DHS People Strategy 2007–2010Department of Human Services

From the SecretaryThe Department of Human Services is the largest Victorian State Government department. We have thirty-eight per cent of the state’s budget allocation and we are responsible for several complex and high risk portfolios. We deliver a range of critical health, housing and community services and manage many funding partnerships across Victoria.

While this offers exciting opportunities, we also face a number of demanding challenges that often compete for our attention. In our efforts to deliver on our many competing priorities for the Victorian community we may be so outwardly focused that we forget one important fact: without the people who work here, none of what we plan and deliver would be possible.

This Department of Human Services People Strategy acknowledges that a committed, high performing and stable workforce is essential to the delivery of quality human services and successful outcomes for the whole community. This provides the context within which this strategy was developed and provides a clear framework and specific actions for ‘building sustainable, well managed and efficient human services’ – as outlined in our Departmental Plan 07-08.

This document is for all staff across the department. It will be of particular use to leaders, managers and human resources staff. It also will be of interest to those keen to understand the broader workforce pressures and the department’s long term commitment to developing and supporting its workforce.

This People Strategy signals a new emphasis on our internal workforce – the people who are the Department of Human Services. So far, as I have moved around the department in my early days here, I have met many dedicated staff and I am very thankful for the passion you bring to your roles. This makes me even more keen to progress the development and implementation of a strategy that draws from and supports your commitment and skills.

I urge you to read this strategy within the context of the Departmental Plan, reflect on the issues it raises and become involved as we work together towards our common goals.

Fran Thorn Secretary 25 July 2007

About the People StrategyFollowing a review of the human services function in the

department, a whole of department strategic approach

to human resources management was adopted and the

first phase of an overarching human resources strategic

plan – this People Strategy – was completed.

The Department of Human Services People Strategy is

a high level strategic document that identifies issues

and themes, articulates an overarching vision and

provides strategic direction to guide and align people

management efforts across the organisation over the

next three years.

The goals of the strategy are:

• a workforce that is sustainable, well managed,

efficient and effective

• people who are skilled, flexible, engaged and resilient,

highly productive and can meet changing demands

• leaders who have the respect of the workforce, have

a focus on people, action and outcomes and model

the departmental values.

The People Strategy was developed through extensive

consultations and workshops with over 100 people

across the organisation.

It will drive the development of a three-year action plan

that will align the organisation’s goals with the people

who make it happen.

The strategy will enable us to attract the best people

to the organisation and to develop, support and

retain them. It will help position the department as an

employer of choice to meet future workforce supply and

demand, as well as provide a more integrated approach

to leadership and people management.

� DHS People Strategy 2007–2010

DHS People Strategy 2007–2010 �

Who are we?The department’s internal workforce is both large and diverse. There are more than 13,000 people working in many different workforce sectors, job classifications and awards. We are dispersed in several locations across the state, in metropolitan and regional offices and direct care facilities, as well as mobile and outreach services.

What unites us is the departmental mission: ‘to enhance and protect the health and wellbeing of all Victorians, emphasising vulnerable groups and those most in need.’

Interesting facts • More than half of the workforce comprises women (sixty-nine per cent).

• Almost one third of us work in management, program delivery and administrative roles. The rest of us work in direct care roles.

• Forty per cent of us are disability development support officers.

• Almost 5,000 of us have worked in the department for ten years or more.

• About 650 of us are aged under 25 years of age.

• Compared with other State Government departments, we have a high percentage of employees aged 50 and over.

• In ten years time, 34 per cent of us will be aged over 55 years.

• Sixty per cent of us work full time.

• Median years of tenure (non-casual employees) for DHS staff is seven years, as compared to the VPS average of four years. (Source: State Service Authority 2006 Workforce Data Collection)

What attracts and retains our people?Employee Climate Survey responses show that there is a strong alignment between individual values and organisational values.

People employed at the department say they are highly committed and have a strong client focus. We experience a real sense of achievement in our work and enjoy working in an organisation that values diversity and promotes family friendly policies.

Context – our challengesOver the last few years, the department has experienced significant change. Increasing demand and complexity of need due to continual social and demographic changes has resulted in more services, greater financial investment, new technologies and added emphasis on strategy and the management of resources. Department of Human Services employees operate in an increasingly complex policy environment, facing competing demands and pressures.

The key challenges for the department over the next few years include:

• meeting the increased demand for services

• developing a skilled and flexible workforce

• delivering services around person and place

• achieving annual productivity improvement targets

This is within an environment where recruiting and retaining employees can be highly competitive and is likely to be compounded in future by our ageing workforce.

In order to compete successfully on the recruitment market and meet future workforce supply and demand, the department needs to position itself as an employer of choice. This is not merely about having the right intention; it requires clear strategies that guide innovative approaches to the way we attract and retain employees. It also requires a distinct change in the way we value, lead and develop our people.

It is acknowledged that people are a key resource in any organisation. For the department, it is increasingly evident that people - individually and collectively – must be at the centre of strategies that ensure the department is able to deliver on its mission and future promises.

Workforce by officer typeSource: DHS workforce data June 2007

DHS workforce age groupsSource: DHS workforce data June 2007

0

10

20

30

40

<25 25-35 35-45 45-55 55+

% o

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*June 97* June 2007- currentFORECAST June 2017

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Execs

Other

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Youth Justice

Allied Health

Housing Services

Child Protection

Victorian Public Service

Disability Development Support

Off

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type

% of workforce (in FTE)

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� DHS People Strategy 2007–2010

• Define future workforce requirements for critical supply areas

• Source the people (where the future workforce will come from)

• Enhance attraction and recruitment (how DHS will get people on board and how they will be attracted)

• Develop, retain and improve the workforce • Consider how DHS will undertake the whole

process of education, training, incentives and rewards, career development etc.

• Embed the rights and responsibilities of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights into policy and practice

• Implement the Disability Action Plan• Develop an Indigenous Employment Strategy.

• Current and future workforce requirements are identified and addressed

• High quality candidates are attracted to the organisation

• Quality recruitment outcomes are optimised• The risk of unsuitable candidates is reduced• Succession is planned and organisational

knowledge transferred• The ongoing provision of a productive workforce

is assured• DHS is recognised as a great place to work

(employer of choice)• Diversity is valued• Human Rights are protected and promoted• DHS is accessible and inclusive of people of

all abilities• Indigenous employment is supported.

• Develop and promote a leadership culture in DHS• Invest in development of our people managers• Engender a culture in which people are respected

and valued • Ensure appropriate:

• performance management, development and progression

• introduction and induction• motivation/reward and recognition.

• Promote and embed Occupational Health Safety and Wellbeing.

• People are performing at their best in a positive workplace culture where:• health, safety and wellbeing are promoted• specialist advice and additional support are

available • flexible work practices contribute to a good

work/life balance• people know what is expected of them• performance is managed appropriately• achievement is acknowledged• conflict is resolved effectively• people have the opportunity to contribute

and are kept informed.• The capability of our people is enhanced when:

• staff are well inducted into the organisation• learning and development activities are

appropriately targeted• managers are assisted to lead and manage

staff more effectively• high potential leaders are identified and

supported to develop and progress• excellence in leadership is encouraged• continuous improvement is embedded in

the way we do business.

• Refine people systems – the basic systematic support required to underpin the people activities

• Provide human resources and employee relations support services

• Ensure appropriate audit and compliance are undertaken

• Implement continuous improvement strategies to promote service excellence

• Develop People Performance Indicators• Identified risks are mitigated against.

• Responsive people systems, policies and processes support human services delivery when:• comprehensive, user friendly data systems

provide information on key workforce trends• HR performance measures enable progress to

be monitored• policies, systems and processes support the

timely and effective management of employee relations

• high quality human resources services are available and deployed at an appropriate level.

DHS People Strategy frameworkThis strategy establishes a framework for building the capacity and capability of our internal workforce now and into the future. It describes the outcomes we are aspiring to achieve and provides clear objectives, priority actions and projects to progressively achieve them over the next three years. The strategy is directly linked to the objectives of The Departmental Plan, particularly the first objective – ‘Building sustainable, well managed and efficient human services’.

Des

ired

out

com

esSt

rate

gies

A sustainable workforce High performing well managed people An efficient and effective workplace

Department’s mission

To enhance and protect the health and wellbeing of all Victorians, emphasising vulnerable groups and those most in need.

Underpinned by our values

Client Focus Professional Integrity Quality Collaborative Relationships Responsibilities

DHS objectives directly related to human services management

Building a sustainable, well managed Providing timely and Improving human services and efficient human services accessible human services safety and quality

DHS People Strategy vision

A well led, high performing, sustainable, diverse and resilient workforce that is valued and respected, delivering quality human services.

Goals

A workforce that is: With people who are: Managed by leaders who: • sustainable • skilled • have respect • well managed • flexible, engaged and resilient • have a focus on people, • efficient and effective • highly productive and can action and outcomes meet changing demands • model the department’s values

Key result areas

Authorised by the Victorian Government, Melbourne. March 2008 [0220607]

ImplementationThe implementation phase of the People Strategy commences in 2007–08, with the development of a three-year action plan that will detail a number of initiatives within the following key result areas:

• a sustainable workforce

• high-performing, well managed people, and

• an efficient and effective workplace.

A number of projects that align with the strategic direction and key result areas of the People Strategy have been identified for implementation during the Year 1 establishment phase.

These initial projects will contribute to maintaining a sustainable workforce and high performing, well managed people and will provide the foundation to guide further work to be progressed over the next three years.

Year one priority projects Internal workforce planning across the department• Map current activities across the department

• Identify areas of critical gaps or potential skills shortages

• Recommend directions and influence other projects that rely on workforce planning data

• Achieve more integrated workforce planning and sharing of resources

Sourcing people• Review constraints on recruiting to vacant positions

• Develop more proactive strategies on sourcing future candidates

• Recommend strategies for piloting on vulnerable workforce groups

Developing the departmental brand• Develop more sophisticated marketing strategies to attract

potential job applicants

• Improve the perception of the department as an attractive prospective employer

• Capitalise on the strong reasons why people want to work at the department

Enhancing people management• Enhance the skill development of managers to support and

engage our people

• Raise importance of a focus on people as well as a focus on task/outcome

• Develop a comprehensive people management approach that invests in our people managers

Fostering excellence in leadership• Clearly define the leadership culture expected of the

departmental Executive and future leaders

• Create a higher commitment to, and accountability for, leadership development by current leaders

• Build on existing leadership development frameworks, programs and strategies that develop leaders at all levels in the department

Other key prioritiesIn addition to these projects, the Year 1 Action Plan of the People Strategy will also include work already in progress across the department including improving employee relations policy and practice, implementing key recommendations from the review of occupational health and safety performance, development of an Indigenous Employment Strategy, the roll out of the Disability Action Plan and improving our human resources systems.

Next stepsThe development of the Year 1 Action Plan is underway and the first year of the implementation phase of the strategy has been identified as one of the department’s strategic projects for 2007-8.

Work has commenced on scoping project proposals and development of detailed business cases will be undertaken during the first year implementation phase of the People Strategy.

Progress on the key projects will require an integrated approach across divisions, regions and program areas to maximise efforts, pool resources and expertise and share the full benefits of a strategic approach to people management.

DHS People Strategy 2007–2010 5

For further information

Human Resources Branch telephone: 03 9096 2529 web: knowledgenet/hrb