AlayaCare is Coming!

Are you hungry for more information?  It’s coming… so keep your eye on a mailbox near you!

Dedicated Staff Phone Number

Did you know that we have a phone number that is just for staff?  We do!  If you need to call the office, simply pick up the phone and dial 6208 6644, Emily will answer your call and put you through to the right person.  It’s as easy as that.

The bonus is that you won’t need to compete with all the other calls coming into the office, AND you will get to chat with the lovely Emily!  Next time you need to call the office, give it a try.  You’ll be glad that you did.

There is something else that you need to know though… if you are calling to say you won’t be in for the day, please don’t do it at 2am, Emily needs her beauty sleep!  There is always someone in the office between 6am and 6pm, so give us a buzz then.  It makes everyone’s lives much easier if you do.

Worker Orientation Module – Quality, Safety, and You.

As you are aware Community Based Support (CBS) is a registered provider for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). As part of the scheme, the new NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (the Commission) commenced in Tasmania on 1^st July 2019. All registered providers now need to comply with particular standards and regulations which are monitored by the Commission.

One of the requirements under the Commission is that all field and office staff must complete a new online ‘worker orientation module’ called ‘Quality, Safety, and You’.

In recent weeks you would have received a letter advising you of this training requirement. This letter asks that all staff, regardless of if you currently provide supports to a person with a disability or not, complete this online module by 30th November 2019.

The great news is that the module is easy and it’s fun!  You can start and stop the training at any time, so it doesn’t have to be completed all in one sitting – brilliant! It’s so well thought out and put together, and the actors are all NDIS participants which sends a strong message of capability to everyone who sees it.  We love it!  You can access it by clicking here.

It’s very important to know that under the Commission’s requirements, staff cannot work without this qualification and as such, CBS may need to suspend your work if this module is not completed by the requested date.

CBS is currently asking all staff to undertake this online training individually, however, we may consider running group training sessions to assist staff to complete this requirement if we have enough people interested. If you are interested in undertaking this training in a group setting please indicate your expression of interest via email or phone to Emily at emily.thompson@cbsaust.org.au or 6208 6644.

If you have any questions or are having trouble accessing or completing the module by the 30^th November 2019, please contact the Disability team for assistance on 6208 6644 or disability@cbsaust.org.au.

And don’t forget, you will get paid for 90 minutes for completing the module but the only way to claim this is to print out your certificate of completion at the end of the module and give a copy to Monique in the Hobart office.  For those of you in Launceston, please give a copy to Nadia in the Launceston office and she will forward it on to her from there.  Alternatively, you can send it directly to Monique via email at monique.sanderson@cbsaust.org.au

Good luck and enjoy!

A HUGE and very warm WELCOME to our CBS Newbies!

Since the last edition of In The Loop we have had a whole new crew of staff join our team.  Did you know that CBS now employs close to 400 people across Tasmania?  AWESOME!!!!!  There are so many people contacting us every single day asking if they can come and work with us.  This is a real testament to you all and the great work you all do in our community… everyone wants to hang out with the cool kids.

Peter Cullen most recently commenced with us in the Launceston office.  Peter is a pretty cool kid!  He comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience and has been charged with the job of building our client base in the north of the state.  Peter’s official title is Client Services Manager. When he’s not out and about chatting with people about how awesome you all are and letting them know you are the best service providers in the state (if not the world!), he can be found hanging out at the Launceston office.  He is a really interesting person to talk to, so if you are in and around the Launceston area, why not call in and say “Hi” to Peter.

Shelley Trutwein has joined the CBS team as our new COS (Coordination of Supports).  Shelley is terrific!  She is super upbeat, intelligent and has so much knowledge in her head, you’d think she’d explode!  Our clients love her, her team loves her and she is proving to be an amazing asset to CBS and our clients.  While Shelley is not new to the world of COS, she is new to the world of CBS, so if you’re in and around the Hobart office, please stop and introduce yourself to Shelley: she’d be stoked that you did!

Frances Williams is also a brand new newbie!  Joining the Corporate Support team, she brings with her no less than 7,000 years’ experience in accounts receivable.  Imagine how that would look on your resumé?  And now you know why she got the job!  Frances is here to help us to streamline all our accounts receivable functions, with a particular focus on NDIS and Home Care Packages, as we transition to AlayaCare.

Gustav Lammerding has joined us as a living, breathing, Communications and Digital Marketing Specialist.  You only have to have a conversation with him to find out he is a masterful storyteller and what he doesn’t know about digital marketing simply isn’t worth knowing!  And you guessed it… he’s not from around here!  Gustav has travelled with his family all the way from South Africa to spend time with us.  It’s true!  OK… it’s not true.  He was here in Tassie for a little while before we found him.  Gustav is working in the friendly Marketing team of two and is going to help us transform our online and digital marketing. Call in and say “Hi” to Gustav, he is super keen to know EVERYONE!

In addition to this, we have had a huge number (over 50!) of other very cool kids join our team as Support Workers and temporary office staff.  Head over to our staff-only Facebook page to meet them, and if you are not already connected, click this link , request to join the group, and you’ll be a part of our online team in no time at all.

CBS AGM

It’s that time of year again which means it’s time for our Annual General Meeting.  It’s to be held in the Hobart Office on Thursday 29^th November at 5pm.  All staff are welcome, but you must advise Paul by email at paul.fitzpatrick@cbsaust.org.au by Friday 15^th November 2019.

Murray’s farewell

As you are all aware, Murray has decided it’s time to move on from his position as CEO with CBS, and take the skates off for a while.  His last day with us will be on Friday 6^th December, and so it’s fitting that you are all invited along to say farewell and celebrate the milestones we achieved whilst he has been at the helm.

We will be gathering at Cooleys Hotel in Moonah from 4.30pm on Friday 6^th December.

Hope to see you all there!

You make a HUGE DIFFERENCE!

Since the last edition of ‘In The Loop’ we have received a bumper 35 compliments, and five complaints.  Here is just a small sample of the compliments we received:

Doing what’s best for the client:

Chris (Support Worker) assisted a client with early onset Dementia to transition into an Aged Care Facility.  The client was not a fan of the idea at first, but with Chris’s support, positivity and guidance, the client acknowledged that this was the healthiest and safest move for him.  After meeting with the client and the Aged Care Facility an email was sent that said:

“About five times more effort was put in than I expected of Chris and I have to say I’m massively impressed.

Chris even helped engage (the client) in conversation with residents at the home and I had to pry them away so that we could leave.

I couldn’t be happier with Chris’s efforts yesterday.”

We all know how difficult this can be for clients, families and staff.  Great job Chris!  Thank you for making a huge difference.

A letter to our CEO:

“Dear Mr Coates,

I would like to thank all your outstanding staff who have helped us through quite difficult times.

Sue (Office Staff) has been my rock in all situations and Sharon (Support Worker) is always there to help with John’s physical disabilities but to also entertain him with adventures, books and trips here and overseas. We must of course include Vicki (Support Worker), a much loved member of your team and certainly a great help to me. How lucky we were to have Georgina (Support Worker) and Carol (Support Worker), both excellent.

Thank you all for your generous support.”

Now doesn’t that just warm your heart! How lovely.

Congratulations and thank you to Sue, Sharon, Vicki, Georgina and Carol for being outstanding in the eyes of the people who matter the most.

An anxious client:

A phone call from the daughter of a client who is usually very anxious when she meets new staff.

“I just want to say that Sandie (Support Worker) made Mum (client) feel so at ease and not anxious at all.  This never happens when she meets anyone new, and when Sandie left Mum was so relaxed”

Sometimes it can be difficult to build rapport quickly and to make a person feel comfortable, but you nailed it Sandie!  Well done!

Bathroom modifications:

An email from a client who accessed our Major Home Modifications program:

“The boys finished off the last bits on Wednesday last week.

They have done an amazing job.  Mum’s really happy and she now has privacy.

Thank you so much to yourself (Paul, Office Worker) and Community Based Support for all your help with the bathroom (modifications) for Mum.

It has made a huge difference for her to have a workable bathroom with her wheelchair.

Please pass on our thanks to everyone at Community Based Support!”

It’s hard to imagine life without the ease of bathroom access.  All the difficulties of showering, washing your hands, getting through the door, no privacy.  It would be awful!  Well done to Paul and the team for making at-home-bathroom-access-issues a thing of the past for this lady.

Carer respite:

A carer called to “thank the whole CBS team” for the support she received under the National Respite for Carers program.  She was most grateful to Corinne (Office Worker) and all the Support Workers who have come to her home.

Caring for a loved one can be all consuming and very tiring.  Carers do this work out of love for the person they care for and often forget to look after themselves.  It often takes a village to care for someone with complex needs and it’s wonderful to know that you are part of that caring village!  You should feel proud of the difference you have made to this lady’s life.  Well done team!

New worker makes a great impression:

Over a period of a week we received three compliments for a new Support Worker, Petalyn.  The information we received about Petalyn was that she was positive, funny, polite, organised, gets in and gets the job done well and is easy to get along with.

Petalyn has not been working for CBS for very long, but she is clearly making a fantastic impression! Congratulations on being such a wonderful ambassador for CBS and all who work here.  And more importantly, thank you for choosing us as your employer, we’re stoked that you did!

Over the years:

A beautiful email was sent to Jodi in our Carer Support team that really sums up the difference we are all making in the lives of so many:

“Dear Jodi, Corinne, Georgia & CBS Carer Support staff that we have had the benefits of receiving support from over the years,

From Tracy (Office Worker) asking me, at a disability support expo, and the straight forward communication from her that led me to apply for help, for me and my family, we are SO very thankful for the services we have been blessed to receive.

We reached out and have been listened to, heard, encouraged and supported through some pretty tough times.

The garden maintenance and spring cleaning has been such a wonderful and beneficial service. Ben (Contractor) was great. Then the Whittakers last month. Efficient, reliable and helpful.

The Young Carers have been wonderful in organising relevant and fun activities that both of our children have enjoyed over the years also. Especially Gold Class!! 😉

This email could become quite lengthy if I go on and on but please hear my/our hearts full of gratitude for everything.

Thank you

From The (Whole) Fam”.

This family has been receiving Carer Support services from CBS for many years.  What a privilege it is to be a part of such a community of caring souls!  It simply makes your heart sing!

R U OK?

Most of you will know something about, or have at least heard of, R U OK? Day.  But did you know that R U OK? has built an entire business around suicide prevention and creating meaningful conversations that help people to connect with each other in an authentic and caring way?

To read more about this inspiring organisation, or to learn how you can get involved, click here.

It’s everyone’s responsibility to look out for each other.

Thank you to Sally Lee for sending the information through to our Marketing team about this great cause.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

CBS provides gloves, shoe covers, aprons and face masks to all CSB field staff to help prevent the spread of those nasty little germs.

If you need any of these things, you can pick them up from any of our three offices in Moonah, Launceston or Huonville (please note the Huonville office is open on Wednesdays only).

Please feel free to drop in and collect these whenever you are nearby.

Progress Notes

Are you making them?

Each client who is supported by CBS has a white folder that contains important information for and about them.  One of these documents is the Progress Notes.  The purpose of Progress Notes is twofold.  Firstly, it gives a brief overview of what work has been done during client visits, making it easier for the following worker to see what has been done and what is left to do; and secondly, it allows everyone, including family, to see how their loved one is being supported, giving them peace of mind and also alerting them to any changes that may be occurring.

It’s important that you make sure you are filling in these notes at the end of each and every shift.  It doesn’t have to be a novel, it just needs to be short statements about your shift and anything that may have occurred that could be ‘out of the ordinary’.  Here is an example:

If you have any questions or concerns about what you should or should not be writing in these progress notes, please call the office and speak to a coordinator who will happily talk you through it.