Safety Matters - We Drive Safe! Reminder

SAFETY MATTERS - WE DRIVE SAFE! Our Lifestyle Assistants transport hundreds of clients each and every day, on community outings, to attend events, shopping, or even on road trips! With such a big need placed on our vehicles, we must use them correctly, following road rules and common-sense safety procedures. When you’re out in the community - you represent Afford, and your clients safety is paramount. In the Afford Way, you need to continue to provide our awardwinning service, and it’s up to you to make sure that you are professional at all times, follow policy, procedures and the law. We need to be mindful that we are parking in areas that minimise disruption to other residents in the streets we visit. It is important that we maintain a great relationship with the community and always promote the positive culture we encourage at Afford. This is particularly important for our Day Program sites as many of our sites are run out of residential homes, and may have a number of vehicles parked on site. If you are unsure about parking restrictions, check with your Team Leader. 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 behaviours, 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. • 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 animals along the road. • 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. • 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. • 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. Drive safe Affordians and stay focused on driving at all times! There is no denying that our fleet of eye-catching vehicles makes a huge statement on our roads. Driving around, no matter where you are, you will likely see an Afford vehicle. Due to our vans being so recognisable with our brand, we need to ensure we are diligent and safe when we are operating an Afford vehicle.

Reminder - SIBLING CAMP COMING SOON!

ATTENTION Affordians have you heard that a camp for Afford Siblings is coming soon? Afford is working on an exciting new event concept for the siblings of our valued clients. As you know, the siblings and families of our clients are extremely important and we want to recognise the role siblings play in creating a strong and caring support network. Often siblings assist in the care of a child with disability, and being appreciated can add to a sibling’s sense of self-worth.

Afford’s concept is to create an exclusive siblings event where the brothers and sisters of our clients come together to: • Share experiences with other siblings • Recognise the important role they play within their family • Learn they are not alone • Encourage them to create an Afford social network to whom they can turn for support

** If you would like to register your interest for your site, please email jessica.scicluna@afford.com.au with the following details: site name, clients, number of siblings to participate and ages of siblings. **