FROM: Cynthia Farmer, Assistant Deputy Minister, Delivery Services Portfolio, Community and Social Services; and Melanie Metcalf, AUPE Chair Local 006
DATE: March 14, 2018
TO: AISH, FSCD and PDD Program Staff
SUBJECT: Workload Assessment Model (WAM) Update
Hello everyone,
We would like to update you on the progress of the Workload Assessment Model (WAM) initiative for the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH), Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) and Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) programs.
Last week, we had an opportunity to meet in-person to discuss the WAM initiative, including the progress we are making, mutual concerns and optimism for this work. Let us first reiterate our joint commitment to improve how we balance workloads for staff in client-facing roles. We understand the importance of the WAM and we are committed to ensuring people have manageable workloads. Workload benchmark ranges help to determine optimal caseloads and are an important step in proactively managing our work.
AISH
The new benchmark ranges for AISH have been approved and are in the process of being implemented for AISH Generalists. The work that has been completed or is underway to implement the AISH Action Plan, such as the transition of appeals responsibilities to the Appeals Secretariat and a new streamlined application process, will remove or reduce tasks for AISH Generalists and will have a positive impact on workloads. As we move forward, the AISH Action Plan and the WAM will continue to be aligned.
As you may know, work is underway across the province to complete case intensity ratings (CIR) on AISH caseloads. We are happy to report that 100 per cent of the CIRs have been completed provincially for AISH. This information is valuable in helping us achieve our goals for workload management.
Thank you to everyone for your hard work and efforts to complete the CIRs. We also want to thank you for supporting each other and covering for your colleagues as they complete their CIRs.
FSCD/PDD
We are excited to share that workload benchmark ranges have been approved for FSCD/PDD and are also endorsed and supported by AUPE Local 006 Council. The working groups involved put considerable effort into developing the workload benchmark ranges and their efforts are appreciated.
Eight information sessions were held March 6, 7 and 8 to share the finalized workload benchmark ranges. Thank you to everyone who took the time to join a session. If you were not able to attend, the presentation is posted to the Workload Assessment Model intranet site.
Next Steps
While we are making progress, an exercise has begun within Community and Social Services to review and prioritize staffing gaps across the province. This exercise has already identified a number of vacancies that have been reallocated and will be filled in the next month to help address critical staffing shortages in front-line roles.
Fully addressing workload challenges in a difficult fiscal environment will take time, and we appreciate your patience as we find and implement long-term solutions. We are confident that by working together and with the thoughtful implementation of the WAM, we will achieve our targets and continue to make a positive difference for Albertans.
For more information, visit the Workload Assessment Model intranet site.
Kind regards,
Cynthia Farmer, Assistant Deputy Minister, Delivery Services Portfolio
Melanie Metcalf, AUPE Chair Local 006