Covid-19 Compliance

Our Commitment

At Joy Valley Care Pty Ltd we are committed to ensuring the safety of NDIS participants as our number 1 priority. In this current challenging situation of Coronavirus (Covid-19), we are all obliged to be as vigilant and proactive as possible. It is up to all members of our society to play their role to minimise the risk and possibly prevent the virus from entering our Joy Valley Care homes.

The safety of the participants and that of our staff, visitors, contractors and allied health professionals is paramount.In our efforts to combat the threat of Covid-19 among our stakeholders, in particular the disability participants we have implemented a number of things within Joy Valley Care.

We request that every visitor and associates comply with our systems to help up maintain a safe environment for the participants.Upon entry at a Joy Valley Care home you will be asked to provide brief but vital information as we complete the screening form.

Covid-19 Policy

Policy brief & purpose

This company policy includes the measures we are actively taking to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. You are kindly requested to follow all these rules diligently, to sustain a healthy and safe home and workplace in this unique environment. It is important that we all respond responsibly and transparently to these health precautions. We assure you that we will always treat your private health and personal data with high confidentiality and sensitivity.

Our coronavirus (COVID-19) policy is susceptible to changes with the introduction of additional governmental guidelines. If so, we will update you as soon as possible by email.

Scope

This coronavirus policy applies to all of our employees who physically work on site. We strongly recommend to our remote working personnel to read through this action plan as well, to ensure we collectively and uniformly respond to this challenge.

Policy Elements

Here, we outline the required actions employees should take to protect our participants, themselves and their co-workers from a potential coronavirus infection.

In this current challenging situation of Coronavirus (Covid-19), we are all obliged to be as vigilant and proactive as possible. It is up to all members of our society to play their role to minimise the risk and possibly prevent the virus from entering our Joy Valley Care homes. The safety of the participants and that of our staff, visitors, contractors and allied health professionals is paramount.

In our efforts to combat the threat of Covid-19 among our stakeholders, in particular the disability participants we have implemented a number of things within Joy Valley Care. We request that every visitor and associates comply with our systems to help up maintain a safe environment for the participants.

Screening

The screening process involves checking your temperature with a digital non-touch thermometer. The temperature of 37.5°C or above is above a normal body temperature and usually indicates that something is wrong. A temperature higher than normal is one of the signs that a person may be carrying the Covid-19 virus. As this is a basic but inconclusive indicator the person would have to have further testing and must be on the look out for further symptoms such as headache, runny nose, weakness, coughing, sneezing. These are generally referred to as flu-like symptoms. In our current environment these must be acted upon immediately and must not be taken lightly. It is the NSW Health mandated directive that if a person presents with these signs and symptoms must enter into quarantine for 14 days and seek testing for Coronavirus.

Participants, staff and visitors must assist in curtailing the Coronavirus risk by adopting following measures:

• Participants and staff must always to wash their hands upon arrival from outside activities and after using the toilet. Always practice good hand hygiene.
• All personnel must cleanse their hands at the entry point with hand sanitiser
• Avoid touching your face
• Frequently wash your hands
• Staff are to clean the house especially door handles and other surfaces that are frequently touched.
• Use of masks and gloves
• Maintain the mandated social distancing i.e. 1.5 metres form the next person
• Relatives of participants to adhere to our request to not visit Joy Valley Care when asked. We will endeavour to work closely with you and provide you with as much information as we can.

Employee Movement Risk Assessment

Our risk assessment involves communicating with staff and understanding their movements. Staff movement information is largely centred around other places of their employment e.g. second and/or third job such as high-risk areas like nursing homes or other disability service provision outlets, including jobs like retail outlets and venues. Having this information helps us to determine the risk element related to the individual staff and our home, how much risk there is of cross infection from one place of work to another. We seek to understand the employee’s own actions to prevent cross infection and what their other place or places of employment do to protect the employee. With this understanding we then discuss with each employee as an individual in order for us to come up with best possible measures to put in place to reduce the risk in relation to the particular employee. Each employee is required to complete a Covid-19 Risk Assessment form, declaring their other places of employment, community activities and volunteer work.

As a Joy Valley Care employee, you are requested to help us assess the level of risk that we as employees may pose towards our participants. Your honest answers will help us work out to our best ability means to reduce the possibility of exposing our participants to the risk of contracting Covid-19. The information provided is solely for use by Joy Valley Care management and will not be shared with any external entities or individuals, except for extenuating circumstances such as NDIS service provider annual audit, other mandated audits or where required by law to submit such information to relevant authorities.

Our Commitment

We at Joy Valley Care are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the participants and that of our staff, visitors and contractors. These are some of the steps that we have taken to prevent Covid-19 at Joy Valley Care:

• Set up a screening station at entry point
• Hands-free hand sanitiser
• Non-touch digital thermometer
• Screening questionnaire
• Ongoing staff education and competency in infection prevention and control, particularly use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Frequent sanitisation of surfaces such as door handles
• Covid-19 car kit, including masks, gloves and sanitisation material
• PPE for staff
• Covid-19 risk assessment
• Up to date information through participation in the fortnightly Zoom meetings with the MoH.

Options for testing:

• Visit a public COVID-19 testing clinic or drive-thru clinic operated by your Local Health District
• Visit an Australian Government COVID-19 GP Respiratory Clinic
• Call your GP
• Get a GP referral to a private pathology collection centre
• Seek self-collection via Histopath (https://www.histopath.com.au/)
• Call the National Coronavirus Helpline 1800 020 080 (24-hour help line)

More information:

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/clinics.aspx

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/case-definition.aspx

Sick leave arrangements:

If you have cold symptoms, such as cough/sneezing/fever, or feel poorly, request sick leave or work from home where possible. This is not possible for employees who provide direct care to participants.

If you have a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, you can return to work only after you have fully recovered, with a doctor’s note confirming your recovery.

Work from home requests (not for Lifestyle Support Partners / care workers):

If you are feeling ill, but you are able to work, you can request to work from home.

If you have recently returned from areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases (based on CDC announcements), we will ask you to work from home for 14 calendar days, and return to the office only if you are fully asymptomatic. You will also be asked not to come into physical contact with any participants and colleagues during this time.

If you’ve been in close contact with someone infected with COVID-19, with high chances of being infected yourself, request work from home. You will also be asked not to come into physical contact with any colleagues during this time.

If you’re a parent and you have to stay at home with your children, request work from home. Follow up with your manager or departmental leader to make arrangements and set expectations.

If you need to provide care to a family member infected by COVID-19, request work from home. You will only be permitted to return to the office 14 calendar days after your family member has fully recovered, provided that you are asymptomatic or you have a doctor’s note confirming you don’t have the virus. You will also be asked not to come into physical contact with any colleagues during this time.

Traveling/commuting measures:

• All work trips and events – both domestic and international – will be cancelled/postponed until further notice.
• In-person meetings should be done virtually where possible.

General hygiene rules:

• Wash your hands after using the toilet, before eating, and if you cough/sneeze into your hands additional to use of hand sanitisers.
• Cough/sneeze into your sleeve, preferably into your elbow. If you use a tissue, discard it properly and clean/sanitise your hands immediately.
• Open the windows regularly to ensure open ventilation.
• Avoid touching your face, particularly eyes, nose, and mouth with your hands to prevent getting infected.
• If you find yourself coughing/sneezing on a regular basis, avoid close physical contact with your others and take extra precautionary measures (such as requesting sick leave).

How Germs Spread

• Washing hands can keep you healthy and prevent the spread of respiratory and other infections from one person to the next. Germs can spread from other people or surfaces when you:
• Touch your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Prepare or eat food and drinks with unwashed hands
• Touch a contaminated surface or objects
• Blow your nose, cough, or sneeze into hands and then touch other people’s hands or common objects

Key Times to Wash Hands

You can help yourself and others stay healthy by washing your hands often, especially during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs:

• Before, during, and after preparing food
• Before eating food
• Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhoea
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
• After handling pet food or pet treats
• After touching garbage

As a registered NDIS service provider, Joy Valley Care Pty Ltd has the obligation to adhere to the following directive from the NSW Government. We are instructed to:

Must have a robust process for screening all staff and visitors on entry to the facility

Ongoing: any staff and visitors with fever ≥ 37.5°C or respiratory symptoms, even mild, should be excluded from the facility. They should be advised to isolate at home and seek COVID-19 testing.

Ongoing: any staff or visitors who have been in Victoria in the previous 14 days should be excluded from the facility (noting an exception for staff in border communities with a valid border permit)

Ongoing: any staff and visitors who have visited any of the locations on the same time as a COVID-19 case (see updated list of venues and dates at https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/latest-news-and-updates) should be excluded for a period of 14 days since their visit to the listed location. It is important to regularly check the website, as this list may expand.

Ongoing: all residential disability care staff who reside in the above local government areas, suburbs or a NSW/VIC border community should wear a surgical mask while in the facility.

Staff in this category who care for people at increased or higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness (https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novelcoronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/advice-for-people-at-risk-of-coronaviruscovid-19), must wear surgical masks.

Additional information:

If you would like more public health information, please contact your local NSW Health public health unit on 1300 066 055 or visit: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19

If you would like more information about NDIS-related issues, including any funding issues relating to compliance with these measures for NDIS participants, contact:

The NDIA on 1800 800 110 or https://www.ndis.gov.au/coronavirus

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/

Email MOH-NDIS@health.nsw.gov.au