Staff Matters 194

Staff Matters March 1, 2019 Issue 194 Week 35

CARING ABOUT OUR STAFF

WELCOME REDLAND RESPITE CARE!

Afford is very excited to the welcome clients and staff of Redland Respite Care to the Afford Community!

This presents exceptional opportunities for Afford’s continual growth in Queensland, and means we are able to greater fulfil our mission of assisting as many Australians with disability as possible.

In This Issue 1

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Merger Supporting Redland Respite Clients Joke of The Week Promoting the Afford Lifestyle Grant Funding Enhancing Supports

Afford's ability to adapt to change and evolve our services to meet the needs of clients has allowed us to thrive in the NDIS marketplace, and to reinvest in making sure we do our part to ensure that no clients’ supports are jeopardised during NDIS transition – particularly during the interstate rollouts.

Redland Respite Care is a not-for profit organisation with 28 years’ experience in supporting Queenslanders with disability, their families and carers. Based in Wellington Point within the wider-Brisbane area, Redland Respite Care provides predominantly Day Program services, as well as an overnight respite offering.

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Make Safety A Priority On The Road

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Melbourne Team Centre Stage At Ian's Lunch Upcoming Events Selfies of The Week

68 clients and 30 staff members from Redland Respite Care will be warmly welcomed into the Afford community over the coming weeks. Clients transitioning to Afford from Redland Respite Care will greatly benefit from access to our whole-of-life service offering including the Afford Lifestyle, Allied Health, Support Coordination and so many more new opportunities for clients – but most importantly from continuity of support.

For Afford, this merger will help in expanding our local knowledge of Brisbane and surrounds to enhance our strategic growth in the region moving forward. It also presents exciting opportunities for Afford to secure a mature service location in Queensland, with many clients of Redland Respite Care having entered the service as children and grown up with the service into adulthood. With such a long term client base, Afford is so proud to be able to offer continuity of support to these 68 clients, their families and communities, as well as to keep this service offering available to all members of the wider-Brisbane community.

Redland Respite Care also has a strong linkage to Afford’s commitment to Carer Support, with the organisation having been founded by Bayside families who cared for young loved ones with disability, and recognised their need for overnight respite. The parents’ dream was for a “home away from home” where their sons and daughters could enjoy an overnight stay in a safe and caring environment, and in doing so providing the rest of the family with valuable time out from their carer responsibilities.

Afford is very excited to continue to support the clients, families, carers and staff of Redland Respite Care and we look forward to sharing more stories about the merger in the coming weeks and months. Welcome Redland Respite Care!

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: Dave Fajardo POSITION: Lifestyle Assistant LOCATION: Panthers & Sunshine GH FAVOURITE SONG? I'd Rather – Luther Vandross FAVOURITE MOVIE? Taken - 1, 2 & 3 FAVOURITE HOBBIES? Playing sports and quick drive around with my family FAVOURITE FOODS? Spicy foods but not laksa IF YOU COULD BE AN ANIMAL WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A bird WHAT IS YOUR DREAM HOLIDAY DESTINATION? Anywhere close to the water IF YOU HAD THE POWER WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT THE WORLD? Provide a home and job for everyone IF YOU HAD TO TEACH SOMETHING WHAT WOULD YOU TEACH? Obey first before you complain SOMETHING NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT ME? I'm 26 and a father of 3 young men

March 1, 2019 Issue 194

PROMOTING THE AFFORD LIFESTYLE Afford's Marketing Team have developed a promotional pamphlet that outlines the benefits of The Afford Lifestyle in an Afford Group Home.

Home is not a place, it's a feeling. We want to communicate this to our existing and potential group home residents.

We are by far Australia's experts in Group Homes with around 33 properties in our portfolio - and this number is growing!

When speaking with clients and their families, talk about the Afford Lifestyle and pass on the Afford Lifestyle pamphlet.

Every site will receive printed copies of the Afford Lifestyle pamphlet in the coming weeks. If you need more or would like an electronic copy, please contact marketing@afford.com.au.

GRANT FUNDING ENHANCING SUPPORTS

External funding plays an important role in helping Afford deliver quality and varied supports for our clients. Grant funding helps us to enhance our facilities and provide engaging equipment that supports our clients' skills development.

Thanks to grant funding from Sydney Motorway Corporation/West Connex, Ashfield Day Program has purchased an amazing pinball machine to enhance the lives of clients who attend the site through sensory stimulation, skills development and fun!

The new pinball machine is an original Williams brand 1980s Jokerz machine, with all the original beautiful art work. When being played, the pinball machine's music and sound effects erupt and clients use the buttons to move the ball. This experience facilitates hand-eye coordination, sensory stimulus and enjoyment for all clients.

Thanks to the introduction of the pinball machine, made possible by the Sydney Motorway Corporation/West Connex Community Grants Scheme 2017/18, clients are enjoying a new level of engagement and coordination training that they had never experienced before.

www.afford.com.au

March 1, 2019 Issue 194

Staff Matters MAKE SAFETY A PRIORITY ON THE ROAD

When you step into the driver's seat in an Afford vehicle, wearing an Afford hat, shirt and name badge, you are representing Afford. You're representing our Day Programs, our ADEs, our Raffles department and everyone who works at Afford right up to the CEO. This means you have a great responsibility to perform at your best.

Afford has implemented vehicle tracking to provide greater oversight over our drivers and client safety during transport across our 100+ vehicle fleet.

We can all probably remember a time when we've seen something that wasn't quite right on the roads. It sticks in your memory and is retold to friends, relatives and colleagues. We cannot create this type of chain of events for the Afford name.

When you're out in the community - everyone is watching. Your driving behaviour is on display, your client interaction is there to be seen. You need to present the best image of Afford out in the community - and it's up to you to make sure that you are professional at all times, follow policy and procedure and the law.

When on the road, your driving is noticed. Erratic or irresponsible driving behaviour is not tolerated.

As a reminder, here are some driving tips to help you reduce your risk and present the best image of Afford at all times when on the road: •

Always Place Safety First: Avoid aggressive and inattentive driving tendencies. You can't control other driver behaviour, but you can control yours. Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front. Always ensure seatbelts are fastened to protect yourself and clients from being thrown from the car in an incident.

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Pay Attention and Be Aware: Check your mirrors frequently and scan conditions 20 to 30 seconds ahead of you.

Keep your eyes moving. If a vehicle is showing signs of aggressive driving, slow down or pull over to avoid it. Also, keep an eye on pedestrians, cyclists, and pets along the road.

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Don't Presume What Other Drivers Are Going to Do: Do not assume another driver is going to move out of the way or allow you to merge. Never pre-empt what other drivers will do and be prepared to react for any instance.

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Reduce Your Speed: Posted speed limits apply to ideal conditions. It's your responsibility to ensure that your speed matches conditions - when it rains, storms or in extreme heat. Higher speeds make controlling your vehicle more difficult if things go wrong, so control your speed and stick to being on or below speed limits.

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Cut Out Distractions: A distraction is any activity that diverts your attention from the task of driving. Driving deserves your full attention and our clients deserve your best driving behaviour. Stay focused on driving at all times.

New Appointments We would like to welcome the following new Affordians to the family: • Sanaa Mohamad - Acting Senior Lifestyle Assistant – Belmore • Sulett van Wyk - Customer Care Manager, Ipswich/ Crestmead and surrounding areas

• Maria McRoy - Acting Team Leader in Caboolture • Matthew Brennan-Jesson - Allied Health Intake Officer • Marc Menke - Acting Team Leader – Belmore • Laura O’Brien - Support Coordinator in Queensland South

www.afford.com.au

Staff Matters

March 1, 2019 Issue 194

MELBOURNE TEAM CENTRE STAGE AT IAN'S LUNCH

Afford's services and supports are evolving and the communities which we support are expanding.

Recently, our District Manager for Melbourne, Katie Nuth, along with Melbourne Customer Care representatives, Karina Tran and Kellie Carruthers, had the amazing opportunity to attend and present at Ian's Lunch in Melbourne.

Ian's Lunch is a yearly get together for people with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) which was founded by Ian Brandon, who is himself an MS sufferer. Ian self advocates and helps people with MS through their journey. He holds lunches every quarter and welcomed Afford to join the most recent event.

The lunches provide attendees with insight into what services and supports are available for them in terms of funding and supports, providers and equipment.

Afford was honoured to be able to present at this event at Cranbourne RSL; to outline to attendees all the supports available through the NDIS. The Melbourne team covered everything from the Afford Lifestyle, Day Programs, individual and group based supports to Allied Health and Getaways.

The team received positive feedback from the group, with many attendees unaware of supports available to them and appreciating Afford's advice.

This event was held in a new area for which Afford, so it provided the team with a great opportunity to connect with the local community and the team is now continuing to develop relationships that started at Ian's Lunch.

Reminder!

• Are to be signed off by Team leaders daily, as well as the transport checklists

Community Access Checklists: • Must be taken every time a staff member leaves a site, van or gets back into a van with a client

• Are to be signed off when respite drops off a client and the client is handed over to Day Program staff, and the reverse is required for a client's return

• All clients must be with a staff member at all times

Please remember our duty of care for our clients.

SELFIES OF THE WEEK

ppy Birthday Selfie Above: Ha rk DP! Pa Teresa at Oran

Pawsome Se lfie Above: Herald wel Steve comes new fur baby, Senna.

UPCOMING EVENTS DATE:

EVENT:

1-31

National Epilepsy Month

3 March

Clean Up Australia Day

8 March

International Women's Day

3-9 March

Hearing Awareness Week

5 March

Uniting Care Pancake Day

3-11 March

National Parks Week

www.afford.com.au