Improving workforce confidence using Let’s get real

We talked with Chris Hocken about her work with Let’s get real in her roles with MidCentral DHB and NGOs.

“Let’s get real has really helped us in the workforce to build confidence – to upskill the workforce so they feel confident [working with people with mental health and addiction needs]. The training is free. You can select the parts of the framework that align to your service’s needs, and there is no lack of support from the Let’s get real team. The Te Pou, Let’s get real website contains a lot of information that contributes to positive experiences. This includes tools and resources for managers, leaders, our health workforce and human resource professionals. For example, the Guide for leaders, the People tool and Real Skills online. After working through the different Let’s get real modules, our workforce improved their ability to find out what was available to them in the community, and identify where they could go for help. It feels like now they know where to go for support, they don’t feel so alone on their professional development journeys. MidCentral DHB has the values and attitudes workshops as part of staff core training.”

Have there been any significant turning points in your journey using Let’s get real so far?

“The turning point for me would be when I finally got all 280 NGO workers across the line on the Let’s get real baseline data, and to see where our gaps were. The Working with Māori e-learning module became an opportunity to work with local mana whenua. We organised a two-day noho marae stay for staff, working with local iwi, connecting with one another, designing in partnership not only the workshop and a booklet to hand out but also the modules that we were going to do.
The workshop included the importance of getting to know local mana whenua when you worked here. It was about knowing your mihi, it was the readings, and building understanding of our obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We talked about Te Wheke, the protocols of powhiri, pepeha – knowing your own pepeha, basic te reo, waiata and the importance of prayer and karakia. These are all critical tools in enabling us to communicate more effectively with tāngata whai ora and whānau.”

“One of my lightbulb moments was to sit amongst the people and be with the people. We have done something very similar up here at the DHB with our doctors as we have a higher percentage of Māori population, so it is really important that we know how to work with people.”

What have been your key learnings?

“Lessons learned would be that Let’s get real is really simple – it’s simple, and it’s free. Commit the time, and plan, plan, plan. If you plan things really well, good results follow. Planning is absolutely imperative to everything we have done using Let’s get real. If you get stuck, the team at Te Pou are available to give you the support you need to move it forward. I don’t think Let’s get real is just for mental health and addiction services. I think we need to use Let’s get real across social services, the Ministry of Social Development, Kāinga Ora and Police. We just all need to know how to work with people with mental health and addiction needs in the most effective way possible to ensure they have what they need to lead quality lives. We all have to be able to believe in recovery. We all need to be there for one another. Let’s get real is a tool that supports us to realise these aspirations in our practices.”

- Thanks Chris