Development of the workload analysis scale (WAS) for the assessment and rehabilitation services of Ballarat Health Services.

Abstract

This study describes the development of the Workload Analysis Scale (WAS), designed to predict the likely workload involved for social workers working with clients in the assessment and rehabilitation areas of Ballarat Health Services (BHS). Such a scale would allow more equitable case allocation, flagging of difficult cases, better work prioritisation, training of new staff and tracking changes over time. Items for the scale were developed in consultation with workers. Initially the scale consisted of 33 items divided into five subscales, relating respectively to treatment factors, demographics, psychosocial complexity, planned interventions and variable staff factors. Eight staff members of BHS contributed to the completion of the scale for 111 clients seen over a four month period on the rehabilitation and assessment wards. Initial analysis of the data led to a modification of the scale and subsequent satisfactory measures of reliability and validity.