Like so many out in the community, our teams at Ability Options are also managing the impacts of the current wave of COVID-19.
Our COVID Management Plans are working really well. We continue to support staff to stay safe and to help keep participants safe. We are also well stocked with rapid antigen tests (RATs) and are supporting everyone to get their booster vaccinations. We have Ability Options vaccination clinics coming up, which participants can attend if they want to by speaking with their team leaders. These are walk-in clinics but please speak with your team leader or support worker to make sure we have enough places on the day.
In this update, I want to let you know about how we are keeping participants, our staff and the community safe while still providing the best possible service.
Services continue as COVID normal
Both disability services and employment services continue to operate.
Disability services
There have been some pressures, but all our services have continued to operate in a COVID safe way. All services have COVID management plans and staff have been given training and resources including personal protective equipment (PPE) which has helped keep everyone safe. In addition, staff are double vaccinated and we are supporting them to get their boosters. There are a lot fewer active cases of COVID-19 now with most people recovering well. Our COVID safe plans have worked well so far and numbers of COVID cases are declining. We are always cautious and make decisions based on prioritising people’s safety first.
There are still some visiting restrictions and we still require every visitor to check in on both the Ability Options and Service NSW QR codes before they are able to enter any Ability Options site including supported homes. This helps us trace visitors in the event of an outbreak, very quickly.
We are following the guidelines provided by NSW Health around the limitations to visitors to supported homes: Advice to residential disability care facilities (RDCF) – COVID-19 (Coronavirus) (nsw.gov.au).
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your usual Ability Options contact.
Employment services
We continue to provide employment services across all our sites in greater Sydney, the Central Coast and the Hunter Region. We have had a few site closures where the sites are small or they are shared with other organisations who have had outbreaks but all sites are now open. We may still need to rearrange some appointments and if we do, we will contact you.
All visitors to our services must check-in using both the Service NSW and the Ability Options QR code and wear masks. This helps us keep everyone safe and trace visitors if an outbreak does occur. We are grateful for your patience as we keep you and our staff safe. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact your Ability Options Employment Services Consultant.
For all of our Employers, we understand the difficulty in finding staff in the current context and can work with you to access our talent pool of candidates to see if they are the right fit for you. Make sure you contact our Employer Servicing Team for support: 1300 422 454 or recruitment@abilityoptions.org.au.
Julia Squire
Chief Executive Officer, Ability Options
