The NBA strongly endorses the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct and has a high expectation of ethical conduct from all staff. The NBA has four values that are central to our workplace. We:
We implement these by explicit commitment to the behaviours that we value. These behaviours mean that we:
The total number of staff employed in the NBA rose from 50 in 2010-11 to 56 at the end of June 2012, although, of these, three people were on long-term leave without pay. Table 6.2 provides a breakdown of NBA staff numbers by classification, gender and employment type.
| Substantive role classification | Female (full-time) | Female (part-time) | Male (full-time) | Male (part-time) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statutory Office Holder | 1 | 1 | |||
| Senior Executive Service | 1* | 2 | 3 | ||
| Health Economist | 1 | 1 | |||
| Principal Medical Officer | 0 | ||||
| EL 2 | 3 | 1 | 7* | 11 | |
| EL1 Legal | 2 | 2 | |||
| EL 1 | 10 | 9 | 19 | ||
| APS 6 | 7* | 1 | 8 | ||
| APS 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| APS 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| APS3 | 1 | 1 | |||
| TOTAL | 28 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 56 |
Staff turnover in 2011-12 was 22.5 per cent, with 44 per cent of separations in 2011-12 being as a result of resignation or retirement.
The average length of service for NBA staff is approximately two years and nine months. Over thirty per cent of staff have been employed by the NBA for more than four years.
During the reporting period, the NBA experienced a period of change with the retirement of Dr Alison Turner in August 2011 who was the NBA's General Manager since its inception in 2003, and the appointment of Mr Leigh McJames in April 2012.
Several staff members recruited this year, including Leigh McJames, have brought valuable experience gained in the hospital sector to the NBA. On page 107 we showcase how the expertise of one of these is being mobilised to improve the management of fresh blood components across Australia.
A staff satisfaction survey was conducted in April 2011 and continues to be relevant in enabling the NBA to fulfill its the core objectives.
The results of the survey showed that there are many areas where the organisation is performing strongly which resulted in increased satisfaction rates. Staff feel that their work is interesting and challenging, that the NBA is a good place to work and, overall they have a sense of pride in working for the NBA. Staff have sufficient autonomy and access to the equipment they need. Furthermore, staff understand their role in the NBA within a strong, team-based environment and believe that their managers are knowledgeable, responsive to problems and sensitive to family responsibilities.
The National Blood Authority actively recruits people who have direct experience in the hospital sector. This is done to ensure that NBA policies and projects are workable for those delivering health care across Australia.
One new appointment to the NBA in 2012 was the former Chief Scientist of the Canberra Hospital's Transfusion laboratory, Ms Joanne Cameron.
Ms Cameron spent eleven years at a private pathology service, Capital Pathology, followed by nine years at ACT Pathology at the Canberra Hospital, enabling her to gain an extensive understanding of the way blood is used in hospitals. Making the switch from a hospital setting to the NBA has allowed Ms Cameron to continue her work in determining how best to manage blood stocks.
"Working in a public hospital, you are conscious that you have to be responsible for appropriate use of blood, to make good choices, remembering that it is a precious resource,' she said. "You are constantly trying to manage stock levels so you are not being wasteful, but at the same time not running out. That was a big personal challenge for me at the hospital-to get the inventory right."
Ms Cameron was therefore a logical choice for the NBA to appoint as Senior Project Analyst for the National Inventory Management Framework project aimed at helping hospitals keep adequate levels of blood in stock while minimising waste.
The project is a collaboration between the NBA and the Blood Service and through this project Ms Cameron will help develop effective inventory management guidelines including appropriate stock levels, storage, handling, capacity, training, education, systems and processes that can help clinicians, nurses and scientists working in hospitals to use blood efficiently.
In 2011-12, the project team has focussed on developing a proof of concept for the framework design. The plan is to test this at a hospital in late 2012, with a view to piloting the framework across a broader selection of health care providers in 2013.
"Helping hospitals to get the inventory right is really close to my heart, because I know it's hard to do,' Ms Cameron said. "I see a big role for the NBA in helping to give people more structure around how to do this well."
Explaining how this project fits in with her previous career, Ms Cameron said: "I get to do what I was doing in my hospitals, but now I get to do it for the whole country."
The staff participation forum continues to provide a good representation of the views of employees and is responsible for identifying issues, shaping policies and keeping the executive team informed of staff views and ideas. The forum has played an important role in providing input to the development of various human resources policies, raising awareness of workplace health and safety obligations, and monitoring the activities of the social club.
Table 6.3 shows numbers of NBA employees covered by the National Blood Authority Enterprise Agreement 2011–14 (the EA), Common Law agreements, and section 24 determinations,
at 30 June 2012.
| Staff | Enterprise Agreement | Common law or Section 24 Agreement |
|---|---|---|
| SES | Nil | 2 |
| Non-SES | 53 | Nil |
The current EA was approved on 24 June 2011. However, relevant salary increases did not take effect until 1 July 2011. Table 6.4 provides detail of the classification against salary levels.
| Classification | Minimum | MaxiMum |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Level 2 | 105,266 | 118,600 |
| Executive Level 1 | 88,580 | 100,605 |
| EL1 Legal | 88,197 | 106,784 |
| APS Level 6 | 71,768 | 80,964 |
| APS Level 5 | 65,057 | 68,664 |
| APS Level 4 | 59,813 | 63,202 |
| APS Level 3 | 52,793 | 58,519 |
The EA and other employment arrangements provide a range of non-salary benefits in addition to those consistent with national employment standards and the Fair Work Act 2009. The benefits provided are similar to those provided by many other agencies. They are detailed in the EA, which is available on the NBA website. In summary the benefits are as follows:
For non-SES staff:
Total remuneration for senior executive officers is determined through negotiation between individual officers and the General Manager, taking into account Australian Public Service benchmarking data. Performance pay is not applicable.
The NBA offers a wide range of training programs to staff so they can extend their knowledge and skills. In addition, the skill survey undertaken in 2010-11 continues to be relevant and highlighted a number of high, medium and low priorities in training for the NBA during 2011-12.
An important vehicle for professional development at the NBA is the individual personal development plan for employees. Personal development plans help the NBA to meet the objectives of our operational plan by focusing on what individual staff members must deliver in order to meet goals outlined in the plan.
The NBA attaches high priority to ensuring that staff develop their skills through sourced internal training, our Knowledge Management Forums, and/or through external training such as conferences, seminars, accredited training organisations and learning institutions. Performance against training targets is measured internally and reported to the NBA Board.
The regular NBA Knowledge Management Forums provide staff with the opportunity to increase their understanding on a wide range of subjects. There are annual Knowledge Management Forums that are mandatory in order for the NBA to meet its obligations, including sessions on APS values, conflict of interest, record-keeping, chief executive instructions and fraud and security guidelines. In addition, the NBA has been fortunate to have a number of Australian and international speakers present on blood related issues. Highlights of the year's program included presentations by:
The NBA would like to thank presenters for their time and effort in educating our staff.
The NBA places great emphasis on its people and recognises the value of encouraging a work environment that supports the health and fitness of its employees.
During 2011-12, the NBA Health and Fitness Promotion Program continued. The objectives of the program are to:
Staff were also offered the opportunity to participate in a range of small, targeted activities throughout the year, including fitness and contributions to a range of community causes and donation of blood to the Blood Service.