Lifeline for e-learning
An online training course, funded by the 2005-2006 Australian Flexible Learning Framework, is designed to help ensure callers accessing a national helpline service receive the same standard of care throughout Australia.
Lifeline Australia, a not-for-profit organisation which operates a national 24-hour telephone counselling service, has been awarded AUD$50,000 to demonstrate how technology can create practical solutions to workforce training and development needs.
A team of some 5,000 volunteer counsellors rely on on-call duty supervisors to assist them in ensuring that callers are cared for ethically, safely and effectively.
The e-learning demonstration will provide Lifeline’s on-call duty supervisors with a resource that will ensure a consistent standard of training in counselling, debriefing, emergency and referral protocols throughout the 41 centres across Australia.
The web-based learning management system will include audio presentations, online discussion forums and e-quizzes. This will assist on-call duty supervisors to develop core skills and knowledge, to support volunteers handling complicated calls.
Lifeline on-call duty supervisors and phone counsellors are largely volunteers and have full-time jobs themselves which limits their ability to attend scheduled training sessions.
Through technology its on-call duty supervisors can easily access all necessary training material via the Internet and visit their Lifeline Centre for face-to-face assessment.
e-learning enables a standardised level of on-call duty supervisor training across Australia.
