Fortnightly Facts

Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast Ltd. - Fortnightly Facts

IMPORTANT CONTACTS

Rosters Text only (for rostering purposes only) - 0408 082 147

After Hours (for emergency after hours phone calls)* - 0404 830 867 - Please DO NOT TEXT the after hours phone, the message will not be received.

Office – (07) 5527 8011

Senior Management Team

Marie Kavale (Clinical Care Manager) - 0418 462 870
Jessica McAdam (Community Programs Manager) - 0412 174 700
Corinne Butt (Support at Home Manager - South) - 0406 657 593
Gerald Perez (Support at Home Manager - North) - 0476 555 044
Susan Gordon (Systems Administration Manager) - 07 5527 8011

Care Advisors

Bozena Zdybell (Gold Coast) - 0404 895 528
Yoshiko Moore -RN (Gold Coast) - 0439 874 429
Sun Hee Park (Gold Coast) - 0439 936 990
Amila Kaludewa (Gold Coast) - 0487 174 175
Fiona Small (Gold Coast South) - 0438 295 010 (Tues-Fri)
Jennie Burton (Gold Coast) - 0447 030 073
Lupe Chadwick (Gold Coast) - 0439 349 162
Zarina Montenegro (Gold Coast) - 0438 285 024
Karin Andres (Gold Coast) - 0487 103 451
Sue Bloomfield (Gold Coast) - 0459 947 763
Kerry McCoombes (Moreton- Lifestyle) - 0407 792 665
Kerry Crokam (Sunshine Coast - Lifestyle) - 0458 526 289

Community Programs

Thilinika Wijesinghe (Community Development Officer) - 0409 322 645
Koren Hannah (Settlement Case Worker) - 0436 317 994
Jessica Ward (SETS Support Worker) - 0436 450 207
Maria Nagy (Community Pathway Connector) - 0422 497 414
Kyzzy Romano (Work Towards Coordinator) - 0484 361 811
Camila Solorza (Work Towards Support Worker) - 0400 724 436
Brendan Marks (NDIS Support Coordinator) - 0438 203 197
Laura Bernal (NDIS Support Coordinator) - 0438 866 413

Executive Team

Shane Klintworth (Chief Executive Officer) - 0438 347 202
Troy Nicholls (Chief Operations Officer) - 0459 958 172
Goran Avramovic (Chief Financial Officer) - 0439 459 225
Vanessa Whitiora (People and Culture Officer)– 0428 684 721
Tory Ishigaki (Marketing & Communications Officer) - 0431 250 701

Thank you to all that attended the holiday celebrations this last few weeks! It was great to let our hair down and celebrate each other's success over the year that was!

Thank you for all the contributions you have made over 2022 and we are looking forward to a successful 2023!

Congratulations to this years Chair's and Recognition Award winners.

Chair’s Awards

Chizuko Nakamura (Home Care Worker)
- For being an amazing Home Care Worker that always gets lovely feedback from our clients. She has an outstanding work ethic, always puts herself out there and offers extra help when needed. Clients love her and she is a positive force within our organisation.
Jessica McAdam (Community Programs Manager)
- For leading with compassion and generosity, providing a positive and supportive environment for her team and ensuring their programs continue to grow and truly support the communities they serve. She is a passionate advocate for her team and community, sharing a wealth of knowledge and leading with kindness and understanding.

Recognition Awards

Amanda Hay (Home Carew Worker)
- For her passion in helping customers and being a wonderful home care worker.
Azzaya Munkhzul (People & Culture Assistant)
- Received a lot of appreciation for her support through the dementia training and has been described as good-hearted, passionate, helpful, patient, kind, beautiful, diligent, committed, humble, positive and generous. CÜRA couldn’t have hired anyone better for the role!
Candice Sullivan (Community Development Officer (CAMS))
- Candice is tireless in her pursuit to encourage both community and organisation to operate our values and mission in purpose and commitment to uplifting diverse cultures in the Gold Coast community. Candice has gone above and beyond and shown a great example to colleagues and community-alike to role model passion and professionalism in the community sector. Candice achieves this through a warm and welcoming nature, with active listening to truly understand the needs of community and our organisation and team!
Corinne Butt (Support At Home Manager)
- Some of the praise for Corinne included:
  - “Always happy & engaging... Always has time for anyone that needs her help.”
  - “Always looking out for the best interests of staff and our community.”
  - “Amazing personality”
  - “She brings joy, compassion and love to the organisation”
  - “Nothing is ever a bother, always goes above & beyond for all staff, appreciates her co-workers and
  - “There needs to be more Corinne's in the world!”
Lara Irving (Home Care Worker)
- Always puts the client as her first priority and strives to give them the best life possible. She is vibrant, smiling and nothing ever phases her. She is respectful, loyal, positive, energetic and a wonderful ambassador for our organisation.
Robyn Brummell (Home Care Worker)
- Robyn has been a great support to our customers in the Sunshine Coast always putting the customer ahead of herself. Working closely with the team to understand the needs in the region is also paramount.
Yoshiko Moore (Care Advisor & RN)
- For being a wonderful person, a good leader and more! She is a beautiful soul inside and out, works with compassion and goes above and beyond with everyone she comes into contact with.

10-Year Service Award

Angela Hudrea

Thank you to everyone who voted to show appreciation for your peers.

To see some of the photos from the Gold Coast party (and one from Moreton!) please click here.

We are very excited to be welcoming our newest team members onboard to MCCGC/CÜRA:

Mami Matsuda – Home Care Worker Moreton Region
Barry Anderson – Home Care Worker Moreton Region
Jessica Ward – Program Support Worker - SETS
Thilinika Wijesinghe - CAMS Officer (Maternity Leave Replacement)

Candice Sullivan our CAMS Officer has officially gone on Maternity Leave for the next seven months.

We want to take a moment to thank Candice for the incredible work she has done over her time so far here at MCCGC. Through the guidance of Candice MCCGC has formed its first Youth Advisory Group, established our Palm Beach English Classes, and conducted cultural training for students whilst continuing the MCCGC Meet, Great, Eats, Walk Together and supporting our Gold Coast Multicultural Communities.

Over the next seven months we will have Thilinika Wijesinghe (Thili) stepping in to help support the programs of CAMS and we look forward to welcoming Candice back once she returns from Maternity leave!

Message from Thili

I’d like to introduce myself to you. As the amazing Candice will be going on Maternity Leave, I have stepped into the role as your new Community Development Officer (CAMS). I am looking forward to supporting you in all your community projects and I am very excited for what we have in store for 2023!

I bring with me a passion for community building and promotion of culture which I think is very important for a sustainable development of a society and a community. So, I encourage and invite you to connect with us whenever you require any sort of support and please know that our team is always ready to offer support.

We’d also encourage you to involve your communities in enhancing their experience living on the Gold Coast and invite you to organise cultural events and activities next year as well.

Please get in touch with me for any community events or projects and I am always here to support.

Wishing you all a restful holiday and looking forward to collaborating in 2023!

Christmas can come with high expectations of perfect, happy families enjoying luxurious celebrations and gifts, but not all of us are able to live up to these ideals.

For those who have recently lost a loved one, Christmas can intensify feelings of grief and sadness.

Some people experience feelings of isolation, financial pressures, or increased family conflict that can make this a very stressful time of year.

Ask Izzy is free and anonymous, and you can search over 350 000 services to find housing, meals, healthcare, counselling, legal advice, addiction treatment and a whole lot more. If you’re on the Telstra mobile network, you can access Ask Izzy even if you don’t have credit

Click here to visit the Ask Izzy website: https://askizzy.org.au/

If you require urgent support during this holiday period, the following services may be able to assist you:

Emergency Services – Call 000 if you are in an emergency, or at immediate risk of harm to yourself or others.
Lifeline – 13 11 14 24/7 crisis support & suicide prevention services.
Gold Coast Mental Health – 1300 642 255
1300 MH CALL – 1300 642 255
Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636
Alcohol and Drug Information Service – 1800 177 833

If you are feeling overwhelmed:

plan a simpler, low-cost way of having fun on Christmas Day
drink alcohol in moderation — drinking too much can worsen mental wellbeing
don't feel the need to spend big for gifts — set a budget and stick to it
think of all the positive things that happened to you in 2022
realise it's okay to say no. You don't have to go to every Christmas party you're invited to!
keep up with your regular exercise and healthy eating habits.
If you need some support and advice, call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or Lifeline on 13 11 14, to talk with a counsellor.

Thank you for your continued understanding with all things COVID-related. We are still on AMBER and have had cases amongst staff and clients so it is important that we keep up our health & safety measures to protect each other, our customers and community. We will continue to monitor the situation and follow all updates from QLD Health.

Please continue to:

Wear a mask and practice hand hygiene
Conduct wellness checks before visiting any clients
Continue monitoring for symptoms –get tested if you are feeling unwell and do not come into work if you have symptoms

Client Letters

We have sent out a letter via email and COVID fact sheet to clients including information on the traffic light system, antiviral medications, heat stress and storm season. It includes basic information to help support them through this COVID wave and summer.

Thank you to all community leaders, service providers, government representatives and MCCGC members for attending our Twilight Multicultural Mixer at TAFE Queensland Robina Campus.

The night was attended by other 110 representatives from community, service provider and government sectors.

We celebrated 2022 wins, networked with old friends, made connections with new ones and celebrated our Gold Coast cultural diversity!

Click below to see the professional photos from the night!

Twilight Multicultural Mixer

We have a bring your own device policy for all Home Care Workers; you must have your own smart phone on which you can download the Procura mobile app. If you are issued with a mobile phone, you must familiarize yourself with the Mobile Phone Policy and sign an Agreement for Use.

The SIM card must remain in the issued phone and the mobile phone must not be left unattended in motor vehicles. Mobile phones are issued for business related calls only. Charges unrelated to the business must be declared and reimbursed by the user. For more information on our policy, payment procedures, special requests or to report loss or damage, refer to your Manager.

WELLNESS CHECKS - UPDATED

It is MANDATORY that you carry out COVID-19 Wellness Checks prior to conducting services and meetings with clients. Please make sure you are calling clients before any visits and asking the questions below.

If clients DO NOT answer your Wellness Check call at the start of the day, you still need to go to the scheduled client visit at the scheduled time. If the client answers their door, you must step back and do your wellness check before proceeding to go into the client’s home or they get into your car.

Wellness checks MUST be completed on the day of the visit/service NOT the day before.

Wellness Check Script:

Hello, how are you today?

I am going to ask you a few questions before I visit you today...

1. How are you feeling? Do you have any of the following symptoms?

Fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, runny nose, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, diarrhea, vomiting or nausea.

2. Do you have any family, friends or visitors staying with you that have any symptoms?

If a client answers yes to any of the above questions, please let them know that you are not able to provide the service today and that the office will contact them to discuss further. Then contact the office for further instruction.

Dementia – extra considerations in our CALD Community

Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD)

´The influence of culture and migration experiences can impact the course of dementia and BPSD
´It is very important to gather information about the older CALD person’s life history – cultural background, migrant and settlement experience
´When carers and service providers have no knowledge or understanding of these experiences, BPSD can be inadvertently exacerbated
´Past experiences can influence behaviours in dementia such as hoarding food, feeling like they are being watched, hallucinations, misinterpreting people/strangers as threatening and/or re-experiencing the trauma over the loss of a child or family member

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD)

´Can occur as a result of a refugee, refugee-like or war survivors‟ past and impact on changing behaviours
´In later life, cognitive changes with normal ageing or dementia can undermine this ability to adapt to new circumstances
´This can mean that ageing and/or dementia may be an additional risk factor for those who have experienced trauma in the past and this can trigger a change in behaviour
´Persons with dementia have a diminished capacity to hold back traumatic memories, which can result in a re-emergence of PTSD symptoms, including feelings of anxiety and depression
´With cognitive decline, PTSD severity in Holocaust survivors may worsen as repressed memories come to the fore

Get $250 for every successful referral

Did you know if you refer a friend to work with us, you'll get $250 when they pass probation?

If you know anyone who you think would like to work with us, please send them our way! We are looking for more people to join our CÜRA & MCCGC team.

*Please note referral bonuses are added to your regular pay and taxed at the usual rate

We are hiring:

CÜRA

Roster Officer Gold Coast - Full time >> Apply Now
Wellbeing Health Advisor Gold Coast - Full time >> Apply Now
Care Advisor Sunshine Coast >> Apply Now
In Home Domestic Workers Gold Coast - Casual >> Apply Now
Home Care Workers Gold Coast – Casual >> Apply Now
Home Care Workers Tweed Shire – Casual >> Apply Now
Home Care Workers Sunshine Coast – Casual >> Apply Now
Home Care Workers Moreton – Casual >> Apply Now

MCCGC

Quality Support Officer - Part Time >> Apply Now
Financial Accountant - Full Time >> Apply Now

Work Towards Workshops

Where: MCCGC Southport Office or ONLINE

RSVP NOW: respond to this email or send an email to WorkTowards@mccgc.com.au

All workshops are FREE and everyone is welcome!

The above events are for all of the Gold Coasters to engage with their local community this Christmas season.

Recruiting participants for an exciting research project

MCCGC has partnered with academic researchers at the University of Queensland and the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia in successfully obtaining funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project Scheme. The 3-year research project Integrating Community and Family Aged Care for Diverse Australians aims to support older Australians from CALD backgrounds to age well at home and in their communities. This ARC project is aligned with MCCGC’s strategic plan to provide culturally responsive and tailored care to meet the diverse needs of older CALD Australians. MCCGC is committed to incorporating the project’s findings in our training programs for care providers.

We are currently recruiting participants for Study 1 that aims to understand aged care experiences from the perspective of older CALD people through interviews. The participants will be provided with a $30 Coles gift card, as a token of appreciation for their participation in the study.

If you are interested in participating in the study either as an individual person aged 65 or over, from CALD backgrounds, living at home and receiving some level of community care support, or as a community service provider, please contact Professor Shuang Liu via email at shuang.liu@uq.edu.au or phone 07 3346 8242.

Fusion Media Production is screening HIJO AJA KA KURA The Movie for all Nepalese-speaking communities on the Gold Coast - the film also has English subtitles

Sunday 8th January
6:20pm
Event Cinemas Australia Fair - Australia Fair Shopping Centre Marine Parade, Southport

Book tickets here: https://bit.ly/3HCDr0Q

Just a reminder that as of the 1st Nov, for CHSP clients the 'Free' KMS have been reduced to 10kms. No longer 15 KMS. Please remind all your CHSP clients that if they travel further than 10 KMS they will be charged for all excess KMS. Any issues, please talk to your Care Advisory or Team Leader directly.
There are ways to stop your number being displayed. This is known as CND blocking. To block CND on all calls from your phone, contact your telco. To block caller ID for an individual call, dial 1831 (or #31# from a mobile) then the number you are calling.
PLEASE remember to hand to reception the last logbook white page of the COMPANY CAR at the end of Friday.
Please remember to advise your Team Leaders if the red folder in not in the clients home.
Medication guiding principles practice: Consumer oral tablet medication is only provided to consumers by Home Care Workers if stored in a medication aid (such as a blister pack dispensed by a pharmacist), as they are considered to minimise potential errors. Registered Nurses and suitably trained Enrolled Nurses can provide non-blister packed medications in line with their scope of practice.
If there are any customers who don’t have a Care Adviser as they are receiving CHSP services and have a red in home folder please contact the office and ask to speak to a team leader who will be able to assist or email teamleaders@curacares.com
Reminder for our entry level services. If during services a customer is requesting travel that exceeds 15km and it is not in the care plan please contact the Team Leader (CHSP).
Mandatory Flu Vaccinations have been scrapped from being a requirement to visit an Aged Care Home.
Jury Duty - If you receive a request for jury duty service, please contact Troy Nicholls (troyn@mccgc.com.au) to discuss any concerns
Staff are not to attend in-room GP appointments with customers. Staff may accompany customers to medical appointment if requested and wait in the waiting room whilst the GP appointment takes place.
Please check in home charts and ensure there are correct labels, dates and documents signed correctly- and make sure to return any forms from 2020.
Have you noticed any new equipment in your clients houses? If so, please report back to either your Care Advisor or Team Leader.
Please let your line manager know if you do not have access to your work emails or your staff portal.
Please be aware that you cannot arrange your work schedule with a customer. All verbal customer requests for services must go through to the Team Leader and/or Care Advisor which will then be directed to the Rostering Team.
Return paperwork to Reception for Care Advisor collection (ie: Receipts, Progress notes etc).

Please no parking at the cricket club on Fridays.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): If you have placed an order please remember to collect it at Reception or contact the office on 07 5527 8011 to advise the team.
Receipt Books: Please ensure to use your receipt books when collecting cash from customers. If you do not have a receipt book, please contact your supervisor or the office immediately.
Annual Leave: As per our process we require 4 weeks’ notice when applying for leave. Casual employees are required to complete a leave form for scheduling purposes it allows your supervisor/manager and our operations team time to find a replacement and discuss options with our customers. If you are unsure and need further advice, please contact your supervisor/manager. Thank you for understanding.
Parking of Vehicles: Please do not park any cars on the fake grass area near the garage.

Watch Professor Alison McMillan, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer for the Australian Government Department of Health, explains how to don and doff personal protective equipment in residential aged care.

Please ensure that you are returning work cars to the office car park. Do not park the car on the road.
The BP at Cotlew Street does not accept motor charge cards.
Please remember the tyre pressure for our Kia Soul cars should be at 36 PSI.
Please make sure you are remembering to alert reception when more masks and wipes are needed in the cars/vans.
Please remember to always return the cars to the parking bay out the front of reception at the end of the day.
Please remember to return the work vehicle you've been using with at lease 1/2 a tank of petrol.
Compliance needs to be always current. Enter expiry dates into your phone calendar to remind you of renewals.
Reporting back to the office adverse events and staff incidents

PLEASE CHECK YOUR COMPLIANCE TODAY. IT IS MANDATORY THAT ALL REQUIREMENTS ARE UP TO DATE. Failure to provide current compliance may result in being suspended. If you're unsure, please contact your supervisor, operations or Vanessa.

All employees are responsible for ensuring these are current and updated. You can email copies of these to hr@mccgc.com.au

Police Check –This is due every 3 years from issue date
Driver’s License –This is required every year from issue date.
Car Registration – This is due on or by expiration date.
Car Insurance – Please check the expiry date on your policy.
First Aid – This is due every 3 years from issue date
CPR – This is due every year from issue date.

Is compliance crucial to your employment? YES

Is it your responsibility to ensure all compliance is current? YES

Is it your responsibility to email all documents to HR? YES

POLICE CHECK

Corporate Code: GVMCCGC
You can apply for your police check through Clear to work https://check.cleartowork.com.au/

HR UPDATE

Human Resources

ProCura Mobility- All users MUST ensure to click START and STOP times to ensure your kilometres are being recorded correctly.
Client Services - Changes to client services and times MUST be discussed and approved by Care Advisors. Please ensure that you are advising any changes by contacting the Care Advisors or the office.
Staff Portal - Gentle reminder that all forms are now online
Staff ID cards - As essential workers, it's imperative you wear your Staff ID cards at all times.

Workplace Health and Safety

Flu Vaccinations - Please ensure to complete your reimbursements and attached receipts for up to $12.00 via the staff portal.
PPE: -* Gold Coast text reception and Northern regions contact your manager for replenishments. Do not reuse disposable PPE.
Employee Assistance Program – If you are needing someone to talk to or needing that extra bit of support please contact your local EAP provider today. All details of our program are in the Staff Portal. Self care and wellness are important!
Uniforms - Please wear your correct uniforms as a matter of safety. Use your uniform allowance and purchase new uniforms for 2022

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which we operate, the Kombumerri People of the Yugambeh Language Region, the Gubbi Gubbi people, the Jinibara people, the Turrbal people, the Quandamooka people and the Bundjalung people. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging and extend our respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and acknowledge their ongoing connection to land, sea, culture and community.