Colleagues Connect presentation at NDS conference

April 7, 2023 [email protected] | www.field.org.au

Colleagues ConnectAccommodation & Social Participation Conference 2010

field & Reactive


Introduction

The Colleagues Connect Project has been funded by Collaborative Internet Innovation Fund (cIIF) and field.

cIIF provides $15 million in a competitive grants program to accelerate the innovative use of the next generation of ICT by Victorian government, business and community.

‘In kind’ funding contributions have been made by Melbourne City Mission and the Australian Quadriplegic Association

cIIF Round 2 will focus on the development of innovative applications for the high capacity broadband environment and is due to run in 2010.


Victoria’s Innovation Agenda

cIIF is an initiative under the Victorian Government's Innovation Statement, Innovation: Victoria's Future intended to accelerate the innovative use of the next generation of ICT by Victorian government, business and community.

Health - to support our ageing population andtheir health needs, and to maintain our quality of life

Sustainability - putting innovation to work to meet the climate change challenge, Protect our environment and ensure we have the ongoing capacity for long term growth

Productivity - to compete internationally and ensure Victoria has the infrastructure, skills and resources to work more efficiently and turn new ideas into new products, services and solutions


cIFF funding


Current situation

Changes in models of service delivery (including de-institutionalization and individualized funding) have resulted in many people with disability receiving services in their own homes and communities.

This is a worthy achievement and one of the principal aims of the Victorian Disability State Plan 2002 -2012.


Current situation

Cost prohibitive for employers to bring staff together regularly

Issue of how to keep the workforce supported and continuously improving in terms of service quality.


Colleagues Connect

Interface to better connect disability support workers and provide opportunities for collegiate support, learning and development, debriefing, supervision and sharing best practice.

Utilizes established web2.0 tools


Pilot groups

Pilot will be conducted with◦ Melbourne City Mission◦ AQA Vic – rural and metro

Other partners of the project include National Disability Services Office for the Community Sector -

Department of Planning and Community Development

Evaluators – Synthesize Design and Consultancy - Reactive


Colleagues Connect Videos

David CarlosProject ManagerMelbourne Citymission

Video Presentation on the Colleagues Connect Project at:

www.vimeo.com/11617881

http://www.vimeo.com/11617881



Peter TretheweyChief Executive OfficerAQA Victoria Ltd

Video presentation on Colleagues Connect at

www.vimeo.com/11618277

http://www.vimeo.com/11618277


Objectives and benefits of Colleagues Connect

◦ Benefits to support workers Regular staff supervision Access to organisation information Greater capacity for ongoing learning and development Sharing best practice Collegiate support Potential to develop smarter ways to work



◦ Benefits to the organisation Increased productivity Reduced costs in relation to workforce wellbeing (ill health,

stress, Work Cover premiums etc) Greater ability to communicate with staff Mechanism to provide organization information to staff Structural support for new models of service delivery



◦ Benefits to the people with a disability Use of Web. 2.0 to support greater social inclusion

(including access to the e environment) Tool to assist people with disability to direct their own

services Platform to update information to their support staff Access to organisation information Capacity for online community building with consequent

benefits for wellbeing

April 7, [email protected] | www.field.org.au


“The web is more of a social creation than a technical one. I designed it for a social effect – to help people work together – and not as a technical toy.”

Tim Berners-Lee‘Weaving the Web, the original design and Ultimate destiny of the World Wide

Web’



Colleagues Connect and Social Tools


Web 2.0 technologies - Yammer, Skype and Vimeo

• The benefits of implementing Web 2.0 social tools are:– Proven tools that fit the need– significantly reducing the technology

cost of the project. – benefiting from ongoing

improvements to the chosen solutions as a result of wider user feedback.


Web 2.0 technologies - Yammer


Web 2.0 technologies - Yammer

• Yammer is a simple real-time communication tool for organisations– Microblogging– Social networking– Collaboration tools– Knowledge Base– Mobile tools


Web 2.0 technologies - Skype


Web 2.0 technologies - Skype

• Skype is an IP-based communications tool– Skype to Skype phone calls– Skype to phone/mobile– Skype video– Instant Messaging


Web 2.0 technologies - Vimeo


Web 2.0 technologies - Vimeo

• Vimeo is a full-featured video sharing platform and community space– Video sharing– Groups– Secure areas– Advanced privacy features


The Social Web


The Social Web

Information Source Participation platform

Static Dynamic

Reading Writing

Organisations Communities

Owning/Selling Sharing

Portals Social Networks

One to Many Many to Many

Centrally controlled Reciprocal control

E Business Peer production


The Social Web

• Socializing activities form the basis of the social web– Authoring content– Conversation– Tagging– Sharing– Bookmarking– User generated content– Each element has a different engagement

quality


The Social Web

• The social web in action...– Amazon.com recommendations and

wishlists– Facebook Tools– Photo sharing (Flickr, etc)– Chatting and Instant messaging– Google maps and mashups– User generated content– Twitter, Yammer, Vimeo, many, many

others


“People have been interacting with other people for much longer than the internet has been around, so give them the tools and set them free”

Rolf Skyberg


Project Update

Meeting with partners commenced (ongoing) Development of ICT application completed.

Content to be uploaded Evaluators appointed and baseline data being

collected Training to commence in May with project

participants Full pilot scheduled for June



Leonie Morgan Manager ProjectsOffice for the Community SectorDepartment of Planning and Community Development

Video presentation found at:http://www.vimeo.com/11618822


The Future

Colleagues Connect has the capacity to be a new and innovative resource that can: ◦ Enhance the capacity of any workforce largely employed

in isolated settings◦ Increase communication in organisations to enhance

productivity ◦ Impact on the wellbeing and autonomy of people who,

for whatever reason, are largely home bound◦ Place the disability sector in the front line of innovation ◦ Provide people with a disability with an active interface to

allow them to determine their service needs


Contact Details

Field – furthering inclusive learning and developmentLinda Budd◦ Tel: 03 8686 5621◦ Email: [email protected]

Reactive – Simon Julian◦ Tel: 03 9415 2310◦ Email: [email protected]

Education

Colleagues Connect presentation at NDS conference