Transparency, Performance & Why Rankings Do Matter
For the past 9 weeks, David Hughes has had the privilege of being KINNECT’s first Acting CEO at the same time that KINNECT was ranked #1 provider in Victoria. Here, Dave writes about data transparency, what we can learn from Victoria and what our rankings really say about KINNECT’s performance elsewhere.
Dave Hughes is currently acting as KINNECT’s Chief Executive.
This week one of our team members met with one of our NSW customers and (excitedly) told them we were a top performing “3-star provider” in Victoria. The customer replied that they thought it was wonderful as WorkSafe Victoria’s Scheme closely monitors data integrity and therefore our star rating was a great reflection on the consistent effort we are putting into making a difference at KINNECT.
Hearing this enthusiastic reception from a top customer definitely gave us a warm feeling, however the feedback also got us thinking. Why is it that Victoria is still the only State publishing their data and would ranking systems help improve performance elsewhere?
Why is WorkSafe Victoria the only one providing outcome data?
A key principle enshrined in the Victorian Workers Compensation scheme is the fact that the worker has the right to choose their Occupational Rehabilitation Provider (ORP).
On a regular basis, WorkSafe Victoria provides the ORPs their data and gives them a star rating from one to three, with 3 indicating those providers performing significantly above the scheme average.
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it”
(Peter Drucker)
There are lots of international studies that show the publishing of data and transparency helps to improve performance, but WorkSafe Victoria remain a leader in Australian Workers Compensation schemes in this regard. We think that transparent performance data should be a priority across all the schemes and jurisdictions for the industry.
Is KINNECT’s performance in Victoria an accurate predictor for performance elsewhere?
On one hand it’s true that the data that is used to collate and measure performance in Victoria is a combination of return to work and durability rates, which is already collected in other schemes. It’s just not visible in a way to allow occupational rehabilitation providers to compare with one another.
Our internal data shows we are on par with Victoria, getting similar results in the other states and territories. However, without the comparison of providers, it’s a bit meaningless.
What gives me some confidence about this though is the fact that across the many jurisdictions and schemes are the commitment to quality through embedding of service delivery models that are supported by outcomes measures, processes, training, and our proprietary software Carelever. All of this ensures and promotes consistency of assessment and intervention as well as customer experience across KINNECT. It is in these areas that we’ve invested significantly over recent years. These are not investments we’ve just made to drive our Victorian rankings, but ones we’ve made across the business in every jurisdiction.
Consistent execution across Australia
Practically this means on a national level we are translating evidence-based theory into best practice intervention. We ensure that the support and real-world supervision that our consultants have for every case is the same, no matter where they are based.
This includes the time spent on collaborative case reviews that solves barriers to RTW and drives positive and sustainable outcomes. It’s also the time spent recruiting the right individuals, providing induction, training and professional development to help consultants grow and improve. It’s been the careful design of a service delivery model and consistently measurement against lead indicators. Finally, it’s been about growing our team to ensure customers can access the varied expertise for mental health conditions such as rehabilitation counsellors and psychologists. Our success has been enabled by the consistent execution of all of these components.
So for us, while we enjoy the moment to brag about KINNECT Victoria, this is far from an overnight success story and we’re far from done. Continuous improvement is our mantra.
Under the direction of KINNECT Victoria State Manager, James Buckley and Team Manager, Melinda Narayan, KINNECT has been on a quest for excellence. To get the #1 ranking was a fantastic achievement and culmination of a lot of hard work. The hard work won’t stop either because the team are insistent that they will keep it and I’ve got to say I’m pretty confident they will.
Want to talk to us about excellence in WR?