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Provider Tips

ALOFT January 2021

David Kinnane · 20 January 2021 · Leave a Comment

ALOFT: Advances. Legal updates. Organisation. Frameworks. Tips.

Happy New Year! We wish all our readers – regular and new – a happy, healthy and successful 2021.

Now let’s get on with the show, with some practical tips you can use to improve and how your provider business:

Advances

Are you kicking off 2021 thinking about building a scalable health business in the digital health space? The big brains at McKinsey & Company have identified six, interconnected building blocks required to build a scalable digital health business, including talent, a clear value proposition, robust/compliant products, a “delightful customer experience”, proven value, and a scalable model.

The authors summarise five business models, giving examples of startups using each model – prescription digital therapeutics, employer-as-customer solutions, payer-as-customer, healthcare providers as the customer, and direct-to-consumer – and include examples of providers who have switched strategies. Read it in full here.

Legal updates

When participants are unhappy with NDIA decisions about their supports, they can appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). But not everyone is in a position to go through the appeal process. Some people with disabilities don’t have the money, time, energy, communication access, or other resources to go to the AAT, even though there are some law firms that offer free representation to clients seeking to challenge the support plans in the scheme.

The AAT’s 2019-20 Annual Report disclosed that almost two-thirds of agreements for NDIS matters that were reached before an AAT finding, saw a change to, or a complete overturning of the NDIA decision (compared to 16% for Centrelink decisions). This contributes to the perception that the NDIA will give way if challenged – albeit at the last minute. 

Fortunately, this lamentable state of affairs has received some mainstream press coverage, including this piece from Rick Morton in The Saturday Paper from mid-December last year.

Organisation success

Success as a provider is based on a bunch of skills that are learnable. Yuri Elkaim, of HealthPreneur, has distilled 10 core tenets of a health business. Many are relevant for all providers. Paraphrasing for providers, here they are:

  1. You are responsible for your business (not others).
  2. The letters behind your name and how smart you are don’t entitle you to a successful provider business. (Conversely, a lack of letters after your name does not mean you can’t thrive.) 
  3. The better you market, the less you have to sell.
  4. Your success is determined by your systems.
  5. The more you earn, the more you can contribute. The more you contribute, the more you will earn. Money is a by-product of the value you create in the world.
  6. Your provider business is more than a business – it can change your community for the better.
  7. “If it’s all in your head, your business is dead.” Learn to extract your knowledge into training, frameworks and systems that others can replicate.
  8. You can get ahead by just being a little bit better than your competition.
  9. Business growth follows personal growth. 
  10. Isolation hurts. Don’t stay solo. 

For more detail on each of these ideas, check out Elkaim’s article here.

Frames of mind

This year, I’m making several resources about my areas of expertise (NDIS and health providers). But I’m outsourcing everything I have no expertise in, from hedge trimming to blog artwork. Why?  

The “Circle of Competence”.

It’s a term coined by investor Warren Buffet, and a useful model to reduce your team’s risk, and to develop training plans. As you look to grow your provider business, monitor your team’s circle of competence. You can’t be an expert on everything. You need to know what you know, and what you are an expert in, and know where the boundaries of your competence lie. You can expand your circle with experience, reading, training and effort; or shrink it by failing to keep learning in areas of expertise. The model suggests you are better off focusing on deepening your expertise and expanding your circle by building on existing strengths, and outsourcing the rest.

As Shane Parrish, of Farnam Street puts it in this excellent overview of the model:

“So, the simple takeaway here is clear. If you want to improve your odds of success in life and business, then define the perimeter of your circle of competence, and operate inside. Over time, work to expand that circle but never fool yourself about where it stands today, and never be afraid to say “I don’t know”.

Tips for practice

Two quick tips for this month:

It can be challenging to avoid wasting energy and time arguing with people on social media, and I don’t know many people who have ever changed their mind based on a Tweet or post. You only have so much energy – don’t waste it. I recently came across this Marcus Aurelius quote, which I’m now using as a mantra as I scroll through my various feeds:

“You always have the option of having no opinion.” 

Did you know that NDIS Providers need waste management policies and procedures to comply with the National Disability Insurance Scheme Practice Standards and Quality Indicators? Don’t have one yet? We’ve got you covered.

Find these snippets interesting?

If so, sign up for ALOFT and read information gathered by a real world Provider for Providers that is actually useful.

ALOFT 4: The fortnight’s most useful information for small and medium Health and NDIS Providers in Australia

David Kinnane · 15 December 2020 · Leave a Comment

ALOFT: Advances. Legal updates. Organisation. Frameworks. Tips.

Advances: Memory Systems

In my early 20s, I had a great memory. As I get older….not so much, which is why I rely on tools like Evernote. All of us forget things (sometimes for good reason), but, with a bit of work you can improve your memory without apps. In this video, I show you how to remember any 10 things in order using the number memory peg system:

For those who are highly motivated to do the work, this piece by Matt Reynolds in Wired outlines five steps you can take to improve your memory, introducing the “memory palace technique” used by the Ancients of Rome to remember those long speeches.

Legal Update: Defamation and social media risk

Finally, NSW has passed defamation law reforms designed to modernise defamation laws and to reduce defamation risks, including in social media. It’s hoped the other States and Territories will soon follow now that the changes have been approved in principle by all Attorneys-General. Read more about the reforms in this summary by the good folk at the Lawyers’ Weekly.  

Organisation

Acquiring some new, tiny habits has made a big different in my life and business this year. Small and simple things like daily writing and making one useful thing a day for clients have made a huge difference to both my productivity and mental clarity. For a primer on why small habits can kick-start an explosion in output, check out this short read in the Harvard Business Review by Sabrina Nawaz.

For a longer, more detailed read, check out the excellent Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg. This is the book that got me going after a long period of apathy and procrastination.

Frames of Mind: Life in 2022!

Way back in 1962, Walter Molino produced this artwork forecasting what life would be like in 2022. Even a year ago, it would have been laughable. But, in these very strange times, who can discount the possibility that he was on to something?  

Source: Walter Molino, shared via Twitter @krug_heyde.

Tip: Leave yourself a summary!

Sometimes, getting re-started on an ongoing project is hard. Often, it’s easier to put it off and get lost in busywork – stuff that has to be done but adds no value to your Provider business. Even though we all know that doing just a bit every day will lead to great things in the long run – the so-called compound effect – putting pen to page on a project after a break is easier said then done. And, even if you get started, you then stop, and go through the whole procrastination and resistance cycle again. That was me to a tee, until I learned the “leave yourself a summary tip” from David Perrell (@david_perrell), aka “The Writing Guy”:

Find these snippets interesting?

If so, sign up for ALOFT and read information gathered by a real world Provider for Providers that is actually useful.

ALOFT 3: The fortnight’s most useful information for small and medium Health and NDIS Providers in Australia

David Kinnane · 1 December 2020 · Leave a Comment

ALOFT: Advances. Legal Updates. Organisation. Frameworks. Tips.

Advances: 12 dimensions of innovation

Providers with a narrow view of innovation can miss opportunities (and risks). To help expand your worldview and “innovation radar”, here are 12 dimensions of business innovation, courtesy of the MIT Sloan Management Review. Read the full article here here. 

Legal Update: responding to negative online reviews ethically

Negative online reviews can be devastating on your business, mental health and team morale. As providers, we are sometimes ethically constrained in how to respond, e.g. because of our confidentiality obligations to clients and participants. Other professions have the same issue, including lawyers, and it’s interesting to see how they manage negative online reviews.

One suggestion, is to respond by saying [Provider] “confidentiality obligations prevent us from correcting the factual background in this post. We are very proud of our track record of client satisfaction and favourable results”. For more tips and suggestions from Cynthia Sharp, read the ABA Journal article here. For more on managing negative online reviews in healthcare, check out our article here.

Organisation: how to persuade your team to follow infection control procedures during the pandemic

Managing infection control risks during the COVID-19 pandemic is a big job, and we are all trying to manage it. While infection control policies and procedures can help, compliance efforts alone are not always the most motivating way to change people’s behaviour. Instead, use role-modelling, education to build understanding and conviction, team confidence and skill building, and reinforcement to change behaviours and keep your team safe. Learn how to use McKinsey’s organisation influence model to get and keep safe during the pandemic here.

Frames of Mind: use uncertain times to develop new strategic directions for your business

Tip: managing your energy is more important than managing your time

As providers, we tend to think of ourselves as time-poor. But, as I get older, I realise the real constraint on my productivity is energy. Get better outcomes by managing your physical energy and emotions to help focus on what’s meaningful and purposeful for your business. Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy have written an excellent article jam-packed with suggestions to improve your energy management.  

Find these snippets interesting? If so, sign up for ALOFT and read information gathered by a real world Provider for Providers that is actually useful.

ALOFT 2: The fortnight’s most useful information for small and medium Health and NDIS Providers in Australia

David Kinnane · 22 October 2020 · Leave a Comment


ALOFT: Advances. Legal Updates. Organisation. Frameworks. Tips.

Advances: ten health innovations to watch for, including “digital therapeutics”

As a Provider, it’s hard enough to stay up-to-date, much less to look ahead at what’s coming at us! But we need to watch for potential technological game-changers: things that might disrupt existing care models, or open up new opportunities (or both). The big brains at McKinsey have identified 10 major health innovations. The one that caught our eye was the potential of “digital therapeutics”: AI-powered applications using gamification and other behaviour hacks to engage clients and to help them achieve their goals. Read all about it (and the other 9 innovations – here).

Legal Update: 97% of NDIS appeals are settled before they get to the AAT.  Where’s the transparency?

The NDIS appeal process has always been a tad mysterious. Settlement details are confidential, which makes it hard for participants – and providers – to see what supports are being provided to people in similar circumstances. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) has joined more than 20 other major organisations in the disability community calling on the NDIA to make appeal decisions public. More transparency and accountability is a good idea, especially given the perception that participants who are better able to advocate and to appeal NDIA decisions are doing better than those who can’t. Read PIAC’s position and the open letter here.

Organisation: are vision, mission, and value statements a complete waste of time? How can we make them useful?

Almost every provider has a mission statement asserting their commitment to values like integrity, collaboration, client-centred care and respect, social responsibility, diversity and team work. But talk can be cheap. Do providers in general “walk the walk” when it comes to values? Researchers at MIT Sloan School of Management looked at the corporate sector in the USA and found no correlation between official values and corporate culture. This is a big problem. What can you do about it? It starts with better communication with your team. Read several easy-to-action tips here.

Frames of Mind: Work-life balance? What work-life balance!

As I write these words on a Sunday evening, I confess that this one cut close to the bone!

via: @lizandmollie

Tip: How to make planning less boring and more useful in uncertain times

Long-term strategic planning is out of fashion – especially given what’s going on right now. We need tools to cope with complex systems, and ways to build in flexibility. Agile planning is a snappy buzz phrase. But what does it mean? Alessandro Di Fiore  of the European Centre for Strategic Innovation explains all.

Find these snippets interesting?

If so, sign up for ALOFT and read information gathered by a real world Provider for Providers that is actually useful.

Child Safe Organisations: Why you need a Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy

David Kinnane · 7 October 2020 · Leave a Comment

If you work with children as an NDIS provider or a health provider, you need a Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy that is consistent with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations published by the Australian Human Rights Commission (the National Principles).

It is also important that your Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy:

  • forms part of your Risk Management System; and
  • is consistent with your:
    • Code of Conduct for Workers;
    • Worker Screening Policy;
    • Complaints Management and Resolution System; and
    • Incidents Management Policy.

Why you need a Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy

All NDIS providers and health providers who engage with children (face-to-face, online or both) should adopt the National Principles. Part of this process includes having a Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy. By way of context:

  • following the 2013 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Australian Human Rights Commission recommended national action, including the development of National Principles for Child Safe Organisations; and
  • in 2018, the National Principles were endorsed by all Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments to provide a consistent approach to embedding child safe cultures within organisations that engage with children.

You can read the National Principles here.

Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy Template

Our 16-page Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy template is designed to help NDIS providers and health providers to respond to, and implement, the National Principles, as a step toward becoming a child safe organisation. The Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy is drafted to:

  • form part of your Risk Management System; and
  • to sit with with your:
    • Code of Conduct for Workers;
    • Worker Screening Policy;
    • Complaints Management and Resolution System; and
    • Incidents Management Policy.

Child safety is the most important obligation of NDIS and health providers who work with children. It’s also a key risk area that warrants attention at every level in the organisation. We wrote the template to help NDIS and health providers start the process of being Child Safe Organisations.

You can access lots of material, including the National Principles, free training modules, and other resources developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission here.

Go to the child safety code of conduct and policy

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Recent Posts

  • ALOFT January 2021
  • ALOFT 4: The fortnight’s most useful information for small and medium Health and NDIS Providers in Australia
  • ALOFT 3: The fortnight’s most useful information for small and medium Health and NDIS Providers in Australia
  • ALOFT 2: The fortnight’s most useful information for small and medium Health and NDIS Providers in Australia
  • Child Safe Organisations: Why you need a Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy

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