Page 60 - MDS final deliverable

9. RE-DESIGN THE PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
Addressing the prickly ‘south side’ of the PTE program to ensure a positive and seamless customer experience
THE SOLUTION
Learning Pathway: There is an opportunity for MDS to play a role in providing a continuous and tailored learning pathway for the PTE participants. There is a longevity in the participant’s ‘journey’ and MDS can play a continuous role in helping participants achieve a fruitful and wholesome experience.
Practical, hands-on training depending on their individual requirements and growth paths: Help participants build up a portfolio of life and professional skills through relevant work experience opportunities. This will encourage participants to remain independent and continuously come up with strategies to help them cope in the long term.
Enhanced communication: It appears that when participants are more high-functioning, parents don’t receive as much communication and feel they are not kept in the loop. Aim to have a consistent approach to all participants and keep communications open with families. One initiative can be regular meet ups with parents so that they can share their opinions in a closed forum and any pain points can be addressed from the onset.
LEARNING PATHWAY
1 Customised to 2 Life skills 3 each participant
WHY IT WILL WORK
Enhanced employment opportunities
OPEN COMMUNICATION with PARENTS
Open and Open forum for parents to One-on-one catch up constant support each other with parents
communication
• There was a clear difference between the customer satisfaction of those in the Centre-based program versus Pathways to Employment. Families acknowledge that MDS staff are supportive, however, they struggle with the difference between the expectation and the reality of the Pathways program. Families have complained that they didn’t receive adequate communication to know what was going on or whom they need to talk to regarding the program.
• Participants have a strong desire to enrich the many different facets of their lives and themselves as individuals. They seek growth, learning and development. They want to do more in life, and so do their families.
• PTE participants are dissatisfied when participants of different skills, age/phases in life, needs, functioning levels and disabilities are combined in the one program.