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Working in disadvantaged communities: What additional competencies do we need?

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged locations are more likely to have poor health than residents of socioeconomically advantaged locations and this has been comprehensively mapped in Australian cities. These inequalities present a challenge for the public health workers based in or responsible for improving the health of people living in disadvantaged localities. The purpose of this study was to develop a generic workforce needs assessment tool and to use it to identify the competencies needed by the public health workforce to work effectively in disadvantaged communities. METHODS:A two-step mixed method process was used to identify the workforce needs. In step 1 a generic workforce needs assessment tool was developed and applied in three NSW Area Health Services using focus groups, key stakeholder interviews and a staff survey. In step 2 the findings of this needs assessment process were mapped against the existing National Health Training Package (HLT07) competencies, gaps were identified, additional competencies described and modules of training developed to fill identified gaps. RESULTS:There was a high level of agreement among the AHS staff on the nature of the problems to be addressed but less confidence indentifying the work to be done. Processes for needs assessments, community consultations and adapting mainstream programs to local needs were frequently mentioned as points of intervention. Recruiting and retaining experienced staff to work in these communities and ensuring their safety were major concerns. Workforce skill development needs were seen in two ways: higher order planning/epidemiological skills and more effective working relationships with communities and other sectors. Organisational barriers to effective practice were high levels of annual compulsory training, balancing state and national priorities with local needs and giving equal attention to the population groups that are easy to reach and to those that are difficult to engage. A number of additional competency areas were identified and three training modules developed. CONCLUSION:The generic workforce needs assessment tool was easy to use and interpret. It appears that the public health workforce involved in this study has a high level of understanding of the relationship between the social determinants and health. However there is a skill gap in identifying and undertaking effective intervention.

SUBMITTER: Harris E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2684114 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Working in disadvantaged communities: What additional competencies do we need?

Harris Elizabeth E Harris Mark F MF Madden Lynne L Wise Marilyn M Sainsbury Peter P Macdonald John J Gill Betty B

Australia and New Zealand health policy 20090424

<h4>Background</h4>Residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged locations are more likely to have poor health than residents of socioeconomically advantaged locations and this has been comprehensively mapped in Australian cities. These inequalities present a challenge for the public health workers based in or responsible for improving the health of people living in disadvantaged localities. The purpose of this study was to develop a generic workforce needs assessment tool and to use it to identi ...[more]

PMID: 19393091

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Project description:IntroductionCaring professions attend to the health, educational and social needs of society rather than its material needs. Caring professionals are a vital part of the world's response to COVID-19, yet the global pandemic and its aftermath have significantly changed the ways in which care is provided. The rapid pivot to remote care, where the essential caring cues and opportunities are not as readily available, has put unprecedented pressure on caring professions. There is currently a lack of clear understanding and accepted standards for teaching caring profession students how to provide care remotely. The objective of this systematic review is to identify and assess the ways in which educators can integrate online learning opportunities to help students develop effective caring practices and translate these into today's remote and virtual care environments.Methods and analysisThis systematic review will consider diverse quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods studies of innovative online education initiatives and required technology for caring profession education. Articles will be retrieved from academic databases and limited to articles reporting primary data and published in English within the last 10 years. Data extraction procedures will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guideline. The methodological quality of all studies will be assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool and/or the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Study characteristics will be tabulated and narratively synthesised to integrate and explore relationships within the data.Ethics and disseminationNo ethics approval is required to conduct this review. Review findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and be used to inform and guide caring profession education policy, practice and research agendas with the goal of improving education for caring profession students, and care for the patients, clients and learners they serve.

Project description:Background: Precarious work is an increasingly common characteristic of industrialized labor markets that can widen health inequities, especially among disadvantaged workforce segments. Study objectives are to compare precarious employment in workers with and without disabilities, and to examine the modifying effect of disability in the relationships between age, job tenure and precarious work.Methods: Employed Canadians with (n?=?901) and without disabilities (n =?901) were surveyed on exposure to precarious working conditions. Information on age and job tenure were collected from respondents along with sociodemographic, health and work context details. Multivariable logistic models examined the association between disability and precarious work. Also, multigroup probit models examined precarious work for young (18-35?yrs), middle-aged (36-50?yrs) and older adults (>?50?yrs) and job tenure and was stratified by participants with and without disabilities.Results: Almost equal proportions of young, middle-aged and older participants were recruited. Mean job tenure of participants was 9.5?years (SD?=?9.0). Close to one-third of participants reported working precariously. At the multivariable level, a disability was not associated with working precariously. However, multigroup modelling indicated that disability was a significant effect-modifier. Older adults with a disability had a 1.88 times greater odds of reporting precarious work when compared to young adults (OR?=?1.88, 95%CI 1.19, 2.98). When reporting a disability, longer job tenure was related to a 0.95 times lower odds of precarious work (OR?=?0.95 95%CI 0.93, 0.98). The relationship between age and job tenure was not significant for those not reporting a disability.Discussion: Precarious work has the potential to affect workers with and without disabilities. For those with a disability, being an older adult and/or a new worker can contribute to a greater likelihood of being employed precariously. Policies and programs can be recommended to address precarious working conditions and related health inequities for people with disabilities based on life and career phase.

Project description:The Covid-19 pandemic has been recognised to affect families' socio-emotional well-being. Collecting the views of families in diverse socio-economic contexts can contribute to understanding their specific needs and resources in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. The overarching objective of the current research was to explore the views and experiences of families in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic, who were living in the Republic of Ireland, including in areas designated as disadvantaged. In Study 1, the objective was to explore changes, difficulties, and concerns experienced by parents of children up to six years old during the pandemic, and related associations with socio-demographic characteristics. Data were collected from 168 parents/carers via an online questionnaire, and examined using conceptual content analysis. The most frequently identified experiences related to restrictions, social isolation, negative impacts on parents' emotional and psychological well-being, negative impacts on children's emotional well-being and development, concerns with physical health, uncertainty about the future, and positive changes regarding family time and activities. Associations were found with parents' age and work situation, and family's income and composition. In Study 2, the objective was to explore the views of children, parents, and service providers about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on families' life, and relevant supports. Data were collected from 50 children aged between eight and 17 years old, 17 parents, and 20 service providers through focus group discussions, and examined using thematic analysis. The participants reported experiences related to challenges with online education, uncertainty regarding children's education, food poverty, and children's socio-emotional health. The findings of both studies reinforced the importance of implementing measures to promote parents' and children's socio-emotional well-being, combat educational inequalities, and ensure economic and employment security.

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Working in disadvantaged communities: What additional competencies do we need?

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Working in disadvantaged communities: What additional competencies do we need?

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