assistants.

This is a nationally recognised qualification by Careerforce.

The certificate includes core units such as professional and ethical behaviour, and allied health specific units such as the use of therapeutic programmes and the use of therapeutic equipment.

Allied health staff members are encouraged to use a number of free paper opportunities.

Currently there are free papers offered for:

• physiotherapy and occupational therapy at AUT
• any allied health staff member at Wintec.

There is an application process — demonstration of supervision of students and a career and development plan is required. Please contact your manager to discuss details.

Training is available for staff members who are new to professional supervision.

An online component is completed before the face to face session to give a background of supervision.

The face to face training is run by experienced staff members and builds on the learning completed in the online course.

Allied health link with Wintec to provide professional supervision training for staff members who are new to providing supervision.

A catch-up session is also completed later in the year after staff members have had the opportunity to try out their supervision skills.

Allied health staff are encouraged to provide inter-professional supervision where appropriate.

The Pebbles programme is a professional development programme for clinically-based registered health professionals provided by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Waikato.

For more information, go to the nursing page.

For nurses — Waikato

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Waikato is working in partnership with Upright to provide falls minimisation training and risk assessment using the internationally validated tool Hendrich II falls risk model.

All allied health staff complete online Upright falls training.