Connect
Autumn 2015
New Legislation
Sues’ Snippet
We need to bring to everyone’s attention two new sexual offences
have been introduced as part of South Australia’s Disability Justice Plan,
being led by the Attorney-General’s Department. The plan increases
protection for people living with intellectual disability or cognitive
impairment.
Hi Everyone
The new laws begin on Monday 30 March 2015 and will cover anyone
– paid or not; who provides a service to someone with cognitive
impairment. Service providers might include home care assistants,
support workers, cleaners or nurses and extends to others such as
hairdressers, bus drivers or social activity volunteers.
Spouses or domestic partners of the person with cognitive impairment
are not covered by the new laws.
A service provider is guilty of an offence under the laws if he or she:
• uses undue influence to obtain or procure sexual intercourse or
indecent contact with a person with a cognitive impairment
• behaves in an indecent manner in the presence of a person with
a cognitive impairment without consent or having obtained that
consent by undue influence.
A cognitive impairment is defined as:
• an intellectual disability
• a developmental disorder (including autistic spectrum disorders)
• a neurological disorder
• dementia
• mental impairment
• brain injury.
Penalties include imprisonment for up to
10 years.
More information and resources about
the new laws, including a fact sheet
and easy-read English explanation, are
available through the Attorney-General’s
Department’s website.
I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful autumn weather we have, it is
certainly my favourite time of the year, wonderfully warm days and crisp
cool nights.
The cooler weather means the football season is just around the
corner. If you would like to participate in the Association’s footy
tipping competition please register on line at www.footytips.com.au in
accordance with the following:
Competition Name: ParaquadSAHomecare Plus
Password: paraquad
Of course if you pick the Mighty Adelaide Crows every week you are
sure to be on a winner! Good Luck!
Support Worker Leave
Over recent months HC+ has noticed an increase in Support Workers
taking what is obviously planned leave with very little or no notice. In
accordance with your Enterprise Agreement (the conditions in which
you are employed):
15.4
Shift Coverage
15.4.4 . Notwithstanding the employees status as casual employees
it is a requirement of their employment to advise the Employer of
any planned leaves of absence at least four (4) weeks prior to leave
commencing. In the best interest of clients and co-employees this
allows the Employer to effectively manage staff rosters during the
period of the individual employee’s absence from work.
We of course understand that emergencies occur but please keep
this in mind when advising HC+ of your leave to ensure a seamless
continuation of service for your client’s during your period of leave.
Kindest regards,
Sue Houston
Operations and Business Development Manager
HomeCare+
New Support Workers
Welcome to our new Adelaide Support Workers who recently
completed their training with Paula. Please make sure to introduce
yourself and make them feel part of the team.
As you may all be aware by the
local media, the MRI machine which has been a much needed item for
this community is closer to becoming a reality, due to the hard work of
our local members of parliament and the information imparted direct
to the Prime Minister on this visit.
This is proof that from small thing, larger things can grow, that local
communities do have a voice, but to achieve new things you have to
make your voice heard, I can assure you Association staff contribute to
the voice being heard at every opportunity.
Millicent Respite Program
This year participants were provided with activity packs etc. for each
day which were designed to provide an interactive, skill development
experience. They were received very well and all participants enjoyed
what they achieved and took home to their parents.
The feedback from the families was extremely positive, resulting in
children requesting to attend more days, which was a lovely outcome
for them.
A word from Mount Gambier
We are all well into swing of the New Year, the festive season seams so
far away now. We are now looking forward to the Easter family time.
Office Restructure
It is with great pleasure I announce that Nathalie Goodall has accepted
a new position in the south east office, as the Operation Supervisor
/ Registered Nurse consultant. This position has been created to
provide a 2nd in charge role which will support the whole local team.
Please congratulate Nathalie on her new role and continue to support
her to provide the professional services we undertake.
Prime Minister’s Visit to Mt Gambier
I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to participate in 2 events
held for the Prime Minister during his visit to Mt Gambier in March; the
formal dinner at the Barn on Tuesday 11th and the morning tea held
at the old town hall for local volunteer groups and selected invitee’s
on the 12th. The Member for Barker, the Hon Tony Pasin and the Mt
Gambier City Council, hosted the Prime Minister’s visit.
Well done to all of you who participated and assisted to make this
program so successful, this is what it is all about and without your
contribution it would not be as successful.
Final Word
Thank you to all of you for the wonderful and professional service you
provide, our clients are all the better for having you in their lives.
I am proud to manage such a dedicated group of people and to
support such an inspiring client group who are trying to live their lives
to their fullest potential everyday, but without you they would not
achieve what they do.
So hold you heads high, you are a member of the HomeCare+ team
and be proud of it.
Krys Howard
RN / Manager HomeCare+ South East
Riverland Ramblings
Hi Everyone,
Hard to believe that Easter has arrived, the year is certainly flying by.
The days will soon be getting darker so make sure you have a torch
with you for the evening shifts.
Just a reminder to all Support Workers that if you are swapping shifts
or getting another Support Worker to cover a shift you need to let the
office know so we can keep the rosters as up to date as possible.
With the cooler months approaching and we hope that we can all
avoid those nasty colds and flus that can be around during this time.
I did find one tip that I thought I should share about preventing colds
and flu’s
“Eat a bit of dark chocolate each day. Dark chocolate is not only a
mood booster, but also an antioxidant. And it’s pleasant.”
There were other tips but this was our favourite one!
Cheers Lucy and Marie
Timesheets
Mid North
Mutterings
The Mid North Region is currently recruiting Support Workers; training
is scheduled for 13-17 April. We are looking forward to expanding our
support in the region.
Congratulations to Deb Kropinyeri-Denmead for being nominated &
elected the regional WHS officer. Deb will have regular link ups with
Adelaide & the other regional offices to discuss WHS matters that
affect our area.
Wishing everyone a Happy Easter
Cheers, Ann
Yorke Peninsula Yabberings
and Clare Commentary
Due in no small part to the excellent work of all our Support Workers
services within the region continue to expand with services now being
provided as far afield as Warooka and Edithburgh across to Hamley
Bridge.
The vastness of the area does mean that I do spend an extended
period of time driving my car and as such am unable to respond to text
messages. If you need to contact me please do not send a message
but rather give me a call as I can speak to you using the Bluetooth
device in my car. If I am uncontactable your call will divert to the
Adelaide office who will be able to respond to your enquiry.
With services continuing to expand within the regions we are currently
recruiting some valuable new staff. Training will be combined with
new recruits from the Mid North and held in Bute the half way point
between the regions.
This is a testament to our Training team who are always seeking
alternative options for training facilities ensuring ease of access for all.
It will be great to have a number of new Support Workers to
complement our existing staff.
Keep up the great work everyone.
Cheers, Ann
Echoes from the Eyre
Peninsula
We welcome both our new CAO Catherine Clarke to the EP Team as
well as new Support Workers Marlene Manning, Grant Heidenreich,
Maxine Cooper, Monica Lamz, Tiffany Rowsell, Ryan Voight and
Molly Joyce to the EP Region. Just a reminder to please ensure you
are booked into any upcoming training (as per mail outs) as spots are
going fast. I hope everyone has a happy and safe Easter.
Cheers, Danielle
The new computer system has been operational
for approx. 12 months across all regions. Thank you for your
patience over this implementation period. Now you have accurate
timesheets each fortnight, with the exception of emergency shift,
respite requests and shift changes which occur from time to time.
This is just a reminder to everyone that the accurate completion of your
timesheet is paramount for the following reasons:
• It is a legal document; incorrect completion could result in
charges of fraud.
• It is the reflection of the times you were at work and when you are
not, for reasons relating to WorkCover etc.
• It is the means by which your fortnightly pay is calculated.
If your timesheet is not accurate when it is provided to the admin team
for payroll processing the following could occur
• Your pay could be incorrect.
• Shifts worked but not added to the timesheet.
• Shifts not worked but swapped with another worker. You could
be wrongly paid for shifts you did not do (this could be seen as a
fraudulent claim)
If you are overpaid you are required to reimburse the overpayment.
Over recent months, under our Quality Assurance Management
System, there has been a review of the timesheet processing and the
following has been identified:
• It is apparent that a number of Support Workers regularly miss
shifts off their timesheet, which results in them not being paid for
this service
• T he admin team have been ringing staff when this is identified,
however this practice cannot continue. It is YOUR responsibility to
ensure the accuracy of YOUR timesheet.
• A
smaller number forget to cross off shift they did not attend,
which could be considered a fraudulent claim of wages. This is a
serious breach of process and should cease.
• C
laiming for Kilometers (km) when the client has no funding for
km’s. If you are unsure if there is funding for km’s for your client,
speak to the CSO and have this information clarified.
• T imesheets are not submitted by the required time; Adelaide
Tuesday and Regional Monday of Week 1, this holds up the payroll
processing and could result in you not getting paid that fortnight.
• C
urrently the Admin team are following up with workers who
are not timely with their timesheets; this will not be continuing.
In the future if your timesheet is not received by your local office
on time you will not be paid until the next as per your Enterprise
Agreement.
Remember you have an obligation to provide accurate documentation,
this includes your timesheet, please be diligent ensure that you
provide us with accurate information in a timely manner, to avoid the
risk off pay errors and unwanted accusations.
If at any time you require assistance or guidance on how to document
a particular shift / service, please do not hesitate to contact your admin
team for assistance and advice.
Krys Howard, On behalf of HomeCare+ Management
Email Usage
It is wonderful that we are embracing technology as we do. The use of
an email is often a very efficient means of getting information to us in a
timely and effective manner.
However, before sending emails please take a minute to ask yourself ‘Is
it the appropriate technology to use?’
Examples of issues that have arisen:
Email sent on the weekend by a Support Worker to their Client
Service Officer/Team Leader, advising that they could not attend a shift
at 9am Monday morning.
Problem: Client Service Officers/Team Leaders do not work on
weekends. This email was not read until 9am Monday morning.
Outcome: Client left in bed until a worker could be sent at 11am.
Email: Support Worker gave notice of leave and that they had not got
their shifts covered.
Problem: Email not received by CSO/Team Leader who was on sick
leave.
Outcome: The first the admin team was aware of the situation was
when a client rang to complain that the Support Worker had not
arrived for their shift.
Emails are not the right tool to use for shift coverage. Continue to
embrace the technology available, but ensure you do it for the right
situations, sometimes a quick phone call is the most appropriate
means of communication. Think about your clients.
Training
Department
We are well and truly into the swing of 2015 in regards to training and
development. Our 4th Pre-Employment course for the year will be
held in April.
Our focus this year is policies and procedures, interpreting support
plans and documentation.
Incident/Injury Reporting
Hints to help you complete training successfully:-
Incidents are events that occur that threaten
the physical or psychological safety or health
of a worker.
• Refer to PQSA/HC+ policies and procedures for answers. If you
haven’t kept copies refer to www.homecareplus.asn.au/policies
• Read all information sent/given to you.
• Refer to the laminated cards being distributed. These are a quick
reference to procedures that need to be followed. Keep them all
on a lanyard and carry them with you.
Injuries are anything that causes the worker
harm.
Documenting correctly, professionally and legally
Near Miss is an unplanned event that did not
result in injury, illness, or damage – but had
the potential to do so.
Keep it simple, who has time to write or read more than they have to?
• Start with identifying the date and time you are documenting.
• Use a blue or black pen. Don’t use white out.
• Keep comments short and to the point. You only need to
document exceptional events i.e. something that is unusual for
that client.
A Safe Work Place Is No Accident!
• Don’t use subjective language i.e. what your thoughts/feelings
are on the matter
If you require us to call you, this is not an issue, this is when an email is
a great form of communication. Send an email requesting someone to
call you, we are happy to oblige.
• If there is an incident write down what you did about it and why,
the name of the person you verbally reported to, their advice and
the document you completed (all verbal reports must be followed
up with a form)
Krys Howard
On behalf of HomeCare+ Management
• Finish of with you signature and writing your SURNAME in
brackets.
Verbally report the
incident, injury or
near miss immediately
to a supervisor.
Complete the Blue
Incident/Injury/
Near Miss Form.
Send the form to
the HR Department.
You will be expected to demonstrate this in a fictitious communication
book during medication simulated assessments.
Emergency + Smartphone App
Smartphone apps and Triple Zero (000)
Australia’s Triple Zero Awareness Working Group has developed a
smartphone app for iOS and Android devices to:
• Provide the caller with information about when to call Triple Zero
• Provide the caller with information about who to call in various
non-emergency situations
• State Emergency Service (SES) (132 500)
• Police Assistance Line (131 444)
• Crime Stoppers (1800 333 000)
• Health Direct Australia (1800 022 222)
• National Relay Service
• Assist the caller to dial the relevant number
• Display the GPS coordinates of the phone's location that the caller
can read out to the emergency operator.
The app is free of charge and available for download from iTunes and
Google Play Stores.
Paula Rhodes, Training and Development Officer
Crunchy Milk Chocolate
Easter Egg Nests
Ingredients
• 250g Milk Chocolate Melts
The HR Department enter the
Incident, Injury or Near Miss
onto the Register. Report
to the WHS&E Committee,
Management and the Board.
• 2 tablespoons Crunchy Peanut Butter
• 100g Fried Noodles
• 125g Milk Eggs (for decorating
Method
1.
Melt the chocolate and peanut butter together in a bowl over
gently simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
Remove from the heat, add the noodles and stir to combine.
2. Using two spoons make eight noodle nests on a baking paper
lined tray. Allow to set and store in an airtight container until
required.
3. Fill each nest with eggs before serving.
HR Department work with the
Supervisor/Manager
to investigate the incident and
implement the appropriate
controls to ensure the safety of
all workers in the future.
HomeCare+ Training Calendar
April – June 2015
April
Topic
Date
Time
Location
Adelaide
Medication
9th April
0915-1700
Marden
Manual Hazardous tasks
10th April
0915-1245
Marden
Medication
10th April
1315-1700
Marden
Medication
20th April
0915-1215
Marden
Manual Hazardous tasks
20th April
1245-1700
Marden
Medication
13th May
1100-1230
Swan Street
Manual Hazardous Tasks
13th May
1300-1600
Swan Street
Medication
13th May
1600 -1700
Swan Street
Manual Hazardous Tasks
14th May
0915-1215
Swan Street
Medication
14th May
1245-1600
Swan Street
TBA
15th May
Medication
9th June
0915-1700
Marden
Medication
10th June
0915-1100
Marden
Manual Hazardous Tasks
10th June
1130-1500
Marden
Medication
10th June
1500-1700
Marden
Manual Hazardous Tasks
23rd June
0915-1245
Marden
Medication
23rd June
1315-1700
Marden
Medication
24th June
0915-1700
Marden
Manual Hazardous Tasks
16th June
1030-1330
Locke Street
Manual Hazardous Tasks
16th June
1400-1700
Locke Street
Medication
17th June
0915-1300
Ripley Arcade
WHS/Manual Handling Principles
17th June
1330-1700
Ripley Arcade
Medication
18th June
0915-1700
Ripley Arcade
Manual Hazardous Tasks
19th June
0915-1215
Locke Street
Manual Hazardous Tasks
19th June
1300-1600
Locke Street
May
Mid North
June
Adelaide
Mount Gambier
Do you have, or know someone
with a spinal cord injury or other
physical or neurological condition?
28 & 29 April 2015
9:30 - 5:00pm
Payneham Library
2 Turner Street, Felixstow
RSVP By 10 April 2015
Places are limited so book now!
Contact Annie on 8355 3500
or [email protected]
For more information, visit
pqsa.asn.au/events/discovering-power.