Employer of Choice - FAQs

The flexible and online AVA EOC Program includes the following, which you’ll have access to following registration:

Part 1

Two pre-survey questionnaires. One is for the ‘Manager’ who is participating in the program and the other is for ‘Employees’.

• a. Manager – the survey is online and contains 30 questions. You will be required to rate the questions based on the priorities at your practice. The survey will recommend the strategies that you should focus on based on your responses.
• b. Employees – this survey is setup and conducted within the practice using the template provided as part of the AVA EOC Program. The aim of this survey is to secure feedback directly from your employees about their level of job satisfaction. Each employee is invited to participate in the survey by providing a rating against 56 statements – which correlate to the AVA EOC strategies. The results will provide valuable feedback from your employees about which strategies in the program you should focus on.

Part 2

Online module – the online module contains 30 strategies, packed with interactive activities, take away tasks, case-studies of what to do – and what not to do, a strategy summary and (optional) reflection questions – just to make sure that you understand the key issues being communicated in each strategy.

Resources – you will also have access to a printable workbook and a number of forms and templates that you can use on an ongoing basis in your practice.

Yes, you can view the strategies here.

The AVA EOC Program is available to AVA Members as part of AVA’s member benefits.

For AVA EOC Accreditation costs, please refer to the FAQ ‘How much will AVA EOC Accreditation cost?’

The AVA EOC Program is currently open for registration by AVA Members only. For more information about becoming an AVA Member please visit this page or contact our Member Services team.

Once you are enrolled, you will access the program via My Learning, AVA’s Learning Management System. Instructions on how to access the program will be emailed to you following registration.

The AVA EOC Program is online, completely flexible and entirely on-demand. This means you can access the program from any device and at any time, with an internet connection.

There is also no set timeframe to complete the program, as long as you remain an AVA Member.

There are no deadlines to begin or complete the program, as long as you remain an AVA Member.

An average of two to four hours may be required to complete a Strategy and the reflection questions, however we recognise everyone learns at a different pace, so spend as much or as little time as you need to become competent with the learning outcomes.

The AVA EOC Program is eligible for CPD. The amount of CPD depends on your learning approach. Why? Each strategy within the online module is followed by an optional reflection exercise, with each exercise containing 5 questions.

• If you complete the reflection exercises, your learning will be classified as structured (1 point:1 hour).
• If you choose not to complete the reflection exercises your learning will be classified as unstructured (1 point:2 hours).

Refer to the following table:

* If multiple strategies are completed, multiply the relevant CPD (structured or unstructured) by the number of strategies completed.

AVA Members are encouraged to record their hours in My CPD via My AVA on the AVA website. Access to an AVA EOC Checklist will be provided upon registration which will enable you to track your progress and will assist with CPD allocation. For more information about CPD please refer to the VetEd Points table on this page.

Each AVA EOC strategy is accompanied by an optional ‘reflection exercise’. Each reflection exercise contains five questions, including question types such as true/false, multiple choice, matching answers, etc. ‘Optional’ means, it’s up to you whether you wish to participate. Completion of the Reflection Questions is encouraged as it provides an opportunity to reflect on your learning and ensure that you have understood the key learning outcomes and activities in the strategy. Plus, completing the reflection questions means your learning will be classified as structured CPD. Your grade will be provided immediately following the submission of each reflection exercise.

Whilst 80% is encouraged per reflection exercise, you do not need to achieve this prior to continuing with your learning. It is suggested to review the comments provided upon submission of each question and refer back to the strategy resources if required before moving on to the next Strategy.

The AVA EOC Program will be reviewed regularly to ensure it reflects industry best-practice and veterinary work practices.

For any questions about the AVA EOC Program, please contact the AVA.

AVA EOC Accreditation is an accomplishment awarded to practices to signify they are exemplary employers within the profession. It is an optional step instigated by the practice following completion of the AVA EOC Program.

The process of accreditation involves an independent, external audit of a practice’s internal HR practices, policies, and procedures against the AVA EOC Accreditation Standards. This audit evaluates compliance with relevant legislation and best practice HR standards specific to the veterinary profession, to ensure the performance of the practice meets the tenets of AVA EOC Accreditation. Only practices that fulfil these criteria may be publicly recognised as an AVA EOC Accredited^TM practice.

Similar to the AVA EOC Program, the AVA EOC Accreditation is voluntary.

A practice will remain AVA EOC Accredited for four years from the date of Accreditation Approval. To maintain AVA EOC Accreditation for the full duration of the Accreditation period, the Accredited practice must comply with all requirements, including the AVA EOC Accreditation Annual Compliance Review – Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3, and AVA membership requirements. For those practices interested in AVA EOC Reaccreditation, that process will commence 6 months prior to the expiry of the Accreditation period.

The AVA EOC Accreditation Annual Compliance Review is a checklist comprised of HR procedures and actions to be completed by AVA EOC Accredited practices annually to ensure the practice continues to uphold all relevant AVA EOC Accreditation Standards.

Within a few days of achieving AVA EOC Accreditation, the practice’s nominated email address will also receive three (3) meeting requests for the Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 AVA EOC Accreditation Annual Compliance Reviews. An email reminder will also be sent to the practice’s nominated email address 6 weeks prior to the due date for each annual compliance review.

The AVA EOC Accreditation Annual Compliance Review must be completed by the due date specified within the email notifications.

In addition to completing the AVA EOC Accreditation Annual Compliance Review, practices may be requested to provide evidence of continuing compliance with the AVA EOC Accreditation Standards.

Failure to comply with these terms may result in a loss of AVA EOC Accreditation status for the practice.

To be eligible to participate in the AVA EOC Program and apply for AVA EOC Accreditation:

1. a practice representative (practice principal, practice manager or other relevant stakeholder) must be a current AVA Member. This includes a representative:
   1. within the practice that’s applying for EOC Accreditation as a single practiceⁱ;
   2. within the group practiceⁱⁱ when applying for EOC Accreditation as group, including:
      1. a representative at the corporate (level 1)ⁱⁱⁱ; and
      2. a different representative at each individual practice (level 2)^iv within the group
   3. be registered in the AVA EOC Program, and
   4. have actively engaged with the learning resources within the program and implemented EOC development initiatives in accordance with learning outcomes or provide other evidence of compliance with the Standards as applicable.

• ⁱ Single practice – a single, standalone practice
• ⁱⁱ Group practice – includes multi-practices and corporate veterinary groups
• ⁱⁱⁱ Corporate (level 1) – includes the corporate/head office level of the group practice
• ^iv Individual practice (level 2) – includes all individual practices that are part of a group practice

In the context of AVA EOC Accreditation, a ‘Group practice’ is two or more individual practices that have standardised HR practices across each individual practice. This includes HR policies, procedures, contracts and other standardised HR documentation. If all individual practices do not have standardised HR practices and they differ substantially, the practices will each need to apply separately for AVA EOC Accreditation as a ‘Single practice’.

Please note, even if the practices “share” employees, where a significant number solely work at a single practice and therefore are likely to have distinctly separate workplaces despite their standardised HR systems, then for the purposes of AVA EOC Accreditation they would be treated under the Group Practice umbrella with two single practices.

* Fee is per practice, for each individual practice (Level 2)^iv in the group undertaking accreditation or reaccreditation. Refer example scenario below. 

ENDNOTE

• ^{[i] Single practice – a single, standalone practice}
• ^{[ii] Group practice – includes multi-practices and corporate veterinary groups}
• ^{[iii] Corporate (level 1) – includes the corporate/head office level of the group practice}
• ^{[iv] Individual practice (level 2) – includes all individual practices that are part of a group practice}

Example of the AVA EOC Accreditation fee structure for a Group Practiceⁱⁱ:

If 5 individual practices are eligible to apply for AVA EOC Accreditation under the ‘Group practice’ pricing structure (refer to FAQ 'What is a ‘Group practice’ in relation to AVA EOC Accreditation?'), the fee structure will be as follows:

1. 1 x Group practice – Corporate (level 1) fee = 1 x $3,157.00 ex GST; plus
2. 5 x Group practice – Individual practice (level 2) fees = 5 x $2,087.00 ex GST

AVA EOC Accreditation provides a framework through set criteria to meet specific employment standards. The granting of AVA EOC Accreditation is the result of an independent, peer review of performance against those standards.

Practices seeking AVA EOC Accreditation must complete the below steps, all conducted within the AVA EOC Program:

1. read the AVA EOC Accreditation Program Manual to ensure their understanding of the eligibility criteria and process;
2. complete the Pre-Application Checklist to determine their eligibility to apply for AVA EOC Accreditation; and
3. upon successful completion of the Pre-Application Checklist, a practice wishing to undertake AVA EOC Accreditation will submit their intent to apply for AVA EOC Accreditation using the AVA EOC Accreditation - Statement of Intent to Apply online form.

Once the statement of intention to apply for AVA EOC Accreditation has been submitted, the practice will be contacted by the AVA to initiate registration in the AVA EOC Accreditation on the AVA's My Learning platform.

It’s after this that a practice may formally apply for AVA EOC Accreditation by completing and submitting the AVA EOC Accreditation Application Forms, followed by uploading and submitting the documented evidence of compliance requested by the AVA EOC Accreditation Team.

The application forms and document submissions address each of the three (3) AVA EOC Accreditation Standards set out below:

1. Standard 1: Outstanding Veterinary Workplaces
2. Standard 2: Workplace Compliance
3. Standard 3: Employee Metrics and Outcomes

AVA members registered in the AVA EOC Program have access to the AVA EOC Accreditation Program Manual which provides a detailed outline of the three (3) Standards for Accreditation, and the audit and eligibility criteria.

For single practices that apply for AVA EOC Accreditation independently, all AVA EOC Accreditation Standards must be addressed in the AVA EOC Accreditation Application by the practice.

For those practices that apply for AVA EOC Accreditation as part of a group practice:

1. Corporate (Level 1: Veterinary Group Audit) will be required to address Standard 2 – Workplace Compliance
2. Individual practices (Level 2: Individual Practice Audit) within the group will be required to address Standard 1 – Outstanding Veterinary Workplaces and Standard 3 – Employee Metrics and Outcomes.

As a guide, the following will be assessed:

1. Demonstration of engagement with the six (6) core strategies of the AVA EOC Program:
   • 1: Ask
   • 12: Health and Wellbeing
   • 14: Induction and Orientation
   • 15: Job Descriptions and Performance Management
   • 23: Recognition and Reward
   • 25: Training and Development
2. Engagement with Staffing Metrics – as outlined in Strategy No. 19: Numbers, in the AVA EOC Program
3. A review of practice HR documentation, including HR policies and procedures, WHS policies and procedures; job descriptions, employment contracts and employment records, and may include:
   • Completion of the AVA Mental Health First Aid course
   • Implementation of the AVA Graduate Mentoring program
   • Enrolment in the Diploma of Leadership & Management online course - delivered by the Animal Industries Resource Centre and offered in conjunction with the Veterinary Business Group (VBG).
   • Participation in the AVA Return to Work program
4. An assessment of staff surveys and other staff feedback
5. Engagement with learning and/or development initiatives based on the evaluation of relevant HR KPIs.

The AVA EOC Accreditation Application process and audit is completed off-site.

Prior to Achieving AVA EOC Accreditation:

Where a practice is unable to meet the criteria for all three standards of AVA EOC Accreditation, they will be informed that the result of their Audit has been designated as "Not Approved”. The practice will need to reapply for AVA EOC Accreditation after taking the remedial action recommended by the AVA EOC Accreditation Team.

Upon Achieving AVA EOC Accreditation:

To maintain AVA EOC Accreditation, each practice must engage and maintain engagement with a current AVA member (refer Eligibility) and uphold the AVA EOC Accreditation Standards to which they are Accredited. Practices seeking to maintain their Accreditation status will be required to comply with any request for information from the AVA or the AVA EOC Accreditation Team relating to AVA EOC Accreditation.

Where a practice fails to meet these Standards, the practice will be provided a period of remediation after which they are reassessed. If the Standards continue to be unmet, then further remediation will be recommended. The period of remediation differs according to which Standards are being assessed.

Failure to comply with these terms may result in a loss of Accreditation status for the practice.

Practices that achieve the AVA EOC Accredited^TM status will be publicly recognised by the AVA on platforms such as the AVA website, AVA Newsletter, Career Connect and AVA’s My Learning platform. Individual detailed reports will not published.

It is the role of the veterinary practice to have a structure in place to monitor and correct poor HR performance. The HR Advisory Service Portal and the AVA EOC Program provides information that facilitates the identification and/or correction of poor HR performance.

Please visit this page for more information.