ACI Global's Communications Procedure

Preamble

ACI Global ensures all its employees including its learners, graduates and professionals and their sponsoring organisations are involved in any changes to circumstances which may impact on their Health and Wellbing.

As an international educational institution, we are committed to embrace not just our own Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) but also of our organisational clients and their participating learners and their professionals to the ongoing Accelerating Continuous Improvement (ACI) to become the desired level of achievers. Individual Learners, Graduates, Professionals and those with special needs, are afforded the same level of commitment.

1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this document is to describe ACI Global’s approach to consultation and communication both internally and externally to ensure that proposed changes are consulted upon as required and then communicated to the wider ACI Global stakeholders and community.

2 RESPONSIBILITIES

Managing Director Ensure that:

  • effective methods of communication and consultation are established and used within the ACI Global Academy; and,
  • health and safety information is made available to workers, students and others in the workplace.

Facilators and Mentors Ensure that:

  • Academy staff and learners, graduates and professionals are aware of OHS/WHS communication and consultation requirements;
  • health and safety issues are adequately researched and discussed regularly at meetings.

3 REQUIREMENT TO CONSULT

ACI Global has an obligation to consult, as far as is reasonably practicable, with workers and others who carry out work for and are involved within the ACI Global Academy and who are, or are likely to be, directly affected by an work health and safety matter.

ACI Global must also consult, cooperate with and coordinate activities, so far as is reasonably practicable, with all other Interested Parties who have a work health or safety duty in relation to the same matter, including sponsoring organisations of individual learners, graduates and professionals undertaking professional services and work involving the ongoing capability and professional development of learners, graduates and professionals.

Where a health and safety representative may have been elected, they must be included in any consultation that affects or is likely to affect, the occupational health and safety of learners including those with special needs of their workgroup (with or without the involvement of staff directly). Where it is reasonably practicable to do so, consultation should include learners who are directly affected by a occupational and health and safety issue.

3.1 When to Consult

The following criteria prescribes when consultation must take place:

  • identifying hazards, assessing risks, deciding on measures to control risks and reviewing the effectiveness of the risk controls;;
  • revising and developing OHS plans, policies, procedures and work practices;
  • investigating incidents/accidents;
  • planning a new course or programs;
  • making decisions about the adequacy of facilities for the welfare of workers and others in the workplace during face to face learning;
  • changes proposed to work systems such as shift work rosters, work procedures or the work environment;
  • organisational structure the workplace, alterations to existing classroom setups for face to face learning; and,
  • repairs and modifications to plant/equipment, for both tradional face to face training facilities and or e-learning tools.

4 REQUIREMENT TO COMMUNICATE

4.1 WHEN TO COMMUNICATE

ACI Global has obligations to communicate within the formal structure of its Academy and outside that formal structure for example observations and formal verifications of the candidates competency.

4.1.1 Formally

  • Continuous Professional Development Guarantee (CPD) - compiled in collaboration with its Interested Parties including Learners, Graduates, Professionals and Sponsoring Organisations. It proposes actions for both the Learner and their Sponsoring Organisation over an agreed time frame up to 3 years, against the key objectives for ACI Global and its Academy.

The Managing Director reports on the progress achieved by all learners and their sponsoring organisations in line with the ACI Global Annual CSR Statement by the end of March each year.

  • Academy policies - developed by ACI Global in consultation with its Interested Parties are available on the ACI Global website or upon request within the ACI Global Academy.
  • Individual Learners Learning Outcomes Transcript and Scoring Methodology - provided to all learners (Graduates, Professionals and Special Needs) at the time of enrolment. Learners will be notified of any changes to the Academy policy and procedures. At the completion of any course or program, Learners are provided a full and comprehensive Learning Outcomes Transcript for each Competency Unit undertaken.
  • Sponsoring Organisations Outcomes Transcript and Scoring Methodology - provided to Sponsoring Organisations at the time of enrolment. Sponsoring Organisations will be notified of any changes to the Academy policy and procedures. At the completion of any course or program the Sponsoring Organisation is provided a full and comprehensive Learning Outcomes Transcript for each Competency Unit undertaken by the Learner (Graduate, Professional or Special Needs Learner).
  • Administrator and Facilitators monthly report to the Directors and Executive Team - highlights resourcing and operational issues relevant to the general Academy. The Administrator additionally provides a monthly report to the Board of Directors and Executive Team.
  • Facilitator and Individual Learner Information - held at the beginning of each course or program to provide information to the Learner (Graduate, Professional or Special Needs Learner). It includes the opportunity for all learners and their sponsoring organisations to commence the learner, facilitator and sponsoring organisations partnership.
  • Facilitators progress report – available to both Learners (Graduates, Professionals Special Needs Learners) and their Sponsoring Organisations are available online within the ACI Academy.
  • Learner – Facilitator Interviews – formal and informal interviews are held at the completion of each assessment as arranged by both the Learner and their assigned facilitator. Notes of discussion to be endorsed by both parties, with provision for learners exit comments
  • Academic reports (electronic) – issued at the completion of each course or program.

4.1.2 Informaly

The use of emails or Microsoft Teams is the preferred method of distributing information within the ACI Academy and across the organisation. Sponsoring Organisations should clearly indicate to the learner’s facilitator, if they have a preference for receiving information in paper form.

Matters of concerns such as a learner’s lack of progress or if inappropriate actions have been detected such as plagiarism or cheating, facilitators will contact the learner and their sponsoring organisation as soon as possible to report the observation and make an appointment to meet in person. In matters of plagiarism or cheating the, the Learner will be suspended in accordance to ACI Global’s Policies.

The ACI Global Academy Administrator will contact any special needs guardian and/or Sponsoring organisations, if changes are needed over and above what has been agreed prior to commencing of learning.

The Sponsoring Organisation may approach the ACI Global Academy Administrator directly but to avoid disruption to the learner’s schedule, they should do so only at mutually convenient times as agreed by both parties.

4.1.3 With the Wider Community

ACI Global issues an CSR to promote the works of the ACI Global Academy and to encourage Community, Industry, National and International participation in the Academy's activities.

As an International Academy, we also encourage the wider community to browse our ACI Global website to gain the most current and relevant information about our Academy community, .

Communication on behalf of the Academy with any external bodies, including the media, must be approved by the Managing Director.

ACI Global and its Academy believes that we exist successfully, within the respectful relationships formed with learners, gradates, professionals and their sponsoring organisations, together with Industry and relevant authorities, in the context of the wider National and International community.

We support and encourage each other in our endeavours to provide the best opportunities for the learners in our care, and trust that there is no situation that cannot be addressed through working together in active partnerships of the learner and their sponsoring organisations within the ACI Global Academy.

In all circumstances our actions must be based on ethics and the philosophy of "Do it Once, do it Right”.

4.2 Consultation and Communication Mechanisms

Mechanisms used to ensure consultation occurs with workers and provision of information to learners, graduates, professionals and their sponsoring organisations and other duty holders include the Academy Leadership Team, health and safety representatives, risk management repoprtng, incident and accident reporting, general information sharing and specific OHS/WHS procedures.

Consultation and Communication will be via:

  • electronic and paper media including work generated (Sponsoring Organisation);
  • learners and facilitation information sessions;
  • sharing of ACI Global’s Quality Assurance Policy’s;
  • meetings, both in person and/or Electronically; and,
  • phone and personal contact.

Consultation with workers: The primary mechanism for consultation on occupational health and safety matters is direct dialogue between facilitators and mentors and the learners including those of special needs under their supervision.

Hazard, Incident and accident reporting: All hazards, incidents and accidents involving Academy employees (faciltators/mentors), learners, and visitors (face to face classroom) will be reported, investigated and recorded in accordance with the ACI Global's Accident, Incident and Hazard Reporting and Investigation Processes.

OHS/WHS management: Throughout the risk management process the Managing Director, leadership team and facilitators and mentors must consult, so far as is reasonably practicable, workers and health and safety representatives in the work area and, where relevant, learners, graduates and other interested parties (sponsoring organisations) who may have a shared responsibility for work health and safety.

Communication and Information sharing methods: Communication methods need to be tailored to the audience and wherever possible, should be structured to seek feedback or comment. Health and safety should be included on the agenda for Academy employees to allow discussion of these issues at a range of levels and forums. Information about health and safety issues should be circulated via email or posted on the Academy website, including:

  • publicising new or changed OHS/WHS policies, procedures and programmes;
  • consulting the Academy community during the development of policies and procedures; and,
  • alerting the Academy community to health and safety hazards.

Occupational Health and safety information that is posted on the ACI Global website or within the Academy must be approved by the Managing Director or his delegate.

Consulting, co-operating and co-ordinating with other Interested Parties: The Academy must consult, coordinate and co-operate with other interested parties, including sponsoring organisations, agents, and their workers on shared OHS/WHS matters. The method(s) of consultation used by the Academy with other Interested Parties on OHS/WHS matters vary depending on the circumstances and should be agreed to by the parties. Options to consult in these situations include but are not limited to:

  • raising the issue with the relevant academy or other Interested party contact;
  • induction or orientation meetings;
  • periodic performance review meetings which include OHS/WHS as an agenda item;
  • toolbox talks or similar meetings; and,
  • focus or steering groups.

Where academy staff and learners including special needs learners, graduates or professionals are to undertake work, including observational assessments to ensure capability , at workplaces under the control or management of another interested party (Sponsoring Organisation), the ACI Academy has a duty to consult the Interested party to ensure:

  • as far as is reasonably practicable, adequate control measures are in place to ensure a safe workplace for Learners and their assigned mentors; and,
  • Academy staff, students and the other interested parties are aware of the OHS/WHS legislative safety requirements for each party.

Resolving health and safety issues: When an issue is resolved, details of the issue and the resolution must be set out in a written agreement, if any party to the issue requires this.

  
2024-07-27