Organisational Policy and Procedures
Court views on Tīkanga Māori for your policies and procedures
It’s Matariki and on Friday, we in Aotearoa/NZ are looking forward to the first public holiday held to celebrate Matariki. Matariki marks the beginning of the Māori New Year.
Matariki provides opportunity for organisations to put your policies and procedures to respect tikanga Māori into action.
With Matariki upon us, I thought it was a good time to look at the recent findings of the High Court about tikanga Māori in Ngāti Whātua Orākei Trust v Attorney General. The case involved a dispute over the mana whenua claim of Ngāti Whātua Orākei to central Auckland in the context of a Treaty settlement claim.
Court findings about Tikanga
The case involved an extensive discussion by the Court about tikanga and how it should be applied as part of the law. The discussion is relevant to how we put our workplace policy commitments to respect tikanga Māori into action. The Court found that:
- Tikanga describes a set of mutually reinforcing and interlocking values or principles that guide what is “tika” or right in a situation. It reflects the interconnections of land, wairua/spiritua world and people – mana atua, mana whenua and mana tangata. (See decision at p121)
- Citing the Waitangi Tribunal, the Court accepted that tikanga is fundamental to iwi, hapū identity (at p121). It is developed by iwi and hapū and guides the exercise of rangatiratanga.
- Because it is linked to hapū and iwi identity, tikanga is not a universally agreed law or protocol applicable to all areas/rohe.
- As accepted by a range of experts in the case, there are some core principles or guidelines about tika that are accepted across Maoridom. Acknowledgement of Matariki is one example, Tangihanga would be another. How these are applied and practised though may well vary across iwi.
- Tikanga evolves and changes over time as circumstances change. It is a “way of life” not easily reducible to oral or written word. (Court citing Dr Te Kahautu Meredith, p123).
- Tikanga was the first law of Aotearoa, an expression of Tino Rangatatiratanga of iwi, hapū.
- Tikanga is a “free-standing” legal framework. In the Court’s view, it is the most appropriate form of law to apply to inter-iwi disputes. It held that neither the Crown nor parliament determines mana whenua or ahi kā. The relevant tikanga should be decided on by the iwi and hapū involved in the dispute.
Tikanga for your policies and procedures
Recognition and respect for tikanga is a Treaty of Waitangi obligation. Article 2 of the Treaty.
It’s also a requirement of the Health and Disability Standards and the Social Sector Accreditation Standards along with recognition and respect for our national language – Te Reo Māori.
Respect and promotion of tikanga Māori should therefore be a key part of policies and procedures for social, community and health services.
With Matariki upon us, it’s a great time to put your policy of supporting Tīkanga Māori into action in your workplace. This could involve:
- supporting local marae events
- consulting with kaumatua, kuia about the whakapapa of Matariki in your rohe
- following up on some of the great ideas proposed here.
For more about Matariki and what it means check out these resources:
Governance and management policies and procedures
Do you have governance and management policies? They are a must for good governance. They are essential for any organisation that is a Trust or corporate body wanting to survive and succeed.
If you’re a member of a board or Trust that is too often lost in operational details, or a manager of a social or health agency struggling with too much reporting and not enough clarity in your role, keep reading. We aim to help.
The gains of governance management policies
Governance and management policies and procedures can make a big difference. They provide many benefits if done correctly. The challenge for organisations is to achieve policies and procedures in this area that get the balance just right:
- help the Governance to govern
- support management to manage.
Policies about the role and responsiblities of governance and the parameters of management are particularly important if you want:
- more capacity by the board to focus on strategy and stewardship of the organisation
- feeling empowered as a manager and staff in the organisation
- greater accountability within and external to the organisation.
Not to mention funding.
If you’re government funded you have to have good governance and management policies to show you are a viable agency able to handle the responsibilities of working with often vulnerable people and handling taxpayer monies.
Governance and management policies and procedures are therefore required for accreditaton and quality assurance purposes for funded agencies in the social sector, health and tertiary education areas.
The risks
As a board member or manager, you may well be living day-to-day with the risks that go with poor governance management policies. The risks are considerable and include:
- fraud
- poor and damaged reputation associated with lack of transparency and accountability
- inefficiency associated with confused decision-making processes
- duplication across tasks and areas of responsibility
- a disinclination to act by staff for fear they lack authority
- high staff and board member turnover because of workload, high levels of dissatisfaction.
Online governance and management policies
At the Policy Place, we’re reviewing governance and management policies each time we bring an organisation into the online policy service.
We see a huge array of policies and procedures. A common problem is a lack of clarity around the role of governance versus management with too many responsibilities given to the board and not enough clarity around the management role.
When organisations are often struggling to get people on to their boards, we want to help.
Our online policies and procedures support a divide between governance and management roles to help the board focus on stewardship and management, on managing. Our online policies and procedures address areas like:
- roles and responsibilities of governance
- management delegation
- conflict of interest
- financial and organisational reporting
- risk management
- membership and recruitment of the board
- other areas
Our policies support organisations to comply with governance and workforce criteria in the Social Sector Accreditation Standards and Ngā Paerewa Health and Disability Standard.
Options
Good news – there’s options!
If you’re a board member struggling with too much or with the mahi of having to review policies, or if you’re a manager, who feels like the relationship between management and the board could be improved, you can:
- stick with the status quo
- give the Policy Place free trial a go
- take the leap and join up to the online policy service
- DIY – re-draft your policies to achieve more clarity and accountability
- check out 3 policy and procedure tips for effective financial governance for advice
- contact us to find out more about how the Policy Place can support you with your governance/management policies and procedures.
Matariki opportunities and significance in the workplace
June 24, 2022 is going to be the first day on which we celebrate Matariki as a country. It’s our first official indigenous public holiday and the first time we recognise the Māori calendar – maramataka.
The intention to legislate for Matariki was announced on 4 February 2021. It became law last night – Te Pire mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki/Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act.
What Matariki means for your workplace
Dates will change
The holiday is not always going to be 24 June. It’s going to be observed annually on the dates set out in the legislation for the next 30 years and beyond.
There’s different traditions
Don’t assume there is only one way to celebrate Matariki or that it means the same for everyone.
Yes, it’s a constellation of stars seen in the Tangaroa lunar phase of the month of Pipiri, which is usually around June and July. But it is celebrated differently in different areas/rohe of Aotearoa.
It is widely known as the start of the Māori New Year. But there are many traditions across iwi and hapū. In Taranaki, for example, Matariki is known as Puanga. It’s regarded as a time to recognise all the ones we’ve lost over the last year. It acknowledges the rhythm of winter – the need to get crops and kai/food ready to hunker down for the cold.
Opportunities of Matariki
You can gear up for Matariki in the workplace and use it as a platform to support cultural competency and understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and mātauranga Māori amongst staff.
Find out how Matariki is celebrated in the rohe/area of your workplace and encourage staff to share about its significance to them.
If you’re a business looking for commercial opportunities consider profit with purpose – how your service or product can contribute to growing awareness and understanding of Matariki and other indigenous traditions of Aotearoa.
The official marking of Matariki could be the first big step towards restoring the Māori calendar – maramataka in Aotearoa/NZ. Maramataka, unlike the Gregorian calendar, is based on the land and rhythms of Aotearoa and the Pacific. Are there other opportunities to observe Maramataka in your work/mahi?
So Matariki brings opportunities – to celebrate, reflect, learn and advance. Let’s plan for it now.
For more about Matariki and what it means check out these resources:
Policy review and updating – stepping out
The days of 2-3 year cycles for policy review and updating for health, social services, education-related services seem long gone.
Regulatory change is all too frequent.
So how can you stay on top of the fast-paced regulatory changes in your sector or industry with your policies? It’s important if you want to comply with law and regulations and provide a quality service or product.
Bad news – there are a few sizeable tasks involved. We look at 3 of them below.
But the Good news is that when you join the Policy Place online policy service, you not only get set up with policies. You get the core content of your policies regularly reviewed and updated for regulatory changes. You get the chance to input to reviews but you don’t have to.
3 key jobs with policy review and updating
Prepare for policy change
First task – stay alert for changes to law and other regulations eg Public Health orders.
During the pandemic, we’ve been able to rely on media and the Covid-19 government website for early warnings about pandemic-related changes.
But what about less obvious changes? If you think a change might be coming you could:
- try a google query to see what comes up and follow up on sources like Taskforce reports, white papers
- go to the relevant government website
- check out NZ legislation for law changes.
Review and assess the scope of policy change
The second job is to review the likely changes and assess whether they warrant a change to your policies and procedures. Some questions to consider here are:
- how different are the changes from what was before
- what group of policies might be affected? Sometimes regulatory change may require updating just one policy. More often, though, change may be needed across a few policies
- what do your policy users think is necessary.
Review and updating
The third job is to make the changes.
While doing this, it’s a good idea to review other aspects of the policy. Get it fully up-to-date, ready for a new review date to be set and the policy changes signed off.
You can schedule the next review date in accordance with the industry/sector standard (eg 2 years for the social sector) but expect that review is likely to be needed far earlier.
You’ve made the changes. Job well done.😊
But no you can’t rest. 🙄
You must remain on alert for further regulatory/legal changes and be ready to repeat the cycle – jobs 1-3. Again. And again.
Breaking the policy review and updating
When you join the Policy Place online policy service, you no longer have to worry about the policy review and update cycle. You get the opportunity to participate in reviews and updates of your policies but you’re not required to stay alert and execute changes to your core policy content.
We review and update it for you.
Want in?
Contact us now to discuss how we can support you with your policies and procedures.
Open disclosure for good policy and practice
What’s open disclosure and how should your policies and procedures provide for it?
Ngā Paerewa Health and Disability Services Standard requires an “open disclosure” policy and procedure. So does the Foundation Cornerstone Indicator 1.1.
Here’s what it involves and a couple of options to address it.
What is open disclosure?
Open disclosure means what it says- being open and ready to disclose. But what about?
Not just the good stuff.
Open disclosure means being open about the “not so good” too.
We don’t usually mind talking about what went well. We tend to be more reticent though about what hasn’t gone well. A fear of consequences eg legal action has often encouraged organisations to hide or be secretive about mistakes and errors in treatment and services.
Hence the compliance obligation for agencies subject to the Health and Disability and Cornerstone Foundation Standard to prescribe in open disclosure in policy.
The policy typically deals with what should happen when there’s an adverse impact or error made in treatment or service delivery. If something goes wrong, policy requirements are to own up and apologise.
People should be fully informed about what went wrong and the consequences, treated with empathy and respect, informed about changes made in response to the error (to prevent recurrence) and supported appropriately.
Policy options to address open disclosure
Open disclosure is integral to the protection of other rights in the health and social services like the right to informed consent and the right to exercise self-determination over care. It is also important to an agency making ongoing improvements to the quality of services and care it provides.
The easy way is to provide a specific policy and procedure on open disclosure. We see lots of agencies that do this. It meets their compliance obligations and as a distinct policy, has the benefits of being easily found and clear because it has a narrow focus.
However, our preferred approach is to integrate open disclosure across the policy and procedure suite.
In the Policy Place online policy and procedure system, open disclosure is woven throughout the policy suite to support the service user’s right to have a voice and be an active participant in their own care.
Open disclosure is a core part of the Adverse Incident Management policy and policies addressing informed consent, client participation and client, whānau -/patient-centred practice.
Disclosure about what went right and wrong should also be a subject of ongoing discussion as client and practitioner through the journey of care, service planning, treatment, service delivery and review.
It is key to managing and learning from incidents – because in talking with clients and whānau about what went wrong, we learn from their perspective about what needs fixing and can focus our investigations and improvements on the right things. It also opens up the possibility of making things right – to find out what, if any, support the person or whānau harmed by an error or mistake needs to deal with the impacts.
An integrated approach
Contact us if you like the sound of an integrated approach to open disclosure and joining the online policy system.
Health, disability and social services from across Aotearoa have joined the online policy service to get:
- 24/7 online policies to support their accreditation and compliance obligations
- the assurance of regular reviews and updates
- a one-stop site on which to house their policies and procedures and related documents.
Don’t put off what you can do today.
We’re just an email or phone call away. We have a waitlist to join people up so CONTACT US NOW if you want to book in.
Online policies to get that monkey off your back
Online policies will lighten your load – your workload, worry and stress. They can be the key to a much improved working life.
Policies and procedures rarely feature on people’s top picks for things to do in the working day. They can often fall prey to procrastination.
But not keeping your policies updated can cause problems like credibility issues, poor practice, the risk of staff acting illegally not to mention the risk of losing accreditation or approval status with your regulator. We’ve talked previously about the pitfalls.
Join the Policy Place online service and these problems can be avoided. Check here for more about how easy it is to join up.
Contact us for more information.
The case for online policies
The grind of having to keep policies and procedures updated is the most frequent reason people give us for deciding to join our online policy service.
Accreditation and audit bodies require that policies and procedures are regularly reviewed. This can be onerous for boards and collectives who are often volunteers. For operational managers, policy review and updating is usually an add-on to an already busy workload.
As we’ve written about previously, it can also be confusing about who should do what. Is policy review and updating the job of governance or management?
Agencies try and manage reviews and updates in different ways. A common strategy is to schedule policies for review at each governance meeting. Time and again though, policies can fall off the agenda, or get stuck in draft stage with policy reviews not completed.
Review and updating of online policies – so easy!
Policy reviews and updates are a big draw-card for people joining the online policy service.
When people join the service, we give them a schedule for when we review and update the core content of online policies. We notify members for each review and invite their feedback.
We consider all members’ feedback along with legislation and other regulatory changes and review and update policies. Afterwards, we let our members know what’s been changed and give them notes to help them to implement them with staff.
How easy is that for our members!
Get that [policy review] monkey off your back and join us now!
Updates of online policies for unexpected changes
If there’s one thing that is certain, change is constant and often unexpected. Just look at the plethora of public health and legal changes that have occurred over the life of Covid-19 so far. These types of change mean policies need review and updating.
At the Policy Place we’ve kept the core policy content for our members reviewed and updated. Changes have been made in response to the legal and public health changes in areas like the Covid-19 Protection Framework and vaccination.
Ngā Paerewa Health and Disability Services Standard took effect last month. You guessed it, we’ve been reviewing and updating our member’s policies for these Standards since December 2021.
Want to check out online policies?
Want your working life to be free of nagging worry about your policies? Want the assurance of knowing your policies are up-to-date and accessible to all your staff?
Take the leap and get in contact. We want to talk to you about what your policy needs and answer your questions about how our online policies can support you to achieve your goals.
Get in contact or try us out by signing up for a Free Trial.
BIG news, Big Changes – online policies
NEWS FLASH – Policy Place members now have options to customise and download their online policies.
The Policy Place’s online policy system has been upgraded and members can now start to enjoy the benefits.
In this post, we look at the new options and implications for members.
Online policies
Policy Place members have their own set of online policies. Policies comprise core content aimed at addressing members’ compliance eg Social Sector Accreditation Standards, Ngā Paerewa Health and Disability Standards.
We customise online policies to members when we set them up based on their accreditation, approval and audit requirements and documents like their existing policies and procedures, branding etc.
But customised features are limited. If members want to edit or change their policies they can only do it by providing feedback to scheduled policy reviews and via the Policy Place.
But yeah- we can now offer more!
Changes to online policies
But things have changed.
Policy Place members will now be able to customise their online policies in different ways. They may choose to:
- download their set of online policies
- set up their own additional policy pages
- edit and change the core content of their online policies
- add paragraphs and processes to their existing online policies.
Policy Place members will be able to customise their policies directly and whenever they wish. They will have to keep their customised content reviewed and updated but will have the assurance of knowing that the Policy Place continues to review and update the core content of their policies.
Value of customised policies
Members have been asking for the power to work on their policies directly. We’ve listened and done it.
But it’s not a one-size fits all situation. Some members are going to want the full customisation package. Some are going to want just a bit more scope to alter and add to their online policies while others may not want to customise at all.
Is it right for you?
The option of customising your online policies is going to be especially appealing if:
- you want some or all of your polices to be in another language
- you are subject to specialist accreditation or compliance requirements that are not completely addressed by the core content of your online policies
- you want to use the Policy Place core content but in a more personalised way
- you want to add in your own procedures to policy pages or other details
- you’re a niche agency with specialised policy needs
- you want to include photos and pictures of your service in your policies.
The different levels of customisation, will work for different sized agencies.
Smaller agencies may like the more minimal customisation option of adding paragraphs to their online policies rather than edit core content. This way they can gain degree of personalisation while retaining the benefit of the Policy Place reviews and updates of core content.
For larger agencies, the full customisation pack may be more attractive. It will help these agencies to carry out multiple functions and satisfy complex compliance obligations.
Want to know more?
Check out Online Policies for more information or book a free consult to talk about how online policies can work for you.
Policy tips for cultural responsiveness
It’s foundational
Cultural responsiveness is foundational for any social service, health or other agency in Aotearoa/New Zealand. It’s a core requirement of the new Health and Disability Standards, which take effect on 28 February 2022. It’s also central to the Social Sector Accreditation Standards.
The foundational nature of cultural responsiveness should reflect across an organisation’s policies and procedures for operations, governance, programmes, client services etc. It begins with an understanding and acknowledgment of the history of Aotearoa and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
At the Policy Place, we reflect “foundational” in our online policy and procedure service by having a group of integrity policies that speak to the heart of the agency – policies addressing Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Equality and inclusion, the Kaupapa of the agency, Disability Confidence, Whānau Engagement and Pasifika. Because the policies are part of an online platform, they are meant to, and can easily, be considered as part of other policy requirements in areas like HR and operations.
It’s a big concept
In the health sector, cultural responsiveness involves a broad meaning of “culture.” It includes, but is not limited to, values, attitudes and beliefs that can be associated with ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexuality, socioeconomic status, occupation, iwi affiliation, religion, spirituality and disability.
Responsiveness means having regard to culture and involves self and organisationally -aware practice. Those providing a service have undergone a process of reflection of their own cultural identity and the impact this has on policies, practice and services.
This is not just the job of one policy. At the Policy Place we have policies addressing person- and whānau-centred practice so that the circumstances, needs and values of those served trump preset programmes.
Power dynamics must be recognised and challenged
A criterion of the Ngā Paerewa Health and Disability Standard is that it is safe to ask in the organisation ‘how is institutional and systemic racism acting here?”
Policies should encourage and support staff and leadership to identify and do something about systemic inequalities, for example:
- that access by those traditionally underserved by the social and health sectors will be monitored and prioritised in planning;
- identify and address the impacts of colonisation (eg monocultural workforce, policies and practices) eg strengthen and build your Māori workforce; outreach strategies).
Develop a plan with your policy
At the Policy Place, cultural responsiveness policy is supplemented by a Cultural Competency and Responsiveness plan. In this way, online members get the benefits of policy as well as a plan that they can use and modify to fit their circumstances and aspirations.
If you’re not part of our online service, you can implement your own policy with a plan. Your policy can state the important and enduring requirements. Your plan can support you to action them. With your team, identify your responsiveness goals, key actions you will take to achieve them, how you’ll know you’re progressing and review dates.
How we can help
Cultural responsiveness is embedded in the suite of online policies and procedures we provide to our members. Our members come from all walks of life so our challenge is to make cultural responsiveness policies appropriate and meaningful for different contexts.
It’s an ongoing project of improvement that we’re committed to.
If you want help with your policies and procedures, contact us.
Helpful Resources
For some great resources on cultural responsiveness check out these:
Ministry of Health, Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti) Framework
Ministry of Health, Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti) Framework
Inclusive Health Principles and Strategies
Intellectual Disabilities ODI Guidance and resources for employers and business owners
Learning and education modules on understanding bias in health care
3 tips for your Use of Restraint policy
The new Health and Disability Standards come into effect in February 2022. At the Policy Place we’re updating our online policies for our members. We’ve just finished updating the Use of Restraint policy.
If your policies are due for an update to come into line with the new Health and Disability standards then now is a good time to join the Policy Place online policy and procedure service. Contact us now to find out more.
But if you’re into DIY here are some tips on what to cover in your Use of Restraint policy.
The goal is elimination
Your policy purpose should clearly state upfront your agency’s intent to eliminate or at least, minimise the use of restraint against any client.
The purpose should reflect throughout your policy and procedure. Importantly, require that restraint be used only as a last resort and only after alternatives like de-escalation have been tried.
Assessment and planning are important
If a person is identified during assessment to have challenging behaviours that may necessitate the use of restraint, this should be addressed in planning with that person and their family, whānau, other supports.
In this context, everyone can come to a common understanding and agreement about relevant behavioural triggers, what works, doesn’t work, relevant cultural values and how, when and what should be applied to address challenging behaviour if prevention and de-escalation don’t work.
Accountability is crucial
The recent release of the Abuse in Care interim report in Aotearoa/NZ highlights the importance of accountability for the use of restraints on people. This is a key requirement of the Health and Disability Standard for Use of Restraint.
Keep a record
It means that your policy and procedure should ensure that a record is kept of details like:
- when, why and how restraint was used
- the impact and outcome of the restraint
- support and debriefing that was provided or offered to the person
- how the use of the restraint was monitored
- how a recurrence can be prevented in the future.
Report and improve
It also means that your policy and procedure should require reporting. Firstly, as an incident report. Secondly, that aggregate data on restraint incidents are shared at all levels of the organisation so that trends and systemic issues can be identified and addressed.
Lastly, your policy and procedure should support accountability for change and improvement.
If improvements are indicated from review at a client and/or aggregate level of restraint incidents, your policy should require these to be made unless there is good reason not to do so (aka an exceptional reason not to). The decision with reasons should be documented.
There’s a lot to do to prepare for the new Standards. So let us help.
Get in contact to find out more about our online policy and procedure service at the Policy Place.
How to make policies an atomic habit in your organisation
Listening to Brenee Brown’s interview with James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, I was reminded about the necessity for policies to be an atomic habit in health, social and education services.
Goals are the results we want. Policies and procedures provide a system to get there. But too often policies and procedures are relegated to compliance. We forget their relevance to our goals. So how can we keep reminding ourselves?
Better still how we can make referring to policies and procedures an organisational atomic habit?
4 criteria for an atomic habit
James Clear proposes four criteria for building a new habit. These can be used to help build a policy-use habit in your organisation.
The four criteria are that the habit is “obvious”, “easy,” “attractive” and “satisfying.”
Make it obvious
Stone composition on the beach.
If you want people to do something, they’re more likely to do it if it’s there for them – they see it, remember it etc. Conversely, out of sight, out of mind.
Policies are often not “top of mind” when they should be in a organisation and that can reflect that they are buried in a mass of other organisational files and business. It seems easier, “more obvious” in this context to ask your manager about what to do rather than refer to the relevant policy.
To make using organisational policies an obvious choice for staff, the organisation at all levels needs to promote and actively encourage its member to use the policies:
- when staff come to you with questions, refer them to the policies
- each time policies are reviewed and updated and when relevant to discussion go through them with your team.
Make your policies and procedures visible to staff so they are reminded of them. For example, in the Policy Place online service, all the policies and procedures are obvious as a lefthand menu. By clicking on a policy category, staff can view relevant policies.
Make it attractive
checking her home finances online
Policies rarely conjure an attractive picture. They’re more likely to be associated with dusty old manuals and text-heavy documents/
But at the Policy Place, we show it can be done. Policies can be attractive. Our members’ policies carry their own branding. We include pictures and youtube links to videos and use hyperlinks and pages to reduce text.
We want people to use the polices so let’s make them as attractive as possible.
Make it easy
Organisational policies should help your agency give practical effect to and comply with legislative and regulatory requirements. They should make things easier.
But the challenge with policies is that it’s not just a one-off exercise. You have to keep them up-to-date with law and regulatory changes etc and review them regularly to keep in line with practice. This can be hard when you have many other operational priorities.
But if policies aren’t kept updated, it becomes hard for staff to trust that they provide correct and reliable guidance. At the Policy Place we also see policies that have become complex and confusing because people have added to them in a hurry to address an issue without considering the ramifications for other policies.
Make it satisfying
For staff to become habitual policy users, they need to derive some benefit from using policies. If policies are simple and provide clear guidance without undue restriction then staff will benefit from using them. They will have the reward of an answer to their question in the immediate sense. Longer-term, as they get used to referring to policies, they will feel safer and more confident in their identity as practitioners.
At the PolicyPlace we’re always dealing with busy people, who often feel overwhelmed by the job of having to do and updated policies. We understand and want to help. That’s why we have our online policy system.
Contact us to join our online system. You will get your policies online. Even better, we keep the policies reviewed and updated.