We’d like to congratulate Jill Woodward, CEO, and the team at Elizabeth Knox Home and Hospital on the Health Ed Trust Training and Staff Development Award they won at the NZACA/INsite Excellence in Care Awards conference in Rotorua. The award recognises Knox’s training and staff development innovations to improve education, wellbeing, safety, and staff satisfaction.  Knox also recently won a seedling award at the 6th Eden Alternative International Conference held at Grand Rapids, USA, for the way they are implementing the principles of the Eden Alternative.

We’ve been running a workplace literacy course at Knox in Epsom since mid-2011 and it is great to have contributed in a small way to their success. The Knox Practical Communications Skills Course is focused on helping staff develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills which they can put into practice both at work and in their communities. One of the main aspects we focus on in the course is building vocabulary skills to give carers a choice of language to use when talking to a range of people they encounter on a day-to-day basis – residents, their managers, visitors, colleagues and other health professionals. Another important aspect of the course is building rapport with residents – such an important part of the care relationship and critical if an individual is going to be able to put into practice the principles of the Eden Alternative. There is also a focus  on developing professional writing skills so that any incidents that occur are documented in a clear, objective and professional manner.

Lessons are taught on site in a small group environment and it has been encouraging  to see the progress that individuals have made on the course and also how carers are empowered by having access to this kind of training.  It has been great to be able to give back to people who, through their work and personal lives, give so much on a daily basis to others.

It’s been great working with Jill, Janan and the team at Knox and we are looking forward to working with them again in the future.