JOY Burch has released a “blueprint for enhancing professionalism of the ACT Ambulance Service (ACTAS)”.

“’Enhancing Professionalism: A Blueprint for Change’ is the culmination of a number of internal review processes that the ACT Ambulance Service has undertaken over the past 18 months,” Joy said.

“The ACT Ambulance Service continues to deliver the highest standards in relation to response times and patient satisfaction. ACTAS staff deserve great credit for being able to achieve this outstanding performance in a time of record demand for ambulance services here in the ACT. There can be no doubt that ACTAS excels in meeting the technical challenges of delivering its services to the community.

“One of the most significant inputs to this blueprint was a cultural review undertaken by the consulting firm O2C, including a series of stakeholder interviews, workshops, worksite visits, individual submissions and an employee survey. The report identified important organisational challenges for ACTAS to address as part of a transition to a more professional culture including improvements to its capability, culture, and leadership approach.

“ACTAS has gone through a comprehensive and exhausting process to honestly examine its strengths and weaknesses as an organisation. I would like to sincerely thank all ACTAS staff and the TWU for their contribution to these reviews.

“We now have a blueprint for change which shows a genuine way forward. ESA will establish a Change Implementation Review Group (IRG) which will include ESA Commissioner, the TWU and an independent representative external to ACTAS who will be providing me with quarterly reports on progress.

“We will be engaging with the workforce around:

• Developing a statement and an understanding with employees (“An accord”) to promote trust; acceptance of individual accountability for performance, actions and behaviour
• Creating an agreed vision for ambulance services to enable employees to see how they can contribute to the organisation and through the organisation to the community as a whole (“Build a buy in”)
• Improving accountability for outcomes through greater oversight of the ambulance reform program by the ESA Commissioner and Oversight Implementation Committee;
• A focus on leadership development and personal accountability (“Set the Right Examples”)
• Improving internal communications through process and action
• Transformation of the existing culture to one more aligned with a future vision (“adaptive chance”)

“I have asked the ACTAS Chief Officer, supported by the ESA Commissioner, to implement this blueprint for change as a matter of priority. I am confident that ACTAS will continue to enhance its reputation and ability in the provision of ambulance services.”

The Blueprint is located on the ESA website.