Staff Matters November 9, 2018 Issue 178 Week 19
RENEWED & REFRESHED EDITION
CHERRYWOOD FETE SUNSHINE & SMILES
In This Issue
It was a day of sunshine and fun at this year’s Cherrywood Spring Fete where visitors came together to enjoy a day out of browsing, bargains, food and rides all thanks to Afford.
1
The Cherrywood Spring Fete is a much loved event that Afford holds every year at the Cherrywood Hub site in Llandilo.
2
This year, there were rides for everyone with a range of inflatable jumping castles with all different themes and climbing fun.
Cherrywood Fete Sunshine & Smiles Joke of The Week Club Afford Launches In North Queensland! Ho Ho Ho Christmas Card Winners
The stalls were amazing with everything from fashion, food and unique treasures. There were stalls with beautiful scented candles, jewellery and - everyone’s favourite - show bags! The sausage sizzle was again a popular option for lunch, as well as a range of fete food for a special treat. There was smokey brisket that melted in your mouth, chips and corn on a stick, the Cream Machine coffee van, Dutch Pancakes and more!
3
Being Safe In the Warm Weather
4
Race Day Celebrations Winners Are Grinners! Raising Funds For Bandana Day Upcoming Events Selfie of The Week
We had many of our clients from across our Sydney Day Programs and services come along to enjoy the day with some having their face painted in bright rainbow colours. There was loads to see and do this year with a range of amazing dancing and singing performances as well as Cherrywood Friendship Farm being a great stop for visitors wanting to snuggle and cuddle some furry, four legged friends. Well done to the organising team! The Cherrywood Fete is always a wonderful opportunity for everyone to come together as one community and share a fun and engaging day out.
REMINDER
Don’t forget to send your clients’ achievements, good news stories and photos to Marketing@afford.com.au
www.afford.com.au
Staff Matters
STAFF PROFILE NAME: Kylie Billingsley POSITION: Lifestyle Assistant LOCATION: Respite FAVOURITE SONG? Sounds of Silence by Disturbed FAVOURITE MOVIE? Notebook FAVOURITE HOBBIES? Fishing and socialising with friends and family FAVOURITE FOODS? Seafood and chocolate IF YOU COULD BE AN ANIMAL WHAT WOULD YOU BE? Bird as it would awesome to fly WHAT IS YOUR DREAM HOLIDAY DESTINATION? Somewhere with a beach and clear blue water WHAT IS THE NICEST THING SOMEONE HAS EVER DONE FOR YOU? Paid for a cruise IF YOU HAD THE POWER WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT THE WORLD? Ensuring that pensioners are given more money and are given better care. Also to try and stop poverty IF YOU HAD TO TEACH SOMETHING WHAT WOULD YOU TEACH? Dancing
November 9, 2018 Issue 178
CLUB AFFORD LAUNCHES IN NORTH QLD!
The first Club Afford outing was held on Saturday, 20 October at the local Kedron-Wavell Services Club with eight clients and two Lifestyle Assistants. It was a great opportunity for clients to learn more about each other and extend their social networks, all while enjoying a delicious meal with drinks.
“Everyone had an amazing time. We were all still chatting together and laughing even after everyone else had left. Participants said that they can’t wait to do it again and we’re already talking about some other activities that we can arrange in the future,” said Kristie Hickey, Afford Lifestyle Assistant. Now that Club Afford is being offered in North Queensland, clients can get a taste of being part of the community. We are all aware that under the NDIS, disability service providers need to go beyond traditional service offerings and provide supports outside usual service hours to nurture clients’ personal growth. Club Afford is just one way that we are providing these opportunities for our clients and making sure we stand out above the rest. We’re so pleased that Caboolture residents living with disability can now participate in a range of outings, social gatherings and health and fitness activities with Club Afford and we look forward to hearing more updates! Exciting times for North Queensland!
HO HO HO CHRISTMAS CARD WINNERS
Afford again held a Christmas Card Competition across our sites this year and we were so excited to receive such amazing card designs! All submissions were so colourful and showcased the fun and friendly Christmas theme with gingerbread men, Santa and more. Not only did our clients creatively draw, colour, paint and add glitter to their designs, some even stuck decorations on their cards which made the design sparkle and shine.
SOMETHING NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT ME? I was on commercials for selling shoes
After a tough judging process, the winners can now be announced! Congratulations to:
Merry Christmas
• Rahil - Belmore Day Program • Michael - Penrith SLES • Wesley - Empire House
Thank you to everyone who submitted their creations for the Christmas Card Competition. Amazing designs and wonderful talent within the Afford community.
www.afford.com.au
November 9, 2018 Issue 178
Staff Matters BEING SAFE IN THE WARM WEATHER
The weather is warming and as we move into summer, the temperature is only expected to rise. This is a reminder to take special care with clients and yourselves to ensure that everyone stays safe and healthy. Heat Safety in the ADEs Please remind our supported employees that if the heat is getting too much for them, they can go home and this won’t be frowned upon. Also remember to: • Provide employees with plenty of bottles of water, cool towels, slushies and ice blocks.
• Remind employees to wear cool clothes. • Limit outdoor work and loading of containers to the hours of 7am – 12pm. • Ensure everyone receives regular breaks in an air conditioned room.
• Monitor employees for any signs of heat-related illness. Employees who are not feeling well should be encouraged to speak to a Supervisor, manager or VSO who can then arrange for them to go home, or to rest in the office for as long as they need. Some sites have discovered a product called ‘Cool Towel’. It’s a towel that you run under water, wring it out and it goes cold and lasts for a couple of hours. This could also be useful for employees. Symptoms of Heat-Related Illness • Deterioration in existing medical conditions. • Heat rash - sometimes caused by excessive sweating. Looks like a read cluster of pimples or small blisters. • Heat cramps - muscle pains or spasms usually in the abdomen, arms of legs. • Dizziness or fainting - this results from reduced blood flow to the brain. Heat causes an increase in blood flow to the skin and pooling of blood in the legs, which can lead to a sudden drop in blood pressure. There can be a feeling of light-headedness before fainting occurs. • Heat exhaustion - Warning signs may include paleness and sweating, rapid heart rate, muscle cramps (usually in the abdomen, arms or legs), headache, nausea and vomiting, dizziness or fainting. • Heatstroke – this is a medical emergency and requires urgent attention. Heatstroke occurs when the core body temperature rises above 40.5 °C and the body’s internal systems start to shut down. Steps to Stay Cool We encourage sites to keep air-conditioning on at all times on these hot days and remember sun safety when taking clients to the local pools or enjoying the pools at some of our services, like our Accommodation clients at Glen Alpine who recently enjoyed a dip in the pool. Remember to: • Keep everyone hydrated – lots of water! • Look for shaded areas whenever we can • Apply sunscreen liberally and wear hats Be mindful of clients when travelling to and from activities The adhesive on the windows of our vans intentionally gives the highest protection from the sun – much better than regular tinting. This is intentional as depending on what time of day it is and the direction of travel, our nonambulant clients can be sitting in hot afternoon sun for long periods on transport runs. We all need to look out for each other during these hot days. We want everyone to stay safe so be mindful when out in the sun and when working in warm temperatures. Let’s care for our Afford community.
www.afford.com.au
Staff Matters
November 9, 2018 Issue 178
RACE DAY CELEBRATIONS - WINNERS ARE GRINNERS! This year’s Melbourne Cup celebrations were filled with food, sweeps and fashion in the boardroom, as Head Office Staff were all abuzz for the Annual Cup luncheon. The theme was set for the cup with the boardroom adorned with floating horses, Blondie, Oldie and Brunette, and Afford coloured decorations to brighten the room. Café Rae provided a feast fit for a king and the spirits were high as staff waited for the race to start. Winners were grinners on the day, with Nancy Elnajar taking out the big $5 sweep prize pool; Rhiannon O’Brien and Ratnam Avalur taking out the $2 sweep and Toni Preston taking out the $1 sweep. In a funny turn of events, Toni Preston also took out the win for the Wooden Spoon along with Jess Norman, Maureen Brown and Don Nguyen.
RAISING FUNDS FOR BANDANNA DAY
National Bandanna Day is the major fundraising and awareness campaign for CanTeen Australia. CanTeen helps young people cope with cancer in their family. Afford participated in Bandanna Day on Friday, 26 October with the fundraiser coordinated by Antoinette in HR and Kiesha in Marketing. The duo organised for bright and colourful merchandise to be sold at Head Office. Bandannas were sold for $5 and pens were sold for $3. Don Nguyen, resident IT man, purchased a green bandanna and wore it proudly on the day! The fundraiser raised a total of $41. Thank you to everyone supported Canteen Australia and raising awareness for young people living with cancer.
SELFIE OF THE WEEK
UPCOMING EVENTS DATE:
EVENT:
1-30 Nov
Movember
12-18 Nov
National Recycling Week
13 Nov
Kindess Day
14 Nov
Diabetes Day
12-18 Nov
National Recycling Week
In the Selfie Above: Randa from Lurnea celebrating Halloween!
www.afford.com.au