Updating proficiency for QOL 111-20071707

QOL is the quality checking program for activities completed in Customer First/Customer Record. QOL uses sampling to select activities for checking based on proficiency levels of staff coded on the Quality Sampling Summary (QSS) screen.

The QSS screen is used to determine how much work is selected for QOL checking for individual staff members. It is located in Customer First/Customer Record and can only be updated by staff at the APS5 level and above. Access to the QSS screen is automatic, based on the positional number the staff member occupies in ESSentials.

In QOL, a staff member's proficiency level determines how much work is selected for quality checking. Staff must have proficiency assessments completed on a regular basis to ensure the correct level of work is being sampled.

Proficiency levels in QOL relate to a sample and minimum correctness rate.

Parts of the QOL proficiency assessment process are completed through automation. The automated process:

• aligns with the QOL proficiency assessment process
• applies monthly updates on the Quality Sample Summary (QSS) screen
• is separate to the Quality Management Application (QMA) auto sampling framework

All staff with at least one system and/or benefit line on the QSS screen will have their proficiency automated unless an exemption is applied.

See the Resources page for details on QSS Automation including how the process works, which components are automated, as well as those that are exempt from automation.

Assessments of proficiencies can be done at any time. In QOL, proficiency assessment is applied by system and benefit types in:

• new claim (NCL), and
• non-new claim (NNCL) activity types

Generally, there are 3 kinds of proficiency assessments:

• Proficiency Advancement
  After 2 weeks of new staff starting with the agency or existing staff starting new work, regular assessments of proficiency need to be undertaken until the staff member progresses to a 'P'roficient level
• Annual Proficiency review
  Proficiency must be reviewed every 12 months for staff who are at the ‘P’roficient level to ensure accuracy
• Trigger Proficiency assessments
  Triggers in performance may require a staff member's proficiency to be reviewed. When any staff member establishes a pattern in not meeting quality requirements, an assessment may be undertaken at the line manager's discretion. These assessments may result in proficiency being reverted to a Learner level. Trigger proficiency assessments may result from:
• major change in business processing
• reduction in accuracy
• change of activities being processed
• return from long leave or temporary placement

For staff to advance through the proficiency levels, each benefit type or skill type must be individually assessed, with staff having achieved all of the following:

• Time - processed activities for a minimum of 2 weeks to a maximum period of 14 months from the date of the proficiency advancement assessment
• Volume - 20 or more activities checked through QOL during the period
• Accuracy - achieved the minimum correctness rate needed for the proficiency level

When making a Proficiency advancement assessment. It is important to consider all relevant factors including:

• overall accuracy
• learning and development needs
• volume of Local Peer Support (LPS) contacts
• national feedback reports
• other indicators of quality that will aid in the assessment

Note: this applies to staff who are on the 'P'roficient level for QOL.

Proficiency reviews are to be undertaken every 12 months for each benefit type to ensure staff continue to achieve and maintain the quality requirements to remain at the 'P'roficient level.

Staff are to meet all of the following:

• a minimum of 20 activities completed/processed
• a minimum of 5 activities checked and passed in QOL
• achieve at least 95% correctness rate, and
• have had the activities QOL checked up to 12 months from the date of the annual assessment

If staff do not meet proficiency quality requirements above, line managers can apply a non-standard quality assessment. See Non-standard Proficiency assessment for more information.

The following 2 reports in the QOLStat tool are used when assessing and reviewing proficiency:

• Correctness Report - displays correctness rate achieved
• Selection Report - displays the volume of work processed and quality checked

The Resources page links to the QOLCheck and QOLStat Guide.

The non-standard proficiency assessment is applicable to annual proficiency reviews only and apply to staff unable to meet the volume of activities needed for the period assessed. Line managers may use this method to conduct annual proficiency reviews without the need to consult with the Service Delivery Quality Centre.

See the Process page for further details. Application of this process must be documented and retained for potential audit purposes.

If a standard and a non-standard proficiency assessment cannot be applied, an alternative assessment can be requested.

Support for an alternative assessment must be endorsed by the:

• line manager for the individual staff member
• EL2 Business Owner for the specific piece of work or business team

The minimum correctness rate must be achieved when applying an alternative assessment method.

The business case for an alternative QOL proficiency assessment must be approved by the Service Delivery Quality Centre in writing before being applied.

When a staff member returns to work/duties after a period of more than 3 months, proficiency can be reverted to ‘L’earner level at Manager’s discretion. Regular assessments can then be done to update proficiency.