Community Services COVID-19 Recovery Statewide Meeting Minutes 4 July 2022
1. COVID Recovery Branch Update John Harkin, Manager, COVID-19 Recovery Branch •
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Commonwealth pandemic leave disaster payments have ended as at Thursday 30 June 2022. o Commonwealth approach is that the country is transitioning into new COVID-19 normal state, so impacts of COVID-19 and isolation should be managed through normal business approaches. Tasmanian pandemic payments still available currently, but situation under review. o Likely will be aligned with Commonwealth payments COVID-19 Recovery Branch will be in touch with TasCOSS and others to discuss what other supports are in place and ensure that any need that arises from these changes can be addressed
UPDATE: • • •
Commonwealth Government announced it will reinstate the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment until Friday 30 September 2022, with states and territories agreeing to share the costs of the payment 50:50. The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment will continue to be available through Services Australia from 8am Wednesday 20 July 2022. Eligibility for the payment will be backdated to Friday 1 July 2022, to ensure that anyone unable to work owing to isolation requirements in this period and does not have access to paid sick leave is supported.
2. Department of Health Update Simon Roberts and Jenny Kaldor, Public Health and COVID-19 Emergency Coordination Centre, Department of Health • •
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Public Health emergency expired at midnight, Thursday 30 June 2022. o Directions under section 16 of the act lapsed, including those relating to mandated vaccination, masks, COVID-19 safety plans, etc. Some legal requirements remain in force under other provisions in the act, including orders under section 53 and guidelines under section 184. o Cases are still required to isolate for 7 days. o Close contact requirements remain largely the same. Testing and masking. Not entering high-risk settings (defined here). o Requirements relating to events and masks on aircraft remain. While COVID-19 safety plans are no longer legally required, it is recommended to continue to have COVID-19 safety plan. o Workplaces should now also consider COVID-19 risks within their existing and ongoing WHS requirements and process. Further information on the changes is available at the following link: coronavirus.tas.gov.au/importantcommunity-updates/public-health-emergency-declaration-to-end.
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Public Health has also shared guidance materials relating to best practice COVID-19 management in workplaces, including: o Best Practice COVID-19 Safety for Aged Care Services o Best Practice Homeless o Best Practice Hospitals o Best Practice Vaccination o Best Practice COVID-19 Safety for Disability Services o Best Practice COVID-19 Safety for Employers o Best Practice Early Childhood o Best Practice Facemasks o Best Practice Hygiene and Cleaning o Best Practice Physical Distancing o Best Practice Schools o Best Practice Ventilation o Management of COVID-19 after the Public Health Emergency Support has been available to provide guidance and support to workplaces on managing COVID-19 risks, including through the Public Health hotline and WorkSafe Tasmania. o Changes to come in these arrangements, but for now these remain in place, with additional support available through WorkSafe Tasmania to enable organisations to conduct risk assessments.
Question: Dan shared an example of an unvaccinated client with close family member in ER at hospital, the client was unable to visit their family member due to vaccination status. Will hospital/healthcare settings move to putting in place measures to allow safe access for those who choose to be unvaccinated? • •
This is an internal policy question, rather than a broader Public Health Direction. It is possible there is an exemptions or requests process with access permissible under alternate arrangements. If they cannot be vaccinated due to contraindication, a standing letter can be sought and granted from a GP.
Follow-up by Simon: • • • •
Most THS facilities are at Escalation Level 2 under their COVID-19 escalation plans. A feature of this escalation level is that there are additional visitor restrictions are in place, including visitor access restricted to vaccinated individuals only. Exemptions will be considered for some circumstances, including end of life care, birthing or other situations. The visitor policy is on the hospital websites, for RHH see here. The exemption process will unfold in one of two ways: o The visitor is aware of the policy (through their contact with the ward) and applies for an exemption through the ward. o The visitor fails the health screening questionnaire and seeks an exemption as a result.
Question: Are there any plans from Public Health or others for long COVID-19 support for those who need it, given recent warnings of a potential long COVID-19 wave from the Federal Health Minister? • • • •
It is important that those impacted by long COVID-19 know that care is available and that the health response matches the individual needs of the person suffering from long COVID-19. On 6 June 2022, the Tasmanian Government announced an investment of $400,000 to establish a statewide navigation and referral service specialising in long COVID-19. All patients will be managed by their GP in the first instance who will then refer the patient to the service where the patient will be assisted in navigating the health services they need. It is important that patients see their GP in the first instance so that other illnesses are not missed and so that GPs can determine if their patients require referral to the new service where input may be
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sourced from specialists in fields, including infectious diseases, respiratory medicine, psychology, and neurology. The service is expected to be fully developed and launched in September 2022 and will be available statewide. The timing is to allow for the recruitment of clinicians and education of GPs on how to engage with the service. More details will be available in coming weeks.
Question: Any thoughts or consideration of the impacts of chronic COVID-19 on business processes/workforce
(e.g. extended sick leave requirements)? •
Simone: TasCOSS put in place pandemic/isolation leave to cover the period of acute illness, but this
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John: All workplaces and unions are different. Many workplaces have capacity to convert recreational
doesn’t cover longer-term impacts and leave requirements. and other forms of leave to ensure their leave requirements are covered. If it extends past available leave, it will then become a conversation between employer and employee.
Question: Any further information about Commonwealth refusal to extend Medicare-funded COVID-19 telehealth services (see release from the AMA). This will impact on access to services for many, particularly in rural and regional Tasmania. •
In relation to GPs, the Medicare Benefits Schedule that came into effect at the beginning of July: o Phone consultations up to 20 minutes still receive the Medicare rebate. o Phone consultations longer than 20 minutes have had the rebate removed. o Video consultations longer than 20 minutes still receive the rebate.
For more information, see health.gov.au/health-topics/health-technologies-and-digitalhealth/about/telehealth#ongoing-mbsfunded-telehealth-services.
Question: Do we know how long PCR testing sites will remain in operation? •
Simon: No imminent closure of these sites. They will remain operational for another couple of months at least. In the longer-term as we step back to business as usual, these clinics will eventually close.
3. Update on Transition Arrangements for Communities Tasmania Jenny Gale, Secretary Department of Premier and Cabinet Timeline for Changes: •
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1 July 2022 — first transition completed Friday 1 July 2022 — Sport and Recreation, Tasmanian Institute of Sport and Silverdome to Department of State Growth. o Early reports are that this transition has gone well. o People are not physically moving locations at this stage, but shifting their reporting lines. End July 2022 — next transition by end of July 2022 will see the creation of the division of Community Partnerships and Priorities at DPAC which will be overseen by Mel Gray as Deputy Secretary, and will include: o New Aboriginal Affairs unit which will consolidate and combine the Office of Aboriginal Affairs and Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania; o Disability services; o Community Services and Development; o Women; o Veterans Affairs; o Prevention Family and Sexual Violence; and o Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy.
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End September 2022 — new Department of Education, Children and Young People will be formed, which includes: o Children Youth and Families; o Tasmanian Autism Diagnostic Service; and o Current Education functions. Secretary of Education is intent on creating new department with culture focussed on always acting in best interest of children and that all resources will be put towards that purpose. October 2022 — Housing Authority will be established, subject to relevant legislation passing parliament. o Consultation period for the draft bill closed Tuesday 5 July 2022. o Finalised bill scheduled to be introduced to parliament in middle week of August 2022. o Work being undertaken towards governance matters, including: Skills-based board recruitment; and Creation of Ministerial statement of expectations. October 2022 — final corporate staff at Communities Tasmania will transition to new home agencies o Where possible the transition team will try to ensure that corporate staff stay in current locations.
Broader Points: •
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Key transition aim is to continue services without disruption. Your current contact person should support you through the changes and remain your key contact person, until you receive warning and notification of any changes to these arrangements. o Stakeholders should also start to receive communication and engagement from receiving agencies. o Working hard to adhere to this and to keep the industry informed. o DPAC would welcome any feedback on how communications/consultation is going with the industry. DPAC transition team included notice in last week’s TasCOSS enews and have agreed to rotating articles and information for the TasCOSS enews as the changes progress. Information on the DPAC website: Communities Tasmania Transition Project. o Contact email: transition@communities.tas.gov.au. o DPAC would welcome any feedback, questions or concerns, which can be sent to this address, and we will endeavour to get responses back as quickly as possible.
Question: Can we please have an organisational chart that shows these new departments/units and where they all fit circulated to the group, please? •
A specific organisation chart outlining all the changes may not be available as yet, but when they become available DPAC will be happy to share.
Question: Is it possible for the new function be called the Prevention of Family (and Sexual) Violence. As you know, sexual violence needs to be mentioned specifically as not all sexual violence happens within the current definition of family violence. •
Thank you for picking this up. This will be reflected in the changes
Question: Housing and homelessness sector — would it be possible to have more targeted information session on arrangements for housing organisations? •
Taken on notice — transition team will follow up and come back with appropriate timeframe to give specific timely information, and engage as requested.
Mel Gray, Deputy Secretary:
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My focus is on ensuring a warm and smooth transition for those impacted. o My public service career started in these areas so if feels like I am coming home to the social policy areas I love. o Taking on parts of Kate Kent’s responsibilities that will form the Community Services and Development focus, including: Veterans; Women ; LGBTQIA+; and Multicultural Affairs. o Looking forward to working with you all and getting a contemporary understanding of the areas you are all working in. o Excited to note the alignment with Premier’s vision of a government with heart, and bringing the voice of communities, people and places into the centre of decision-making and enhancing the capacity of the community-controlled sector.