Staff Matters September 27, 2019 Issue 224 Week 13
CARING ABOUT OUR STAFF AFFORD SETTING THE PACE
Afford leads the way in delivering award winning service, standards and systems. Program like the introduction of PACES across Afford has helped lift the operational standards across our sites, ensuring that a variety of LAPS (Learning, Activities and Participation) are available to clients. This is extremely important as it helps us remain customer-focused in all we do. PACES is a monitoring tool to ensure all Afford businesses are delivering exceptional service to our clients, residents and employees. What does PACES stand for you ask?
In This Issue 1
Afford Setting The PACE Joke of The Week Afford Trivia
2
P: Person-Centeredness
Afford Duo Reach Major Milestone Reminder
A: Attitude C: Customer Service
3
E: Efficiency
Employment Conference Forming Links Handyman Timetable
S: Standards All of these play a huge role in ensuring our staff deliver exceptional service to our clients every day. It is vital to ensure your team have procedures in place and organisational tools at the ready to catapult your site to PACES success. This quarter, we would like to shine a light on focusing more on the ‘P’ in PACES, which is all about person-centeredness. This means we put our clients and their families in the centre of making decisions, as they are the experts when it comes to caring for their loved ones.
4
Allied Health Opens The Book On Communicating Upcoming Events Afford Trivia Answer Selfies of the Week
Below are a few tips to continue delivering exceptional service and standards that Afford is known for providing. There are many different aspects of person-centred care, including: • Putting people at the centre of our care • Respecting people’s values • Listening to people’s needs and preferences • Coordinating and actioning care plans • Working together in a team and maintain high communication • Ensuring all staff are well educated on policies and procedures • Making sure people are comfortable and safe • Providing emotional support We also need to focus on compliance with person-centeredness and ensure the correct plans and documents are in place for all clients. These plans, procedures and documents should be regularly maintained to ensure that they are correct and up to date. We also need to ensure we maintain attention to detail. Putting a focus on this will truly be the key to ensuring the services and supports you deliver are the best in the business. Many sites are already leading the way and are well-oiled machines, and we look forward to seeing fresh, new Afford businesses working up the ranks to hit and exceed bonus targets in the next quarter.
AFFORD TRIVIA
A training centre was established at Canley Vale and Ingleburn Business Enterprises in what year?
www.afford.com.au
Staff Matters
STAFF PROFILE NAME: Alintia Williams POSITION: Lifestyle Assistant LOCATION: Caboolture, QLD FAVOURITE MUSIC/SONG? Fighting Temptations - Beyonce FAVOURITE MOVIE? Karate Kid FAVOURITE HOBBIES? Family time & music FAVOURITE FOODS? Beef stew & dumplings IF YOU COULD BE AN ANIMAL, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? Willy wag tale bird WHAT IS YOUR DREAM HOLIDAY DESTINATION? Maldives & Vanuatu IF YOU HAD THE POWER, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT THE WORLD? Remove money IF YOU HAD TO TEACH SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD YOU TEACH? Love and kindness SOMETHING NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT ME? I have 1 son and 2 daughters
September 27, 2019 Issue 224
AFFORD DUO REACH MAJOR MILESTONE We would like to say a huge congratulations to Ruchi and Sachin Desai who recently become Australian Citizens! Ruchi and Sachin have been working for Afford for eight years combined with Ruchi starting in 2011 and Sachin starting in 2012. Originally from India, they met back in 2001 through family friends with a proposal to get married. Arranged marriage is very common in India, and the couple got married in 2002. They moved to Australia in 2005 on a student visa, after completing studies in 2007 they moved back to India, before again relocating back to Australia in 2011 as permanent residents. Ruchi started working as a casual in our finance department to assist with reconciling all-day program and accommodation client accounts, before being made permanent in 2012, as an Accounts Receivable Officer. She then progressed further being promoted to Assistant Accountant and last year was promoted to Operations Finance Manager. Sachin started as a Scanning Supervisor, but after the close of the scanning business, he moved onto handling pick & pack at Ingleburn ADE. Ruchi and Sachin celebrated their new citizenships with their two daughters, Vanshika – 9years old and Kaaya – 3years old. “We are very proud to receive the Citizenship certificate as we have achieved a major milestone in our lives” – Ruchi Desai.
Reminder! General reminders for ALL Staff: • Any Staff member that works at your site for the first time, MUST complete the buddy check list during their first shift. Team Leaders need to make sure it’s signed, scanned and send it through to HR via email: hr@afford.com.au • Get magical under the sea at this year’s Annual NSW Gala Ball! Held at the magical Le Montage, this is one event you don’t want to miss!
www.afford.com.au
September 27, 2019 Issue 224
Staff Matters EMPLOYMENT CONFERENCE FORMING LINKS
Another exciting Afford Employment Conference was held for our all senior staff members and employment consultants in DES, SLES and ADEs at the Hydro Majestic in the Blue Mountains. These conferences are key to the Afford Way and they keep our staff updated, connected and involved with what is happening with our organisation. It is an opportunity to network with other teams, as well as upskill them so that they continue to provide the highest quality support in the sector. The key focus at this conference was providing a platform for all three employment services to recognise the link-up opportunities available across our employment services. The conference kicked off with a tour of the majestic and historic hotel, followed by a gathering at the winter garden restaurant and dinner at the Boiler House. Gordon Griff Executive Manager, Commercial Services, opened the day followed by presentations which focused on the Afford Way, maintaining our high standards, employer of choice initiatives, our employment services and how they work. The highlight of the day was the inspiring guest speaker, Khoa Tran who spoke about his life experiences, success as a race car driver and living with a disability. One of the highlights of the event was the team building activity. Groups were given supplies to craft a ‘boat’ that could fit all of their team members and whoever had the most colourful, creative and versatile boat won! It was also a great opportunity to present awards to those staff members in Afford Employment that went above and beyond this year. Congratulations to: SLES 1. 2. DES 1. 2. ADE 1. 2.
2019 SLES Trainer of the Year – Tayla Clark
2019 Most Valued SLES Team Member – Sharon Figl 2019 DES Employment Consultant of the year – Jenifer Nguyen
2019 Most valued DES Team Member – Grace Ciempka 2019 ADE Best Team Player – Susan Guest
2019 ADE Living the Afford Values – Tran Kwok
Conferences are a great way to get our employment staff together all in one place and are essential in helping to maintain a healthy and robust relationship between our employment services at Afford.
Handyman Timetable Our Handy Man, Tahier, will be at the following sites this week: - 30th September: Oran Park & Eaglevale - 1st October: Condell Park & Chipping Norton - 2 - 4th October: On leave
Meet Our Handyman Tahier
www.afford.com.au
September 27, 2019 Issue 224
Staff Matters ALLIED HEALTH OPENS THE BOOK ON COMMUNICATING The Afford Specialist Services was recently launched, which includes our professional Allied Health team, who are introducing amazing programs across our sites. Recently the team rolled out a new initiative for our clients called PODD. A PODD (Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display) is a book to support communication between people with complex communication needs and their family, friends, carers or support workers. The PODD is custom made for each client and contains a range of symbols and words.
Specialist Services
Carla McKinnon, a Therapy Intervention Assistant in the Allied Health team at Afford, recently completed a two day introductory PODD workshop along with our Queensland Speech Pathologist Tayla Campbell at The Royal Rehab in Ryde. The training helps our therapists to be able to customise these books on their client’s behalf, as well as put together the books. Queensland Speech Pathologist, Lauren Macintosh is another Allied Health team member who also has extensive experience with PODD and the training. When people cannot speak, we often speak less to them as well. This brings about a cycle of limited language “input”. These communication aids offer personalised vocab and photos and there are a variety of templates to suit the language level of the client with an emphasis on extending their current level. PODDS can promote and grow with the client’s language development. PODDs can be paid either out of pocket or out of a client’s NDIS plan. The funding for PODDS can come out of therapist hours, or the assistive technology budget (as its low tech assistive tech). It is just one element of the wide variety of services our clinicians offer. If you think any of your clients may benefit from their own PODD book, first speak to one of our Speech and Language Pathologists, who will advise if a PODD is right for them! Carla and our therapists can then support you to create a custom made PODD to help your client communicate effectively with others. Contact - alliedhealth@afford.com.au
SELFIES OF THE WEEK
el Lugg, Selfie Above: M Afford e th noodling at nference. Co t en ym plo Em
Pawsome Imber, LSASelfie Above: Gail furbaby, M Southport, QLD and averick.
UPCOMING EVENTS DATE:
EVENT:
1 October
International Coffee Day
1-7 October
Be Kind to Animals Week
1-31 October
Girls' Night In
1-31 October
Great Cycle Challenge Australia
Afford Trivia Answer: 1997!
www.afford.com.au