Residential Care Learning and Development Strategy (RCLDS)

Introduction

The Residential Care Learning and Development Strategy (RCLDS) aims to improve outcomes for children and young people living in residential care in Victoria due to child protection issues. RCLDS works to achieve this aim via providing training and learning opportunities to residential care workers.

RCLDS is overseen by a Reference Group comprised of senior, experienced representatives from Community Service Organisations who provide residential care services, the Department of Human Services and the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare (the Centre).

The goals of RCLDS are:

·              The ongoing development & maintenance of a skilled and stable workforce.

·            Provision of high quality training, supervision and support to workers.

·              Development of appropriate pre-service and in-service qualifications relevant to the field.

·             Commitment to and development of a lifelong learning culture in the workplace.

·             To support the development of appropriate services to Aboriginal children and young people in care through promoting cultural sensitivity and awareness by its mode of operation, in training and in learning materials.

Activities that RCLDS organises are:

• Development of consistent training resources to meet competencies of the Certificate IV in Community Services (Protective Care)
• Identifying and brokering fully funded priority training in both rural and metropolitan areas. To date this has included courses in:
• Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training
• Supervision Skills
• Alcohol and Other Drugs
• LAC Care and Placement Plan
• Youth Mental Health First Aid
• Managing Young people with Sexually Abusive Behaviours
• Cultural Awareness
• Trauma and attachment
• Effective Conflict Management training
• Professional development for TAFE and RTO trainers.
• Development of scholarship schemes to enable staff to participate in further education.
• Development of the TAFE/DHS/CSO Network; a strategy, reference and support group for training providers to ensure they are up to date with the latest developments in the field and are providing consistent training across Victoria.
• Backfill contributions to support workers attending key events
• Annual events including The Residential Care Worker Practice Forum, called Resi Rocks! (280 attendees in 2008) and The RCLDS Learning and Development Forum (40 attendees in 2008).
• Funding assistance to enable residential care workers to attend relevant training events and conferences throughout Australia.

RCLDS employs Project and Administrative Officers to assist organisations and residential care workers engage in RCLDS activities.