APO Victoria Professional Development Program

Overview

The Victorian Senior Practitioner’s Office under the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing engaged the University of Melbourne to identify, design and implement a program of professional development for the Victorian Authorised Program Officer (APO) workforce.

The need

APOs are professionals who, under the provisions of the Disability Act 2006, perform a vital role in safeguarding the rights of people with disability.

APOs are required to work cohesively with vast networks of stakeholders, including people with disability (and their support networks), disability services, allied health professionals and government organisations.

They require high degrees of professional judgement and exceptional communication skills, often operating in environments where their role is both legally required and poorly understood by others.

APOs:

• review and authorise regulated restrictive practice proposed for use as part of behaviour support planning for people with disability across Victoria.
• navigate complex legislative requirements, industry regulations and organisational processes, including working closely with the Victorian Senior Practitioner’s Office and the National Disability Insurance Agency’s (NDIA) Quality and Safeguards Commission.
• are frequently solo practitioners appointed to oversee and authorise restrictive practice for registered NDIS or disability services providers.

Via research conducted by the University of Melbourne, APOs self-identified four main professional development areas:

1. knowledge, skills and strategies to reduce restrictive practices
2. guidance, skills and best practice for working with other key professionals (eg: behaviour support practitioners)
3. direction on identifying and implementing quality behaviour support plans, and
4. information and resources relating tosafety, risks and duty of care.

The solution

To address these needs, University of Melbourne researchers Professor Keith McVilly, Dr Jennifer Frean and Dr Carmel Laragy investigated, co-designed, co-developed and co-delivered with APOs a three-pronged program of professional development to meet these needs:

• An online APOs Vic e-Manual to meet the need for information and resources that are accessible, complete and easily searchable in complex situations.
  The e-Manual consolidated guidance and streamlined resources from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and relevant legislation, and developed new resources to fill core gaps APOs identified to support their practice and efficacy.
• A 12-month supported Communities of Practice program delivered by APO Leaders to State-wide and regional groups of APOs, with the support of the University of Melbourne.
  The Communities of Practice provide a forum for learning, discussion and forming solid networks to underpin best practice, promote connection among APOs across Victoria and reinforce the e-Manual as a key resource.
  The Communities of Practice is fully co-designed, co-developed and co-delivered with APO Leads. The design employs participatory action research through ongoing monitoring, evaluation and learning to ensure the program meets agreed learning goals, while constantly adjusting to the needs of the APO community during peer-to-peer learning.
• On-line learning resources, in partnership with the university’s Melbourne Professional Education (MPE) team. This has included both Melbourne Micro Credentials MMCs) and stand-alone self-paced learning.

Evaluation of this professional development program is currently underway and will be reported at the completion of the 12-month Communities of Practice pilot in 2027.