Staff Matters
October 14, 2016- Issue 75 Week 15
Cherrywood Supersite Gears Up For Overhaul
In this Issue Page 1 • Cherrywood Supersite Gears Up For Overhaul
Page 2 • Staff Profile • Mt Druitt Stall The Show At The Markets • Blacktown Masterchefs
Page 3 • Customer Service Awards
Page 4 The development of the proposed secret garden at Cherrywood Village has commenced. We have begun sourcing objects and items to ‘upcycle’ to create an all accessible secret garden for our supersite where there will be a surprise at every corner you turn. The gardens centrepiece will be a 1950’s Humber Supersnipe vintage car which will be transformed into a unique garden. A number of raised garden beds have been purchased and each Lifestyle Centre and YESS (TTW) program will have the opportunity to care for their own plot in the garden. If you have or can source something unique that you think would make a great addition to our garden please contact Paul Mitchell at paul.mitchell@ afford.com.au with your ideas and pictures. Keep an eye on this space!
T 02 8805 3700 E info@afford.com.au 12 Marieanne Place, Minchinbury 2770 afford.com.au
• Customer Service Awards Continued... • Afford Selfies • Have A Laugh
Reminder Don’t forget to send your/clients achievements and good news stories & photo’s to CELEBRATE@afford.com.au
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October 14, 2016 - Issue 75
Staff Profile
Mt Druitt Stall The Show At The Markets
Janette Henderson
On Wednesday 21st September 2016, four of our amazing Mt Druitt Lifestyle Centre clients with the assistance of staff, set up and ran a stall at the Penrith Markets.
Lifestyle Assistant Windsor Lifestyle Centre Favourite Song: Anything from pink
Our Mt Druitt site were lucky enough to have generous families/carers donate new and pre-loved items to be sold, raising money for our Mt Druitt Lifestyle Centre.
Favourite Movie: Love story
Jacob Kinghorn, Sabrina Hiew, Jason Emmett and Nicole Stirton worked as a solid team to encourage market goers to stop and purchase items!
Favourite Hobbies: I love gardening, going to the movies and going out to dinner
Blacktown Masterchefs
Favourite Foods: Sunday roast If you could be an animal what would you be: I think I would be a bird so I could fly What is your dream holiday destination: I would love to go to the UK If you had the power what would you change about the world: So we would only have to vote every 10 years instead of 4. What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you: A surprise trip to Tasmania for my birthday If you had to teach something what would you teach: Respect Something no one knows about me: If I tell you then everyone will know..
Each month our Blacktown Lifestyle Centre chooses a country for their cooking program where they select a recipe popular in that country. The program teaches our clients a range of skills such as researching the country, selecting a recipe, doing a shopping list, money management through doing the shopping, preparing and cooking the dish and then learning more about the country by watching a video about the culture and people of that country. The country of the month was Singapore and ten clients had chosen Singaporean noodles to cook. The recipe is repeated on all Tuesdays of the moth so that by the end of the month the clients are quite confident in preparing the meal themselves at home with some help from their parents or carers.
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October 14, 2016 - Issue 75
Customer Service Awards
In the photo above: CEO Steve Herald with award winners Rhiannon O’brien, Kari Jayatilleke and Leonie Pearson accompanied by the family who voted for her in this month’s customer service awards.
In the photo above: CEO Steve Herald with 1st place winner, Leonie Pearson, accompanied by the family who voted for her in this month’s customer service awards.
We would like to congratulate the staff who have gone above and beyond to win this month’s customer service awards. 1st Place: Leonie Pearson, Lifestyle Assistant, Jamisontown- Leonie attended a client’s home on the afternoon of the ball to do her hair and makeup, as the family had nobody else to assist them and were unable to take their daughter anywhere to have these things done for her. The client looked beautiful and her family were grateful for Leonie’s assistance on the day. Leonie went out of her way to ensure that this client didn’t miss out and felt like a princess for the gala ball… Excellent client services! Leonie also fundraises for Jamisontown by selling beanies knitted by her mum, which is very kind! (external nomination): It gives us great pleasure to nominate Leonie for a Customer Service Award. My wife and I have observed Leonie’s qualities over a period of time, she has empathy for the clients and has a great sense of humor, which is vital to an organization such as Afford. Leonie has a natural rapport with our daughter Mia, she is able to put Mia at ease with her anxiety levels, these qualities were further displayed at the Afford Gala Ball. Leonie arrived at our house 1 hour before the ball with her makeup and hair products to prepare Mia. In true Mia fashion, after her makeover asked “Do I look gorgeous?” my wife and I enjoyed the ball due to Leonie’s ongoing personal care for Mia. At the conclusion of the ball, Leonie escorted Mia with my wife so that I could bring the car closer to save Mia’s legs. Leonie has natural customer service skills, combined with efficiency, empathy and standards, she gives more than 100 percent in her position as a Lifestyle Assistant with Afford. My wife and I feel as though she should be rewarded for her efforts. 2nd Place: Rhiannon O’Brien, Community Fundraising, Events Manager, Minchinbury - Organizing our first ever Gala Ball for nearly 700 clients on the night. Rhiannon worked long hours, went above and beyond on a number of occasions and delivered a highly successful evening. Parents, carers and clients alike were all asking if it was going to be annual and thanked us all on the night for such a successful event. Many carers from outside of Afford got to see how we operate, how we put our clients first, and saw Afford from the inside out, making it easier for them to approach us when looking for work. High level of satisfaction and many compliments were received on the night. This could not have been achieved unless focus on customer service was a key factor. This is not the first OR last time that Rhiannon goes above and beyond in her role. She is the quiet achiever who doesn’t want the spotlight but I feel she is worthy to be front and centre this month for all her efforts to date.
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October 14, 2016 - Issue 75
Customer Service Awards Continued... 2nd Place: Rhiannon O’Brien, Community Fundraising, Events Manager, Minchinbury Second Nomination: The “Over the Rainbow” Gala Ball could not have been such a success without the extraordinary hard work, skills and professionalism of Rhiannon. The excitement and joy on the faces of all of our clients/families and employees was priceless. It made them feel important. The employees in our Minchinbury factory on Monday were still raving about the ball, it was heart-warming. Rhiannon is one of the biggest assets AFFORD has and one of the biggest reasons we are an employer of choice. She is focused on and devoted to customer service. 3rd Place: Kari Jayatilleke, Team Leader, Blacktown: Kari has shown a great amount of initiative in his preparation for clients at his site to transition to the NDIS. Kari has taken the time to understand the individual support needs of clients at his site and go the next step of breaking down and collating this info into justified evidence that’s been submitted in their planning meetings. This has allowed clients to get the most possible out of their NDIS funding from the get-go. Kari has demonstrated that he is actively readying his site for the new operating environment of the NDIS by being proactive in asking for assistance, following up when he feels the help he’s received has missed the mark and practically applying his knowledge of NDIS to meaningful preparations at his site. This initiative will go a long way toward making NDIS Transition as seamless as possible for clients at his site. Well done on all your efforts this month, we look forward to hearing more wonderful stories such as these in the future. Keep up the great work!
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In this Selfie Above: Jamisontown Lifestyle Assistant Lisa assisting client Kayla to complete a wooden jigsaw puzzle.
Please send in your selfies
Have a laugh