ANNUAL REPORT 2010 / 2011 - MINDS

Staff Training and Development
Staff were identified for specific and targeted local and overseas
courses, conferences and seminars to equip them with updated
knowledge on global best practices. Allied health professionals
were encouraged to embark on research relevant to their area
of work and to present their findings. Several of them will be
presenting papers at the AFID Conference in August 2011.
Training roadmaps are in place for staff to attend relevant training
related to their professional development. Two consultant trainers,
Mr Tony Harman from University of Sydney and Dr Scott Modell
from California State University Sacramento were engaged to
provide in-house training in behavioral management techniques
and active support. These critical skills equipped staff to work
more effectively with the clients especially those with challenging
behaviours. Three foreign nursing aides passed their Licensure
Exams with the Singapore Nursing Board Licensure Exam, and
were promoted to assistant nurses. The skills and qualification
upgrade enabled them to take on more nursing responsibilities.
FY 2011/12 WORKPLAN
• To prepare and sustain the Group Home residents in open
employment through assessments, regular feedbacks with
employing agencies and regular dialogue sessions.
• To rework the admission criteria for the Community Group
Home so as to reach out to more clients (i.e. clients in EDCs
or in open employment) who are in need of this service.
• To conduct a caregivers’ satisfaction survey so as to solicit
caregivers’ feedbacks and concerns which can be used to
improve our services
• To conduct at least two caregivers’ events in the year, with the
aim to provide support for caregivers and to enhance family
relationships.
• To look into financial subsidies for caregivers who are unable
to pay for their children’s maintenance fees.
• To identify suitable training courses for the caregivers and
actively encourage participation.
• To monitor staff training in accordance with their training
roadmap
• To identify foreign nursing aides for the ITE Skills Certificate in
Health Care (Home Care) to upgrade their skills and to retain
them longer in employment.
• To identify foreign nursing aides for the Singapore Nursing
Board Licensure Exams so that they can take on the positions
of state-enrolled nurses and help alleviate the shortages of
registered nurses for the residential sectors.
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
CENTRES (TDCs)
Clients Muster and Staff Strength as at 31 March 2011
Programme Clients Staff
Ang Mo Kio TDC 54 19
(ATDC)
Clementi TDC (CTDC) 58 15
Napiri TDC (NTDC) 54 13
Total 166 47
MILESTONES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Outcome Management
The 3 TDCs successfully achieved the targets set in the areas of
ADL and CLS training. The TDCs would be working towards the
higher targets proposed by NCSS.
Curriculum / Activities Development
The TDCs allied health professionals developed a caregiver
questionnaire that was administered during the TDC annual parents’
dialogue sessions. The questionnaire was designed to identify
training, health and behavioural issues that clients have at home
not known to the training officers, and also ensure standardized
documentation across all TDCs. Through the findings, training
officers could set goals and plan more meaningful and efficient
interventions for the clients and their caregivers.
On 26 February 2011, CTDC organised an educational trip to
Pengerang, Johor Bahru to reinforce the ADL and CLS skills in a
different environment, away from their caregivers. It was the first
trip out of Singapore for the 15 selected clients.
Health & Wellness/ Medicare Services
In April 2010, 13 TDC clients participated in the free eye screening by
SNEC. Visual acuity assessment, ophthalmoscopy and retinoscopy
were successfully conducted for all the clients.
Between January to March and October to November 2010, a
total of 7 TDC clients were involved in the free dental screening
by NUH. Most of the clients were co-operative and allowed the
dental students from the NUS School of Dentistry to carry out the
procedures.
In March 2011, 97 TDC clients participated in a health screening
exercise by SATA organised by MINDS Medicare. Caregivers of
some of the clients met up with volunteer doctors to discuss the
necessary follow-up after the screening exercise.
Regular physiotherapy programmes conducted at the TDCs
include exercise therapy, gait training, water activities, weight
management, PAT and sports training. The TDCs also actively
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MINDS ANNUAL REPORT 2010 / 2011