Position description guides, downloads and videos

Welcome to the video tutorial for the NDIS Workforce Capability Framework Position Description Tool. This tool is one of the tools that have been developed as part of the NDIS Workforce Capability Framework which was created by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to support the improvement of services and supports and a quality workforce as part of the NDIS. The position description tool is actually an interactive tool which you can use online, or you can download the tool with the user guide off on the right hand side of the page here. A version is available for both participants who self-manage or engage their own support workers, as well as providers who are building their workforce. But we're going to show you the interactive tool that's online today.

When you click on creating your position as part of the Position Description Builder, it starts by giving you an option of whether you're choosing to be an NDIS participant filling in the interactive tool, or an NDIS provider organisation. Today, we're going to choose NDIS participant, but most of the fields are the same whichever version that you're using. The first item that you need to complete is the position title.

As you can see, there is a drop down list which has most of the commonly used terms in the disability sector, and you can choose one of those or use your own. The next part of the tool is filling in the purpose of the position. This is a very brief summary of what you want the position to be doing to support you in your day-to-day life. Next, you choose the type of work. These types of work are directly related to the types of work in the Workforce Capability Framework. Whichever one you choose, that's the one that will Auto populate later on when you download the tool with the capabilities related to that role.

Today we're choosing general support work. At any point you can download your incomplete description. This tool doesn't save as you go, so you do need to do it in one sitting or download that incomplete description if you wish. Part of the capability framework is that there are also additional identity capabilities and additional specialised capabilities. This is where you can choose these to add to your position description if they're important to you or an important part of the work that you're doing as a provider. You can see that I've chosen 'be responsive to participants LGBTIQA identity', and support participants to implement their meal time plans and those additional capabilities will then be automatically populated into the Position Description Builder.

The next sections have optional information that you can include. We recommend that you do put as much information as you can so there's information you can fill in that is about: 'About me' or about yourself or about the person that might be supported as part of this position, if you're a provider. The values and expectations that you have from the work. So, for example if you're looking for worker to a patient and resilient. Or if in this position it's very important that workers know how to support you to uphold your rights.

There's also an option to put in the location of the work, or if that work is in multiple locations. For example, that most of your work will be based in Castlemaine but once a week you work in Melbourne.

The next section, which we recommend that you do complete, is the 'Pay range/award and conditions'. So, this is where you can put in information such as the type of award if it's under the Social Community, Housing and Disability Services Award - information that's relevant to pay conditions such as superannuation. If there is leave, if there is training provided. And if you wish, you could also put in the actual amount that goes with this particular position.

That is the type of employment, whether it's permanent, temporary or casual. And remember, when you are choosing the type of employment, that there is an expectation that whichever type of employment, you're choosing that's going to fit with whatever the expectations are from Fair Work around that type of employment and the conditions that apply.

With working hours, you can put in the days of the week that you might be expecting someone to work in this position, as well as the number of hours of support. This next page has also got another number of optional parts that you can fill in. Again, we recommend that you do put as much information as you can. It's going to help workers understand what their role is and how their role connects to the individual person being supported, as well as the capabilities that are expected as part of the role. So, there's a section for the key tasks and expectations of the position. You don't need to list everything. But you do need to list around six. It's helpful, and that might be things like: help with my meal preparation, assist me with my bathing and personal hygiene. There's also a section for any other preferences you might have, so for example, that you go to a walk early in the morning, or maybe that you have an exercise routine that you like to ensure happens at a certain time, or that you have a companion dog and need someone to be comfortable working around animals.

Key relationships is another area that we do suggest you fill out. As a provider, this could be where there is a team leader, supervisor, potentially a support coordinator that might be an intrinsic connection for this position. As a participant, it could be if there is a partner, a sibling, potentially other key relationships that are important to you but could also include someone like your support coordinator.

The next part is essential requirements. We highly recommend that you fill in this section of the Position Description Builder. This is where you can find a tick box for the NDIS Worker Screening Check which registered providers will need to ensure that any worker in a risk assessed role does have a worker screening check. And we highly recommend that participants who might be self-managing also get an NDIS Worker Screening Check.

Under qualifications: only include the essential qualifications that you require for this position. But it can also have if you do really need someone who has a certificate three in individual support or a certificate in assistant allied health, for example, essential skills or experience is also where you put in those things that are absolutely essential for this position. That could be things like the communication device that you might use or Auslan as a sign language, for example.

There's desirable skills or experience. So, this might be if it's desirable that somebody had some previous experience working, say, with manual handling or working with mental health or someone with a psychosocial disability.

The last page just takes you through what are the core capabilities for general support work, which is, if you remember from the start, that type of work that we chose in this example.

And then the very last page provides you with an opportunity to review and edit the position, so each drop down shows you what you've completed. And with an opportunity to go back and edit that section if you need to, it will then ask you to come back through the process to ensure all the information is correct. Once you're happy that all the information in the Position Description Builder interactive tool is correct, then you can generate your final document. So, your new position description is ready to download. You just click on the 'download Word document' and you'll be able to save that onto your own computer to print out and use.

Thank you for joining us for this tutorial today on the position description tool. If you're building the quality of your workforce, we highly recommend that you use some of the other tools we have available, such as the Recruitment and Selection Guide as well as the Workforce Planning and Management Tool, if you're a provider.

Did you know the Workforce Capability Framework can help you build position descriptions? The framework describes the attitudes skills and knowledge expected of all workers funded under the NDIS, and establishes a shared language of ‘what could look like’ for participants.

Whether you are a provider or a self-managing participant, the framework’s interactive Online Position Description Tool can help you outline what you are looking for in a support worker.

To see how the tool works, let's take Jen for example. She's a self-managing participant who's recruiting workers for the first time. She fills out the Position Description Tool using each section to address her concerns, like the type of support work she needs, her relevant personal and family information and the value she wants in a worker.

The tool helps Jen manage expectations for when she is interviewing potential workers. In the tool, she completes the position description’s responsibilities, requirements, and capabilities sections. Jen uses the position description to help write her job ad, and provides a copy of the position description to candidates before interviewing them.

After hiring a candidate, Jen uses these to check in with her new worker Fran at the end of each shift. Together they go through the position of description and capabilities and Jen asks if there's any parts of the work Frans having difficulty with. In their case, Jen has noticed that Fran is sometimes stepping in to do things when Jen is not ready. Jen refers to the Position Description Tool to help her describe why it is important that Fran supports Jen to be as independent as she can. Jen uses the tool to let Fran know all the things that Fran is doing well.  

The responsibilities and requirements help Jen to outline expectations skills, experience, and the essential requirements of her work. The capabilities helped her to outline necessary qualifications and fine-tune what she expected, needed, and desired. Together Jen and Fran were able to use the Positions Description Tool to review the position, confirm their work and build trust in their working relationship with clear expectations. Visit the website today for more information on creating a standard of ‘what good looks like’.