Staff Matters 193

Staff Matters February 22, 2019 Issue 193 Week 34

CARING ABOUT OUR STAFF

MELBOURNE PARTNERSHIP WITH HAWTHORN FC

In This Issue

It's exciting times for the team in Melbourne. Not only will the Afford brand be splashed across a Yarra Tram later this year, we are also super excited to announce that Afford will be partnering with iconic AFL club, Hawthorn FC.

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AFL is a much loved game for Melbournians and we are pleased to have formed this relationship with Hawthorn FC and their 81,000 membership base to take our message about inclusivity and supporting people of all abilities to the thousands of fans of the sport.

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Melboune Partnership With Hawthorn FC Joke of The Week Marketing & Customer Care Get Buzzing Keeping Up The PACE

The partnership will provide Afford with greater exposure in and around Melbourne; enable us to actively contribute to supporting the physical and mental health and wellbeing of people living with disability; and provide many of our clients with opportunities to participate in activities that encourage our message about healthy lifestyles.

In addition, there will also be opportunities for our clients to meet their idols with a range of player appearances being organised throughout the year.

Most of all, this partnership is about exposing our clients to new life experiences, providing enjoyment and celebrating the talents and achievements of our Afford community.

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A Zest To Help Gets Recognised

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First Residents Move Into Queensland Group Home Upcoming Events Selfies of The Week

We launched our partnership with the Hawks at Waverley Park in Mulgrave Victoria on 13 February, where a number of our clients participated in kicking and running activities with Hawthorn staff and made the guard of honour for players entering the field for the Intraclub Match.

Melbournians love their sport and a partnership with Hawthorn FC will allow us to spread the word of all the opportunities and supports available for people living with disability in Victoria.

There are many synergies between Afford and Hawthorn FC. We both share values of respecting individual achievement, showing empathy and selflessness, adapting to change and we are both committed to positively supporting people with disability to live life on their terms.

With the NDIS still being rolled out across Victoria, this is a great time to showcase all that Afford has offer through strong partnerships.

We're really excited to be working with the team at Hawthorn FC and look forward to all the great things to come this year!

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

February 22, 2019 Issue 193

MARKETING & CUSTOMER CARE GET BUZZING With Customer Care and Marketing joining forces under the Commercial Development umbrella, the National Marketing Team and VIC Customer Care Team met up for an inspired buzz night.

NAME: Allison Storjohann POSITION: Events and Fundraising Officer LOCATION: Penrith FAVOURITE SONG? Your Song – Elton John

The Buzz Night was held at the Meat and Wine Co in South Yarra and delivered on the food front with large portions of ribs and skewered meats and substantial sides of fries.

FAVOURITE MOVIE? The English Patient FAVOURITE HOBBIES? Painting and guitar FAVOURITE FOODS? Indian, Asian and Italian IF YOU COULD BE AN ANIMAL WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A dolphin WHAT IS YOUR DREAM HOLIDAY DESTINATION? Nepal, Tibet and Machu Picchu IF YOU HAD THE POWER WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT THE WORLD? Violence IF YOU HAD TO TEACH SOMETHING WHAT WOULD YOU TEACH? English to migrants SOMETHING NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT ME? I was on romper room when I was 5.

It is safe to say that it was ideas galore around the table, with many creative minds meeting to discuss how we can foster growth for Afford in Victoria.

It was clear to see how the greater interface between Customer Care and Marketing will improve Afford’s positioning in the marketplace – with advertising to be informed by the on-the-ground knowledge of Customer Care. This will be particularly important in our new interstate districts.

Watch this space!

KEEPING UP THE PACE

PACES is an important monitor to ensure all Afford businesses are delivering exceptional service to our clients, residents and employees.

For the period from October to December 2018, we once again saw a number of sites hitting bonus. But we are even more excited to shout out about two sites within Client Services that achieved DOUBLE BONUS status during the period.

Big congratulations to Kings Park and Oran Park Day Programs who have excelled in PACES and set the bar high with an absolutely excellent result for the last quarter of 2018. Kings Park achieved a whopping 210% PACES score in efficiency and 91% in customer service. Oran Park achieved 193% in efficiency, 92% in customer service and 89% in standards.

These are the signs of well oiled machines that benefit both clients and staff at each site.

Many sites are taking strides in the right direction, so we look forward to seeing fresh, new Afford businesses working up the ranks to hit and exceed bonus targets in the next quarter.

Remember, PACES monitors a site's person centeredness, attitude, customer service, efficiency and standards. Make sure you have procedures in place and organisational tools at the ready to catapult your site to PACES success in the next quarter!

www.afford.com.au

Staff Matters

February 22, 2019 Issue 193

A ZEST TO HELP GETS RECOGNISED At Afford, we love recognising our staff who go above and beyond to promote inclusive communities and serve as representatives of Afford to make our services well known by people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

DES Bankstown Team Leader, Layla Naji, has poured an exceptional amount of volunteer hours into working with organisations as a representative of Afford to create a voice for people with Disability and those in the Iraqi and refugee communities.

For around nine years, Layla has served on the board of The Multicultural Network (TMN) and has been pivotal in the establishment of the Zero Barriers project. TMN supports women, those in aged care and people with disability across Western Sydney.

Through her involvement as Vice President with the organisation, Layla has secured many referrals from people within the community for Afford services.

TMU developed the project Zero Barriers, which is an initiative which saw the cohesion of organisations across multiple sectors to improve access and inclusion for people with disability. Examples of improvements made include adapted children's swimming lessons, a petrol station with staff trained to assist drivers with disability, and a restaurant with staff trained in Auslan sign language and providing sensory sensitive dining hours for families with children with autism.

Last Friday, 15 February, the project received a Zest Award in the Exceptional Community Partnership Across Region category.

The ZEST Awards showcase the great work of the Community Sector across Greater Western Sydney, promoting a positive image of the region by highlighting its assets, diversity and creative and innovative work.

In addition to her role with TMN, Layla has supported and been an ambassador for Afford through her involvement with the Iraqi Cultural Festival 2018 which is produced by the Iraqi Australian University Graduate Forum (IAUGF). As the face for Afford in the community, Layla supports refugees and new-comers to Australia to connect them with community supports, help them engage with their own and other cultures, break through isolation in their new country and foster a positive and supportive image of refugees within the wider Australian community.

The efforts of the Iraqi Cultural Festival to promote cultural inclusion was recognised at the SSI (Settlement Services International) Awards held on 18 February. The project was awarded for Enhancing Community Solutions to Support New Comers.

These are magnificent achievements for Layla and her teams and we congratulate her for her efforts to tirelessly represent others in need and as an ambassador of Afford. Well done Layla!

New Appointments We would like to welcome the following new Affordians to the family:

• Kanwal Ali - Junior Psychologist, Sydney Allied Health Team

• Nicholle Marks - Chief Financial Officer

• Laura Perez - Speech Pathologist, Sydney Allied Health Team

• Renee Sinclair - permanently appointed Internal Recruiter

• David Moore - Operations Manager – ADEs

www.afford.com.au

Staff Matters

February 22, 2019 Issue 193

FIRST RESIDENTS MOVE INTO QUEENSLAND GROUP HOME This year, Afford is already experiencing many firsts, particularly with our expansion into Queensland and Victoria.

We are very excited to announce that the first Afford Group Home in Pimpama, Queensland has welcomed its first two residents, Emma and Jackie, to enjoy the Afford Lifestyle!

Not only is this a first for Afford, it is a first for Emma and Jackie as well, as this is also the very first time they have lived on their own outside of the family home.

For some time, Emma has dreamt of having her own space in her own home. Similarly, Jackie has been keen to move into a home that she can call her own.

With the Pimpana home now ready to support Emma and Jackie, we're so pleased to be able to make their dreams of living independently with support a reality.

Emma suffers from regular panic attacks and has been working closely with Afford's QLD Allied Health psychologist, Alexandra Grainger, to prepare her for the transition into her own home, as well as Afford day services.

With the support from Afford's Team Leader, Jennifer Butler, District Manager, Allan Sio, and Emma's family, Alexandra provided training to all new staff who started working with Emma. This greatly reduced Emma's anxiety and helped up-skill new staff to assist with her panic attacks and seizures. So far, Emma has experienced a relatively smooth transition and is extremely proud to have a place to call 'home'.

Great work Team QLD! This is a wonderful example of Afford's whole-of-life supports in action!

Reminder!

Client Allocations are part of your duty of care to our clients:

• Break: If staff require a break, they must first sign their clients over to the new staff member. Break times must also be on this physical roster.

• Client Allocations: Every site must have a hard copy of their client allocations.

• Audit: District Managers audit these rosters weekly.

• Awareness: Staff must be aware of the clients they are responsible for every day.

Please remember our duty of care for our clients.

SELFIES OF THE WEEK

UPCOMING EVENTS DATE:

EVENT:

1-28 Feb

Feel Good February Month

1-28 Feb

FebruDAREy Month

1 March

World Compliment Day

3 March

Clean Up Australia Day

3-9 March Hearing Awareness Week ristina & Selfie Above: Ch g the Hawks tin ra Kiesha celeb elbourne. partnership in M

Pawsome Se lfie Above: Young with Aaron fur baby, B oo!

5 March

Uniting Care Pancake Day

www.afford.com.au