Staff Matters November 23, 2018 Issue 180 Week 21
RENEWED & REFRESHED EDITION
QLD XMAS PARTY ELECTRIFIES SURFERS PARADISE Surfers Paradise was the place to be last week with the Queensland Christmas party drawing Affordians from around Queensland and across state borders to celebrate a successful year of expansion and growth. Over 50 people attended the event which was held at the stunning Peppers Soul Seaduction Bar and Restaurant. The venue set an awesome mood with views of the seaside and a DJ playing cool tunes really getting everyone in the mood to celebrate.
In This Issue 1
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QLD Xmas Party Electrifies Surfers Paradise Joke of The Week Congratulations Bounty Bonus Winner! Black Friday Sales are Here!
Everyone had an amazing time chatting, laughing and reminiscing about the year that’s flown by while they munched on finger food, deserts and took advantage of the wall of donuts. The North Queensland and Southport crews came together as one team for the Christmas party, along with Steven Herald and other members from NSW and Victoria joining in the group to celebrate all the exciting milestones achieved in 2018.
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Maintaining Our High Standards
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ADEs Get Into The Festive Spirit With Woolworths Blacktown Day Program gets Chilled Upcoming Events Selfie of The Week
Like all Affordians, we like to work hard and play hard, so the after party carried on well into the night in a private booth at Shooters Nightclub. More memories were shared and laughter and good times were the order of the night. Celebrations such as these are important for bonding and for developing strong connections with our teams across states. The Queensland Christmas party was an opportunity for the teams to let their hair down and take note of all the good work that has been done during the year, but as our Queensland teams are so spread out, the event was also about networking and connecting with each other, as well as teams across state borders. Our interstate teams rely heavily on Marketing, HR, Admin and Payroll, so it was great opportunity to spend time getting to know each other before another busy year ahead. Building on that rapport and teamwork that is apart of the Afford culture. Congratulations to the Queensland teams for an amazing 2018!
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: Cherryl Joseph POSITION: Cutomer Care Manager LOCATION: QLD South FAVOURITE SONG? I am a big fan of Michael Jackson’s music FAVOURITE MOVIE? Anything Horror and Thriller
November 23, 2018 Issue 180
CONGRATULATIONS BOUNTY BONUS WINNER Ten of our Customer Care Team members across NSW, VIC and QLD have been busy working towards the end of the year, signing up new clients and getting the word out about Afford services. As added incentive, the teams were given a Bounty Bonus challenge to be the team member to attract the highest value in sign ups. With a whopping $515,831.66 of sign ups, which equates to around 20 participants, Cherryl Joseph from Queensland South has taken out the Bounty Bonus challenge. Cherryl has won a $1,500 bonus which we’re sure she will find a use for, especially coming into Christmas.
FAVOURITE HOBBIES? I am a bit of a gym junky in particular arena classes that offer HiiT work outs
Our other top five team members were Lilly Devi who covers NSW and Victoria in second place, third place went to Nikki Jones from QLD South, fourth place went to Ben Thurtell from QLD North and fifth place went to Serina Holtzhausen from NSW.
FAVOURITE FOODS? Anything Italian and Asian
Well done to all Customer Care team members for their efforts. A great result and we look forward to more great results in 2019.
IF YOU COULD BE AN ANIMAL WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A pug dog. They are just the most adorable creatures ever created WHAT IS YOUR DREAM HOLIDAY DESTINATION? Greek Islands IF YOU HAD THE POWER WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT THE WORLD? Discrimination towards homosexuality, AIDS, disability, race, & eradicate poverty IF YOU HAD TO TEACH SOMETHING WHAT WOULD YOU TEACH? Humility SOMETHING NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT ME? Not a lot of people know that I was born in the Philippines and I lived there for 16 years and I can still speak two Filipino dialects
QLD South - Cherryl Joseph NSW - Lily Devi QLD South - Niki Jones
BLACK FRIDAY SALES ARE HERE!
If you haven’t heard about Black Friday or Cyber Monday then you’ll be thrilled to know that you’re just in time, with Black Friday sales starting today (23 November), and you will be ecstatic about what you read next. Black Friday marks the pre-Christmas shopping period for shoppers and is four days of shopping frenzy as retailers heavily discount their prices in-store and online. But the biggest advantage for Affordians, is that we have access to the awesome Afford Rewards which puts us front and centre to start saving this weekend. Log onto Afford Rewards at afford.rewardgateway.com.au or your Smart Spending app and start saving on big name brands such as JB Hi-Fi, Jeanwest, Hawaiian Cruises, Dan Murphy’s and more! There’s something for everyone and as part of an Afford Employer of Choice initiative, your family can benefit from the savings as well! Connect up to six family members with Afford Rewards and start counting your savings on some amazing deals and products. If you have any questions or technical problems, the Afford Rewards Customer Service Helpline is on hand to answer your enquiries on: 1300 900 186.
www.afford.com.au
November 23, 2018 Issue 180
Staff Matters MAINTAINING OUR HIGH STANDARDS
Afford is recognised as an organisation that cares for its clients, cares for its workers and cares for the well being of everyone in its community. Our motto “We Care’ is what we use to guide our decisions. It is up to all of us to ensure that our exemplary reputation is upheld and we can do this by making sure we follow all the strict standards and procedures set in place to create safe environments for all. Safety is everyone’s priority. You can access all our Policy and Procedure documents on the intranet. In addition, all sites will receive a soft copy of an Operational Manual for quick and easy reference. These Ops Manuals are also available on the intranet. Let’s make sure we’re not complacent and keep to our strict standards that ensure a safe environment for all. We need to make sure we are using our knowledge of smart work practices and general common sense to uphold our high safety standards. Be mindful of: • Car Safety - always escort clients to and from vehicles and ensure they always have a Lifestyle Assistant with them when in and out of the vehicle. Ensure seat belts are fastened and doors are secure during travel. • Driving Safely - You are representing Afford when you drive in our branded vans, so ensure you are following driving rules and not taking any unnecessary risks when on the road. • Sun Safety - Apply sunscreen, look for shade and keep yourselves and clients hydrated during outings and in working environments. The weather is set to get warmer so keeping safe from the heat and sun is a must. • Client Ratios - Stick to individual allocated ratios for clients to ensure our clients receive the best support during any of our programs and services. Communication is key. As a large organisation, we rely heavily on communicating new policies and procedures either in print or online. Make sure that you and your teams - whether they are full time, part time or casuals - keep up with emails, read Staff Matters every week, review the intranet for any new developments and communicate regularly within your teams and districts for updates. We are one community. A community of teams, flocks and tribes. We work together and look out for each other. Work with your teams to ensure that everyone is up to scratch on their knowledge and training in safety policies and procedures. Our focus on safety is what sets us apart from the rest. If you see any instances where there may be a safety concern, notify your direct report immediately. If you feel that you would like to refresh your training, get in touch with our training department to book in a session. We need to maintain our high safety standards. The safety and well being of our clients come first.
www.afford.com.au
Staff Matters
November 23, 2018 Issue 180
ADES GET INTO THE FESTIVE SPIRIT WITH WOOLWORTHS
Christmas is coming up soon and we’re so pleased to announce that Afford has partnered with Woolworths to provide customers with something extra special this festive season.
Supported Employees of our Minchinbury, Prestons, Ingleburn and Marrickville ADEs have been packaging cardboard Christmas trees that Woolworth’s customers can purchase for $3. The trees have five components - two tree components and three shelves. In addition, when customers spend more than $30 or more during their shop, they will also receive a cardboard character cut-out to decorate their tree. These products are Australian made and recyclable. This is a wonderful opportunity for our Supported Employees who take pride in their work and love to see the products they have contributed to being sold and purchased in Woolworth’s stores. The initiative will run through November and December 2018 and with around 750,000 units being made, our Supported Employees will be kept busy in the lead up to Christmas!
BLACKTOWN DAY PROGRAM GETS CHILLED
Blacktown Day Program clients are getting chilled for summer with the transformation of their downstairs garage into a Chill Out Room! Complete with an oversized Connect Four game, Foosball Table, bean bags and floor coverings to soften the area, this is an amazing transformation that will provide hours of fun and socialising for our clients. The addition of the string lights make the room colourful and welcoming and we look forward to hearing more about how our clients are making the most of their new space.
SELFIE OF THE WEEK
UPCOMING EVENTS DATE:
EVENT:
1-30 Nov
Movember
1-31 Dec
Decembeard Month
3 Dec
Intenational Day Of People With Disability
10 Dec
Human Rights Day
18th Dec
Afford’s 66th Birthday
In the Selfie Above: Cristina Alvarez & Emma Roache love animals so much, they sent through ten pawesome selfies!
www.afford.com.au