Staff matters August 31, 2018 - Issue 168 Week 9
Thank you from Afford’s Chairman This year we celebrate 65 years of Afford operations and on behalf of the Board of Afford, I would like to extend our gratitude for the work you do for our clients and the organisation every day. It’s the dedication and genuine care that you show in your role that sets us apart in the industry and fosters exceptional and life changing achievements for clients. This year draws a distinct ‘line in the sand’ in Afford’s history, with the Board resolving to expand our operations interstate to Queensland and Victoria, where we are able to assist more people with disability, their families and carers to live the life they choose. This expansion has been made possible by our strong financial position and I thank the Team Leaders and District Managers for the extra responsibilities they have taken on to get us to this position. Your efforts and those of the CEO and his team have allowed us to invest in additional services and facilities to support clients. Over the last year Afford has purchased an astounding 29 properties, this is an amazing effort and thanks go to the Board’s Property Committee, under the leadership of Director, Mario Bellantonio for the work done in this regard. To staff who have recently joined Afford, I warmly welcome you to our Afford community. You care for our clients and we make sure we care for you through a robust suite of Employer of Choice initiatives which I encourage you to take advantage of. Keep an eye out for an exciting announcement in the coming weeks with the launch of an additional Employee Benefits program that has the potential to save you $1,000s each year. Similarly, the Board is passionate about Afford’s carers and making sure that we are able to provide strong support and respite services to keep families together and thriving. We appreciate your commitment to Afford and the genuine care you show our clients, and the Board looks forward to all that we will continue to achieve together into the future.
Ross Fowler OAM, Chairman
Let your abilities soar www.afford.com.au
In This Issue 1 Thank You From Afford’s Chairman
2 Staff Profile A Interstate Affair
3 A Big Welcome To Our New CFO
4 Farewell To George A Sad Goodbye To Marcela Upcoming Events Selfie Of the Week Have a Laugh
Reminder Don’t forget to send your/clients’ achievements, good news stories and photos to
Marketing@afford.com.au
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August 31, 2018 - Issue 168
Staff Profile
Radhika Sewram Lifestyle Assistant Gold Coast
Favourite Song: Treasure by Bruno Mars Favourite Movie: 3 Idiots Favourite Hobbies: Reading, hiking and climbing. Favourite Foods: Ladyfinger curry and puri. If you could be an animal what would you be? An elephant, they are wise old beings. What is your dream holiday destination? Fiji What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you? Make me feel included and wanted. If you had the power what would you change about the world? I would try to eliminate wars. If you had to teach something what would you teach: Live in love, or mathematics. Something no one knows about me: I’m from Fiji.
let your abilities soar
An Interstate Affair Afford is excited to welcome new interstate staff into the Afford community! With Afford’s expansion into Queensland and Victoria, our team is growing and it is lovely to welcome new faces into the Afford family. Look at us grow! We’re excited to introduce Mark Keating, as the new District Manager in Melbourne and Carl Watson and Karen Burgess who are the new Customer Care Managers in Melbourne. The North Queensland team consists of Lorraine Fry who is the District Manager; Ben Thurtell, Customer Care Manager; Railene Ward, Support Coordinator; Nicole Liedke, Occupational Therapist; and Ally Grainger the new Psychologist. Last Wednesday, 22 August, our Melbourne and Northern Queensland new starters dropped into Sydney for three days of induction training. In addition to their training, the trip was a wonderful opportunity for the new staff to meet the team at Minchinbury Head Office and also spend some time finding out more about Afford services with a tour of the Penrith Group Homes and some Day Programs. During their time in Sydney, our interstate counterparts were impressed with the range of services Afford offers clients and also commented that the Group Homes and Day Programs had an exceptional level of quality. In particular, the new staff were impressed by the Day Program sensory rooms and the range of activities and supports on offer throughout Afford services. We really wanted to show our new teams what being part of the Afford community is all about. So a Buzz Night was held on Thursday at the Rooty Hill RSL Club. The Melbourne and Queensland staff, along with Afford CEO, Steven Herald, Rhiannon O’Brien and Michelle Flynn, enjoyed a social and relaxed end to the interstate visit; sharing dinner and drinks and getting to know each other a little more. This special Buzz Night was a chance to celebrate the success of Afford’s expansion interstate and a great way to lay the foundations for a successful future in Victoria and Queensland. As an Employer of Choice, Afford encourages all sites to get involved and organise their own buzz nights for their sites to get together, socialise and have fun.
www.afford.com.au
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August 31, 2018 - Issue 168
A big WELCOME to our new CFO We are excited to welcome Mal Zeitouneh as the new CFO at Afford. Mal comes to Afford with a wealth of experience and we are very fortunate to have his expertise. Mal’s professional focus is a blend of robust fiscal management and team empowerment. He is an expert at transforming business processes to achieve a positive and sustainable impact by traversing finance, people and technology. Mal brings extensive financial leadership expertise to Afford, which has been acquired in various Senior Executive positions over the past decade. Since commencing his career as an accountant with Pannell Kerr Forster, Mal has led finance functions across multiple businesses in the travel, mining and consumer goods sectors. Prior to joining Afford, Mal held a Senior Executive position with a subsidiary of the AVIS Budget Group Asia Pacific where he orchestrated the transformation of accounting and information systems. Mal is a qualified Tax Practitioner and a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders. This is Mal’s first foray into the not-for-profit sector and he is passionate about the opportunity to use his skills and experience to make a positive contribution to the disability sector. In doing so, he is contributing not just to the business but to the wider community. He is also looking forward to supporting Steve Herald, Afford’s CEO to ensure the growth and on-going financial success of Afford. Welcome to the Afford community Mal! We look forward to working further with you.
Sneak Peek - rewards & savings Coming your way! Afford takes its Employer of Choice title very seriously and we continuously look for ways to reward staff for the exceptional roles they play in progressing Afford in the disability sector. Look out for the rewards logo to find out more about some of the amazing discounts on offer and participating partners. It’s coming your way SOON!
let your abilities soar
www.afford.com.au
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August 31, 2018 - Issue 168
Farewell To george
For the past year, George Leow has been a delightful addition to the Afford community as a Project Accountant. George has been working with Afford in a contract position for almost a year and has been involved in various accounting projects, as well as a point of contact for many IT issues. Whenever George was called upon, he always had a smile on his face and was willing to help out with any tricky computer problems. With the completion of his contract term, George is now moving on from Afford, so a farewell was held to celebrate his time at Afford. There was carrot cake and great memories to share with friends. George, you will be missed. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours!
A Sad Goodbye to Marcela
We recently said a tearful goodbye to a wonderful, fun loving woman, Marcela Molina from Lurnea DP, who lost her battle with cancer on the 24th August.
UPCOMING EVENTS Date: Event: 27 Aug - 2 Sep
1 Sep 1-7 Sep 1-7 Sep Her friendly grin and beaming smile will be sorely missed 1-8 Sep by us all. She brought so much energy and life to us. Every morning, she’d bounce into the site and greet everyone with a beaming smile, wearing her famous cat ear headbands, sunnies and headphones. There was never a dull moment with Marcela. She sadly passed away surrounded by her nearest and dearest in hospital.
We will miss you so much. May you rest in peace!
fieweek l e
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Legacy Week
Gold Bow Day (Thyroid Cancer) National Asthma Week Spina Bifida Awarness Week Adult Learners Week
Have a laugh
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In the Selfie Above: Our Melbourne District Manager, Mark Keating shopping up a storm for our Melbourne Head Office!
let your abilities soar www.afford.com.au
Please send in your selfies or laughs