COVID-19 transmission continues to increase in the community with the eighth wave predicted to peak in December. Community transmission in NSW is now moderate to high which means the pandemic is still a major issue with widespread vaccination softening.
Several easy but important COVID-safe behaviours helped keep us safe during the pandemic and these little things can still make a big difference now. Please stay home if you have any cold or flu symptoms and consider wearing a mask if you need to leave home. Family members and guardians should also refrain from visiting participants if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
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 encouraging everyone to stay up to date with vaccinations.
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
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, we strongly encourage staff to stay up to date with vaccinations. We are always cautious and make decisions based on prioritising people’s safety first.
We still require every visitor to check in the Ability Options QR codes before they are able to enter any Ability Options Accommodation or Respite site. This helps us monitor for symptoms as required by NSW Health.
We continue to follow the relevant guidelines provided by NSW Health: Advice to residential disability care facilities (RDCF) – COVID-19
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. There has been little disruption to services and where staff need to take time off we will ensure there is always someone to assist in their place.
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.
