Our Services
Critical Success Solutions is a diverse consultancy with a wide range of disability and aged care management experts on-call.
Take a look at our services
Support
Overview
Managing an aged care facility should be a highly rewarding job but compliance and legislative requirements can make it feel tiring and overwhelming.
At Critical Success Solutions, we make your job easier by offering the support of experts.
Our team of consultants has decades of industry experience as leaders and senior managers. We are highly driven to find the solutions that are right for your organisation.
Relief Management
Highly experienced CSS consultants are available to support your organisation during gaps in employment or periods of leave. Our consultants have worked in leadership positions in a wide range of organisations in a variety of roles.
Our consultants can work with you to make desired improvements / optimisations to the role prior to employing a new staff member.
Inclusions
- On-site support for up to an agreed number of hours per day.
- Written progress reports provided weekly.
Operational Management
Senior CSS consultants available to assist in resolving high risk and time sensitive issues for clients. This can include consulting on a vast range of care industry requirements. From how best to proceed with a difficult-to-manage consumer, to identifying the relevant legislation requirements applicable to your situation.
Inclusions
- On-site support up to an agreed number of hours per day.
- Written progress reports provided weekly.
Nurse Advisor / Administrator (Sanction)
CSS consists of a team of highly skilled professional consultants all with extensive industry experience, and can provide you with a suitable consultant to support, build capability and guide your organisation in the implementation of sustainable systems and processes to ensure you meet the Aged Care Quality Standards, and ensure that you provide high quality care and services.
We have aided in and restored accreditation status to dozens of organisations in our history. We not only work to meet the standards but also educate and train staff in the implementation of cost effective and sustainable systems and processes to ensure the sustained compliance of the organisation.
Inclusions
- On-site support up to an agreed number of hours per day.
- Written progress reports provided to the approved provider weekly. Inclusion of any policies, documents, reports, audits, educations tools, forms and charts required to comply with the Aged Care Quality Standards.
Relief Clinical Management
Inclusions
- On-site support up to eight hours per day. Additional hours charged at cost.
- Written progress reports provided weekl
Pre-accreditation Support
Critical Success Solutions (CSS) consultants have extensive industry experience that can assist your organisation in the lead up to your Re-accreditation Audit. From a gap analysis to achieving full re-accreditation. We achieve this by completing an external audit of all eight standards, and provide you with a comprehensive report and action plan.
Our consultants are then available to assist your organisation to work through the action plan to implement robust systems and processes that will meet the Aged Care Quality Standards and improve your care and service delivery. Our consultants will be able to provide you will expert advice during your 2-3 day re-accreditation audit to support and assist your Leadership Team.
Inclusions
- On-site support up to eight hours.
- CSS consultant matched to meet your organisational requirements.
Surveys
Surveys ensure that organisations have an accurate sample to gather targeted results which draw conclusions in order to inform changes to policies, systems and processes based on the feedback. The anonymity of surveys allows respondents to answer with more candid and valid answers.
CSS has developed a range of surveys for Leadership Teams, staff and residents via a survey link to the internet that can be completed via an iPad, smart phone or PC. We also provide hard copies for those residents who are not comfortable with technology or do not have a support person.
CSS either provide your organisation with consultants to gather requirements and design your survey or simply provide you with a template that is customised with your logo, colours and unique collector link.
Templates include:
• Customer Experience Review (CER) survey.
• Residents’ Satisfaction – comprehensive survey based on the Aged Care Quality Standards (including CER).
• Employee Satisfaction survey – comprehensive.
• Lifestyle Services survey
• Post Commissioning survey.
Our survey platform produces heat map charts and if there are enough participants providing responses to open ended questions, also word maps.
Alternatively, CSS can also complete the surveys during face to face interviews, via paper or telephone.
Inclusions
- A survey tailored with your organisational logo and colours.
- A report in PowerPoint detailing the results and charts of your participants responses including an executive summary of positive areas and opportunities. CER survey does not include this executive summary
as it is a short survey.
Business or Operational Review
Senior CSS Consultant to conduct an on-site business review of your organisation. Our audit is conducted in-line with leading business best practise frameworks and includes key business functions, including but not limited to:
- Management
- Strategy
- Risk Optimisation
- Innovation
- Budget
- Human resources
- Relationships and service agreements
- Quality
- Security
Inclusions
A detailed and thorough report, outlining potential risk areas in a range of business functions and operation areas. Including recommendations for improvement, and an action plan developed from the audit findings.
Human Resources Support
CSS have a highly skilled HR team, ready to assist your organisation in a variety of sensitive circumstances:
- External Privacy Officer
- External Whistleblower Officer
- Complaint management
- Mediation
- Performance management
- Recruitment
Inclusions
- Flexible support and development of resources as required.
Organisation Structure Review / Workforce Efficiency and Roster Review
CSS consultants are highly skilled in workforce requirements, obligations and legislation. We can assist your organisation with creative solutions to improve efficiency, be appropriately staffed and meet your legislated requirements.
Inclusions
- Support from a senior consultant
- Review of current state
- Consultation on possible improvements and variations
- Provision of an optimised roster
- Draft an updated organisation chart and support documentation such as position descriptions
Applications / Grants / Tenders
CSS maintain a team of highly skilled professional writers to draft your applications. We have assisted many organisations win beds in ACAR rounds, increase funding via ACFI, win funding via government grants and become approved providers.
Our consultants will spend time with key personnel to learn about your organisation and collate all the information required. Once the application has been drafted, the organisation will have the opportunity to review the document and provide feedback before the final application is provided for the organisation to lodge.
Inclusions
- Provision of a senior CSS professional content writer and a senior CSS consultant to quality assure all applications
- Provision of screening and pre-application assessment tools where applicable.
- Assistance and advice on how to lodge your application
- If required, additional services negotiated to workshop/draft required documents such as Business Plan, Risk Management Plan and Register, and Organisation Chart
Commissioning and Decommissioning of a Residential Aged Care Facility
CSS has consultants who have commissioned and decommissioned aged care residential facilities. They follow a project management methodology where consultation is conducted through the project phases of initiation, planning, execution, performance monitoring and close with stakeholders. Project deliverables, milestones and checklists are developed, agreed to and implemented. The evaluation of either the commissioning or decommissioning of the service and lessons learnt are conducted through a survey with stakeholders and residents.
This audit will serve as a preventative control. It is designed to prevent errors from being introduced or detecting root causes. Critical Success Solutions auditors take an objective look at how these controls are serving the organisational goals.
Inclusions
- Requirements gathering workshop.
- Project plan developed and implemented with project deliverables, milestones and checklists.
- Regular meetings with Leadership Team.
- Workshops with stakeholders.
- Delivery of progress reports.
- Development and conduct of evaluation and lessons learnt survey.
- Report on evaluation and lessons learnt.
Commissioning and Decommissioning of a Residential Aged Care Facility
Healthcare workers are a key risk group due to the very nature of the work they do on a daily basis. Although hazards are present in every workplace and are a threat to everyone’s health and safety, workers in the healthcare sector are reported as having one of the highest rates of work-related injuries and illnesses, predominantly due to the regular people handling.
Our consultants are highly skilled in identify the underlying causes of system failures such as near miss, adverse events or a sentinel event. We aim to ensure that following the investigation your organisation can implement strategies and control measures to effectively identify and prevent incidents as well as have a robust system in place to manage incidents that do occur.
Inclusions
- Provide Root Cause Analysis of incident and formal report including recommendations to consider and implement
- Critical incident and root cause analysis education – workbook and presentation including case studies and toolbox talk for organisational use
- Provision of policy and procedure, incident and investigation forms
- Response to critical incidents within seven business days of notification
Expert Witness
Our Managing Director has extensive experience in the aged care industry and is regularly called upon to be an expert witness due to her 30+ years of specialised knowledge of aged care in residential, respite or home care settings for legal proceedings.
Inclusions
- Working to tight deadlines with law firms to develop expert witness reports.
Education
Overview
Ensuring that aged care teams are skilled, knowledgeable, and empowered is crucial to delivering high-quality care. We offer comprehensive education services tailored to the specific needs of care providers, from your frontline workforce to governance bodies. Our education and training services can support the growth and development of your team.
Ensuring that aged care teams are skilled, knowledgeable, and empowered is crucial to delivering high-quality care. We offer comprehensive education services tailored to the specific needs of care providers, from your frontline workforce to governance bodies. Here is how our education and training services can support the growth and development of your team:
CSS Education Philosophy
Our educational approach is centred on creating practical, impactful training that goes beyond the theory and builds real capability within your workforce. We design our programs to enable your workforce to apply what they learn back in the workplace. Every session is tailored to ensure that participants have a clear understanding of best practice and the regulatory requirements.
Experience and Qualifications
Our education team is comprised of experienced professionals holding qualifications in training and assessment and/or diplomas in adult education as well as years of in-field expertise in aged/disability care. Our facilitators bring industry-relevant insights and keep up to date with current standards and regulatory requirements.
Extensive Library
Our education library contains hundreds of programs. This selection has been curated and regularly updated over our 20 years supporting the aged care industry. Speak to us to learn more about how we can meet the exact needs of your organisation.
Flexible Delivery Methods
We offer flexible delivery options to meet the demands of aged care/disability settings:
- Face-to-Face Training: Onsite training tailored to specific organisational needs.
- Online Learning via Video Conferencing: Convenient online sessions to meet workforce training needs in a flexible environment.]
- Train-the-Trainer Programs: We equip your internal trainers with the latest insights to deliver high-quality training aligned with regulatory requirements.
- Toolbox Talks and Competency Assessments: We can provide shorter Toolbox Talks and Competency Assessments to ensure participants meet new regulatory requirements.
Certificates of Attendance: All participants receive certificates to acknowledge their participation and skill development. This can contribute to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points.
Highlights of Our Current Programs
CSS offers a broad range of training modules that address the latest needs in the aged care sector. Some of our programs include:
- Strengthened Standards Training and new Aged Care Act: Sessions designed to keep your workforce, Leadership Team and governing bodies up-to-date with the latest reform requirements.
- Governance Modules: Aimed at governing body/board members/directors and Leadership Team to strengthen understanding of governance in aged care (Residential and Home care) especially clinical governance.]
- Skills Based RN Bootcamp: An intensive program specifically designed for Registered Nurses to refresh skills and adapt to the strengthened Standards and other reform/clinical requirements.
Please contact us to stay updated on upcoming programs or for a tailored education solution.
Customised Program Development
Whether you need a tailored education and training program to address specific organisational needs or prefer to deliver the content internally, CSS can develop training that suits your requirements. We will work closely with your team to design sessions/materials/assessments, ensuring the content aligns with your operational and strategic objectives.
Partner with CSS to ensure your workforce, Leadership Team and governing bodies receive relevant, practical and impactful education and training. With our customised and flexible options, your team can stay updated and deliver the highest standards in aged/disability care.
Overview
Your organisation’s management team, including registered nurses, are integral when it comes to ensuring quality care and services are provided.
Enrolling senior staff in a coaching or mentoring program can encourage loyalty to your organisation, provide a greater sense of connection and commitment to the business and encourage open communication. This results in a positive work experience and increased efficiency across your organisation.
Critical Success Solutions can provide the management team and registered nurses with operational and clinical support in meeting Aged Care Quality Standards.
Our aged care business consultants are highly skilled in best practice clinical care, business and operational management across the aged care industry. We can provide supervision, mentoring and coaching to your team to refine their skills and improve performance, knowledge base and skills.
Inclusions
Development of a mentoring/coaching program in consideration of key organisational priorities includes but is not limited to:
- Time management skills
- Requirements of role/Understanding PD
- Importance of completing role functions
- Escalation pathways
- Individual challenges and appropriate strategy
- Introduction email sent to mentee with shortlist of key issues to be returned to mentor.
- On-site delivery of 1:1 coaching.
- Provision of resources and tools to assist mentees.
- Mentoring session outcomes to be documented and key themes/findings to be reported to the executive.
- Significant risk, or comments of concern communicated immediately to the organisational executive.
- Supply each mentee a short action plan template for professional development to complete, and return to Critical Success Solutions.
- Short project report and completed CM action plans provided on project completion.
Overview
This six-month program commences after initial registration and new graduate placements have been offered in the care sector.
All new graduates have a mentor on site and receive a monthly visit from the new graduate program coordinator.
The first week is a three-day intensive overview run by the coordinator and subject experts, with two ‘buddy shifts’ preceding. This will include their mandatory training and orientation to the workplace.
A welcome pack is sent (this could include a USB with PowerPoints and resources loaded), including a note pad, pens, water bottle, badge etc.
Following the initial three-day course, a study day is held each month. The new graduate will not be rostered on the floor immediately before or after this day for five months.
The coordinator is always available for questions and support.
At the end of the course, a certificate is issued.
Inclusions
- Workbooks
- PowerPoints
- Certificates
Overview
CSS can offer a variety of flexible, engaging and informative bootcamps to your organisation. Let our team help you build a workshop that includes the right content in the right timeframe for your team.
CSS deliver bootcamps to all levels of organisation, including; Executive, Nurses, Carers, and Cleaning, Maintenance and Kitchen staff.
Inclusions
- Consultation on your current knowledge gaps
- Development of a bootcamp to meet your needs
- Education delivery
- Soft copy resources where required
Program Design and Integration
Overview
Your programs form the foundation of your organisation’s success. Reach out to Critical Success Solutions to find out how we can support the design and implementation of robust and effective programs.
You can rely on our wealth of knowledge and extensive hands-on experience as we tailor programs to your organisation.
Overview
CSS has experience in working with organisations of all sizes and are uniquely positioned to standardise systems and processes, map requirements and develop and deliver education nationally.
These projects will be tailored to your organisations specifics and can aid a workforce to navigate and accept change in consideration of organisational system updates, mergers and acquisitions, sanctions and more.
Inclusions
- Consultation on key organisational objectives
- Education development
- Education delivery
- Staff attendance recording and reporting
Workforce Education Development and Delivery
Critical Success Solutions has experience in working with various sized disability and aged care organisations.
Our team is uniquely positioned to develop and deliver education nationally for changes in industry in consideration of organisational systems, state-based legislation and tailored to your organisation.
Inclusions
- Consultation on key organisational objectives
- Education development.
Governance
Overview
CSS consultants who have been an advisor or governing body member on aged care Boards or Leadership Teams understand the complexity and compliance requirements expected under the Aged Care Quality Standards.
The Board is responsible for the overall governance, management and strategic direction of the organisation. The Board is required to monitor the operational performance, risk and financial position of providing quality and safe care to consumers. Our consultants can aid you to achieve these requirements.
Inclusions:
- Board manual with associated policies, procedures and forms
- Gap analysis of governance systems through audit
- Survey conducted on Board preparedness, effectiveness, and maturity in their governance journey
- Workshop and development of a Strategic/Business Plan
- Development of Risk Management Plan and Register
Overview
Our Managing Director and Senior Consultants are on a number of Boards or have been senior members of Leadership Teams for aged care organisations. CSS consultants can either be Board members or Governance Advisor to the Board.
Inclusions
- Negotiated time at Board meetings and Board Committee meetings
- Preparation time to review Board papers
- Response to Board papers as required
- Up to five advice calls per month
- If Governance Advisor, provide report to the Board on best practice recommendations
Overview
All organisations need to establish a direction in order to achieve its purpose. CSS consultants will work with your Governing Body, Leadership Team and stakeholder representatives, to determine the priorities and initiatives the workforce will focus their efforts on.
Inclusions
- Survey of Leadership Team, key staff and stakeholder representatives to gather input.
- Workshop Governing Body, Leadership Team and stakeholder representatives including PowerPoint and booklet.
- Development of vision, purpose, values, priorities and initiatives at workshop.
- Development of draft Strategic/Business Plan.
Development or key success metrics.
Board and Governance Support
Critical Success Solutions has consultants who have been either on aged care Boards or Leadership Teams and understand the complexity and compliance requirements expected under Standard 8 – Organisational Governance – Aged Care Quality Standards.
Your organisation’s board is responsible for overall governance, management and strategic direction. It is required to monitor the operational performance, risk and financial position of providing quality and safe care to consumers.
Inclusions
- Governance framework and corporate governance strategy
- Board manual with associated policies, procedures and forms
- Gap analysis of governance systems through audit
- Survey conducted on Board preparedness and maturity in their governance journey
- Workshop and development of a Strategic/Business Plan
- Development of Risk Management Plan and Register.
Business Continuity Plan Testing Workshops
Critical Success Solutions will facilitate a workshop with your Leadership Team to test your BCP through multiple scenarios (including COVID-19 outbreaks).
This workshop is tailored to your organisation to assess if it is robust enough to handle the unexpected events that could possibly arise and to assess your Leadership Team’s response.
Testing benefits:
- Learn emergency preparedness planning best practice
- Ideas for business recovery
- Practical tips and tools
Inclusions
- Report prepared with recommendations for strengthening the BCP and responses
- Assess emergency response
- Test crisis management
- Identify gaps in current BCP
Business or Operational Review
Request an on-site business review of your organisation from a senior Critical Success Solutions consultant.
Our audit is conducted in line with leading business best practice frameworks and covers key business functions, including but not limited to:
- Management
- Strategy
- Risk Optimisation
- Innovation
- Budget
- Human resources
- Relationships and service agreements
- Quality
- Security
Inclusions
- A detailed and thorough report, outlining potential risk areas in a range of business functions and operation areas.
- Recommendations for improvement
- Action plan developed from the audit findings
Applications / Grants / Tenders
Critical Success Solutions maintains a team of highly skilled professional writers to draft grant applications for your retirement village, aged care or disability care organisation.
We have assisted many organisations win beds in ACAR rounds, increase funding via ACFI, win funding via government grants and become approved providers.
Our consultants will spend time with key personnel to learn about your organisation and collate all the information required.
Once your application has been drafted, your organisation will have the opportunity to review the document and provide feedback before the final application is provided for the organisation to lodge.
Inclusions
- Provision of a senior Critical Success Solutions professional content writer and a senior Critical Success Solutions consultant to quality assure all applications
- Provision of screening and pre-application assessment tools where applicable.
- Assistance and advice on how to lodge your application.
- If required, additional services negotiated to workshop/draft required documents such as Business Plan, Risk Management Plan and Register, and Organisation Chart.
Commissioning and Decommissioning of a Residential Aged Care Facility
Critical Success Solutions has consultants who have commissioned and decommissioned aged care residential facilities.
Our experts follow a project management methodology where consultation is conducted through the project phases of initiation, planning, execution, performance monitoring and close with stakeholders.
Project deliverables, milestones and checklists are developed, agreed to and implemented. A survey of stakeholders and residents helps evaluate either the commissioning or decommissioning of the service and share lessons learnt.
Inclusions
- Requirements gathering workshop.
- Project plan developed and implemented with project deliverables, milestones and checklists.
- Regular meetings with the leadership team.
- Workshops with stakeholders.
- Delivery of progress reports.
- Development and conduct of evaluation and lessons learnt survey.
- Report on evaluation and lessons learnt.
Critical Incident Investigation / Root Cause Analysis
Healthcare workers are a key risk group due to the very nature of the work they do on a daily basis.
Hazards are present in every workplace and are a threat to everyone’s health and safety. However, workers in the healthcare sector are reported as having one of the highest rates of work-related injuries and illnesses, predominantly due to their regular handling of patients.
Our experienced consultants are highly skilled in aged care risk management and in identifying the underlying causes of system failures such as near-miss, adverse events or a sentinel event.
We aim to ensure that following the investigation your organisation can implement strategies and control measures to effectively identify and prevent incidents as well as have a robust system in place to manage incidents that do occur.
Inclusions
- Critical Incident and Root Cause Analysis Education – Workbook and presentation including case studies and toolbox talk for organisational use
- Provision of Policy and Procedure, Incident and investigation forms
- Response to critical incidents within seven business days of notification
- Provide a Root Cause Analysis of the incident and a formal report that includes recommendations to consider and implement
Expert Witness
Our Managing Director has extensive experience in the aged care industry and is regularly called upon to be an expert witness due to her 30+ years of specialised knowledge of aged care in residential, respite or home care settings for legal proceedings.
Inclusions
- Working to tight deadlines with law firms to develop expert witness reports.
In a Box Policy and Procedure Suites
‘Aged Care in a Box’ is a set of policies, procedures, educational tools and audits to assist with assurance of care and services delivery in your aged care residential facility or home care service.
This collection is also available for Retirement Villages and Disability Care Services.
Each ‘Box’ is different, depending on your service. The policies and procedures shared by Critical Success Solutions use plain English, diagrams and flowcharts to provide meaningful, user-friendly documents for your staff.
Inclusions
- Policies and procedures
- Audit tools
- Handbooks
- Organisational forms and charts for:
- complaints and feedback
- contractors
- education
- emergencies
- accommodation services
- human resources
- infection prevention and control
- information systems
- personal and clinical care
- privacy
- quality management
- regulatory compliance
- volunteers
- well-being and lifestyle
- WHS.
- Currently tailored for NSW (all – residential aged, home care, retirement villages, disability) and Victoria (home care). Other states/areas can be negotiated.
TUNE – The Undercover Nurse Evaluation
The TUNE program provides undercover observation and analysis of workplace practice gathered by Critical Success Solutions professional staff.
This service may also be in the form of a Critical Success Solutions nurse, placed in the care facility to observe nursing, administration or facility staff performing their roles
Inclusions
- Briefing – confidential briefing with the Leadership Team on issues relating to care and service delivery.
- Assessment tool – assessment tool will be designed based on the brief in order to assess the areas of concern.
- Observational – work with you to ensure best time/place to observe practice and match with a Critical Success Solutions professional (e.g. nurse) to act as a consumer.
- Evaluation – a detailed report with findings and recommendations will be provided and discussed with the Leadership Team within the work week.
Responses to external parties
Call on senior Critical Success Solutions content writers and consultants to assist you in crafting responses to important stakeholders.
Our consultants have years of experience in formulating appropriate responses to notification of sensitive situations. We take the time to address your situation with the utmost care, due diligence and respect to legislative requirements.
Inclusions
- Consultation with a senior Critical Success Solutions consultant.
- Development of a draft response.
- Completion of final response with client feedback.
Get in touch
Contact Australia’s leading aged care and disability service provider consultants for expert advice and support to improve the quality and profits of your organisation.