There are a range of standards, frameworks and guidelines in place within SA Health to facilitate strong clinical governance and best practice allied health service delivery, and support allied health professionals to work to their full scope of practice (including standard, advanced and extended scope roles).

Clinical governance 

The SA Health Allied Health Assistant Framework (PDF 985KB) has been developed to guide managers, clinical seniors, allied health professionals (AHPs) and other relevant health professionals in the safe and effective employment and integration of the Allied Health Assistant (AHA) workforce within services. The Framework aims to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of AHAs and AHPs in supporting AHA service delivery in SA Health. It guides how AHPs can effectively develop, assess, supervise and support AHAs, and appropriately delegate or assign direct clinical and indirect tasks.

An iLearn course titled Understanding the SA Health Allied Health Assistant Framework is available for AHAs, AHPs, and managers with AHAs in their teams to understand and implement the fundamental concepts within the Framework. 

Essential Competency Instructions (ECI)

ECI for clinical documentation, clinical handover and when to stop have been established for all AHAs and are considered the essential prerequisite knowledge required for AHAs to undertake any direct clinical tasks under the delegation of an Allied Health Professional within SA Health. An iLearn course titled Allied Health Assistant Essential Competencies for Clinical Care has been developed to support AHA theoretical knowledge requirements for safe and effective delivery of ECIs. In addition, the following resources have been developed:

Clinical Task Instructions (CTI)

To support the creation of clinical task instructions (CTI) for all other direct clinical tasks under the delegation of an Allied Health Professional within SA Health, the following resources have been developed:

The Allied Health Advanced Clinical Practice Statewide Framework (PDF 2MB) defines allied health advanced clinical practice and the core skills, attributes and knowledge expected to practice at this level of clinical practice in SA Health. The Framework provides guidance on the clinical governance, professional supervision, implementation, and evaluation of allied health advanced clinical practice roles.

The Clinical Governance Framework for Allied Health Professionals (PDF 2MB) describes the minimum clinical governance expectations to assure the delivery of allied health services that are safe, effective, high quality and continuously improving. The framework provides direction for the allied health workforce to enable safe and effective work, underpinned by the values of SA Health.

Copying of non-South Australian Health Documents Fact Sheet (PDF 209KB)has been developed to provide SA Health allied and scientific health professional’s information on copying documents as part of their job.

Menu and Nutritional Standard for Public Hospitals in South Australia (PDF 718KB) have been developed to ensure that inpatients in South Australian hospitals have access to sufficient and appropriate types of food and fluids to meet their nutritional needs to support their medical and overall care.

The Standards apply to all meals and mid-meals for all adult in-patients admitted to public hospitals in South Australia. They are applicable to patients on general ward diets and some specific patient groups including those requiring texture modified diets and those who may be eating poorly.

The SA Health Allied Health Professional Supervision Framework outlines SA Health’s commitment to supporting Allied Health Professionals working within their Local Health Network in accessing consistent, appropriate and effective clinical supervision and professional support.

Learn more about the Framework on the Professional Supervision Framework webpage, download templates and access SA Health’s professional supervision e-learning courses.

Data analytics

The Allied and Scientific Health Office worked with Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) Allied Health Directorate to build on the current understanding and utilisation of health service data to assist AH in contributing to broad health reform strategies.

The 2015 project demonstrates costings and funding methodology used within SA Health at the time. Allied Health input and potential for improved quantitative (cost savings) and qualitative (improved patient care) outcomes using alternative AH driven models of care were then identified through further analysis.

The Demonstrating the Value of Allied Health Care in SA Health (PDF 897KB) provides a template which could be utilised to evaluate and identify opportunities to improve service delivery.

Allied Health Activity Minimum Data Set and Data Definitions (PDF 2.3MB) document outlines the recommended minimum set of data collection regardless of the allied health site, service or activity collection system (EMR or non-EMR), although local workflow decisions regarding specific counting practices may be required.

This aligns with the nationally mandated allied health data activity requirements (or minimum data set) for service delivery. To ensure reported activity is as accurate, reproducible and standardised between and within professions and service locations as possible the minimum data was developed.

Introduction to activity based funding (ABF)

EMR Allied Health Business Rules

To maximise the benefits of Sunrise EMR & PAS as an integrated solution across SA Health sites basic enterprise-wide Sunrise EMR & PAS Business Rules in the area of Allied Health have been developed.

Local Health Networks (LHNs) may also create additional workflow documents which supplement the Business Rules and further enhance uniformity within their Network

The current Allied Health Business Rules can be accessed on the Sunrise EMR and PAS intranet. 

Further information

For further information please contact ASHO at HealthAlliedandScientificHealth@sa.gov.au.