Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast Ltd. - Fortnightly Facts -

 2022

IMPORTANT CONTACTS

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

After Hours (for emergency after hours phone calls)* - 0404 830 867

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 

CURA Care Support

• Sue Bloomfield - 0459 947 763

Care Advisors

• Bozena Zdybell (Gold Coast) - 0404 895 528  (returning from leave on the 14th of November) 
• 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
• Leanne Rose (Moreton) - 0438 879 506
• Kerry McCoombes (Moreton- Lifestyle) -  0407 792 665
• Kerry Crokam (Sunshine Coast - Lifestyle) - 0458 526 289

Community Programs 

• Candice Sullivan (Community Development Officer) - 0409 322 645
• Koren Hannah (Settlement Case Worker) - 0436 317 994 
• Asmeret Kesete (SETS Support Worker) - 0436 450 207 
• Maria Nagy (Community Pathway Connector) - 0422 497 414 (on leave until end of October)
• 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

Please be reminded NOT to text the after hours phone, the message will not be received. 

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

David Claire Rochaya - Home Care Worker

Alaina Beattie - Home Care Worker 

Rebecca Rodgers - Receptionist 

Please make sure to say G'Day if you see them around the office!

Farewell Yoshiko Kirby

Yoshiko Kirby will sadly be finishing up with us on the 26th of October. Yoshiko has been a fundamental part of the MCCGC/CURA team for the past nine and half years and she will very much be missed by team members and clients alike.

We wish Yoshiko all the best in her future endeavors.

To celebrate Seniors Month, MCCGC & CURA are hosting a free screening of the award-winning Australian documentary Mary Meets Mohammad next Wednesday 19^th October at Dendy Southport (129 Queen St) 10am – 12pm.

It’s a beautiful film following the story of the unlikely connections that formed when Tasmania opened its first detention centre for 400 male asylum seekers from Afghanistan.

We will have some food and beverages available as well as a cultural performance at the beginning.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1306655260073623/?ref=newsfeed

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/mary-meets-mohammad-seniors-month-screening-tickets-439439654837 - event is free but registration is encouraged to help us keep track of numbers!

All are welcome 😊

Tell us a bit about yourself (i.e., where you were born, what languages you speak, etc.)

I migrated to Brisbane to be an international student and ended up completing my Bachelor of Nursing at Australian Catholic University. I was born in the Philippines. I speak the Filipino national language (Tagalog), Arabic and basic Spanish.

What is your role here at CURA?

Support at Home Manager for the our northern region. 

What are you most looking forward to in your new role?

To share my knowledge and skills to the team to provide quality of care for our consumers.

What is your professional background?

I'm a Registered Nurse. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like fishing, singing (church, group gig and karaoke), cycling along the beach front and swimming.

We feel very blessed to have Gerald as a part of our team! You can contact Gerald at geraldp@curacares.com or 0476 555 044.

National Carers Week 2022

National Carers Week 2022 is about recognising and celebrating the outstanding contribution our wonderful carers make to our nation.

We cross paths with many carers' here at CÜRA.

We acknowledge the immense dedication Carers demonstrate to care for their loved ones. The carer is a selfless role that evolves from relationships. Time and time again, we will hear I’m not a carer, I’m a daughter or husband or wife or son or sister or friend etc.

It is these relationships that we want to recognise in Carers Week.

Did you know that 96% of Primary Carers are caring for a family member?

Did you know that approximately 2/3 of Primary Carers are female?

Here at CÜRA (if you didn't already know) we offer respite services that are tailored to you and the loved one you are caring for.

See our flyer here: https://bit.ly/38YdE0J

Mandatory Training for ALL Home Care Workers, Wellness Centre Support Staff, Care Advisors and Registered Nurses

TAFE Queensland are pleased to be delivering a Dementia Support – Service Delivery Skill Set via your employer MCCGC – CÜRA Care. REGISTER TODAY!.

This is an invitation to all Home Care Workers, Wellness Centre Support Staff, Care Advisors and Registered Nurses, we invite you to attend MANDATORY training please see details below.

If you have any questions regarding please contact your People and Culture Team 07 5527 8011.

What you need to do:

1. Click HERE to complete your registration for this training – by doing so, you will confirm your attendance and be enrolled.

Start date: Week of 7^th November

Time: 9:00am – 3:30pm

NORTHLAKES AND SUNSHINE COAST STAFF Campus North: Caboolture Campus Tallon Street, Caboolture Qld 4510

GOLD COAST AND TWEED STAFF Campus South: Southport Campus 91-99 Scarborough Street, Southport QLD 4215

Duration: 6 weeks

Delivery: Blended online and face to face training sessions that will be scheduled through ProCura

Attendance: 1 day per week (day of week depends on your group, this will be advised after enrolment) 

We now have over 50 local services and businesses listed on our Multicultural Services Directory but we need your help to add more!

Please share the directory with any of your local providers so that we can build it up to be a valuable community resource. It is FREE to sign up and a great way to promote services to multicultural communities. 

Who can sign up for the directory?

• Anyone who provides a service on the Gold Coast in another language (aside from English) or can work with Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS) 
• Any type of service - doctors, retail, lawyers, restaurants, coaches, counsellors, non-profits, etc. 

Our goal is to connect community with service providers that speak their language and to promote diverse providers to multicultural communities. 

Please share with your networks or even send a list of providers you know to directory@mccgc.com.au so we can reach out to them! 

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 team across all regions.

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

We are hiring:

CÜRA

• Roster Officer - Full time >> Apply Now 
• Purchasing Officer - >> Apply Now 
• Client Staff Liaison Officer >> 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 

Please make sure you're following us on social media so you can share our posts!

Follow CÜRA on Facebook

Follow CÜRA on Instagram

Follow CÜRA on LinkedIn

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.

If you think you may be affected by the recent Optus data breach contact Optus customer service on 133 937.

You should also:

•  Secure and monitor your devices and accounts for unusual activity, and ensure they have the latest security updates.
•  Enable multi‑factor authentication for all accounts.

 If you need assistance with taking these steps, please visit cyber.gov.au.

For more information about support and reporting services, visit: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/news-media/archive/article..

Anti-poverty week is from the 16th to the 22nd of October. 

Varsity Lakes Community Resource Centre and Queensland Seniors Month are hosting a Senior Connect information day next Thursday 20th of October from 10am!

Varsity Lakes Community Resource Centre is located at 20 Mattocks Road, Varsity Lakes.

Please make sure you are wearing the correct uniform at all times during your shifts. 

Employee Engagement Survey coming soon!

We are conducting an Employee Management Survey on the 24th of October to get your feedback on working here at MCCGC/CURA. 

More details will follow, but for now please refer to the frequently asked questions below. 

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!

Want to know what happens at a breast screening appointment? View the new BreastScreen Queensland video to learn more.

BreastScreen Queensland offers free breast screening for women aged 40 plus who haven’t noticed any changes in their breasts. A breast screen is most effective for women aged 50 to 74.

For more information, or to book an appointment, call 132050 or visit breastscreen.qld.gov.au

Eat well for your mental health

When you think of improving your mental health, you may not think about changing the food you eat. But there is a strong link between what we eat and how we feel!

We know that eating an unbalanced diet can make us feel sluggish and flat. But now we are seeing eating a balanced diet (with a variety of fruit, veggies, nuts and wholegrains) might actually improve our mental health. This is a pretty new and exciting area of research.

Here’s how eating well can improve your headspace. It can:

• help you get a better night’s sleep
   
• give you more energy
   
• improve your concentration, this can help with things like work and study
   
• make you less likely to crave foods with high sugar, salt or fat.

How can I eat for a healthier headspace?

Professor Felice Jacka is Director of the Food and Mood Centre. Here are her tips to eating a well-balanced, nutritional diet for your mental health.

• Often we turn to snacks that aren't nutritious when we are stressed. So it’s good to develop coping strategies that are not related to food - like exercise or mindfulness.
   
• We know that some foods are very good for a healthy mind. Make sure your diet includes things like fruits and vegetables, foods high in fibre (wholegrain cereals and bread, beans, chickpeas, lentils and nuts), fermented foods like unsweetened yogurt, olive oil, and fish (tinned is fine).
   
• Make small changes that are easy to stick to. Start by swapping processed afternoon snacks for nutritious ones, like fruit.
   
• You don’t have to be perfect, and don't be too hard on yourself. A burger or a chocolate bar are fine every now and then (say, once on the weekend). But it's important to make sure your diet includes a variety of nutritious foods, most of the time!
   
• Try to avoid too much red meat – a little bit is fine but keep it to 3-4 times per week.

• 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 last logbook white page 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.

National Cabinet recently announced changes to isolation requirements for positive COVID-19 cases and we wanted to clarify that if you test positive to COVID 19 isolation requirements still apply to our staff.

It was announced from 14 October 2022 individuals who have COVID-19 symptoms are encouraged to stay at home while they remain unwell, but it will no longer be mandated for them to remain in isolation for 5 days.

However, people who work in high-risk settings this includes Home and Community Care will not be able to return to work for five days after testing positive, and the official health advice for all workers is still for people to work from home or avoid going to work if they test positive and have symptoms.

National cabinet announced that the pandemic leave payment will end for everyone except workers in high-risk settings, which includes the aged care, disability care, Aboriginal healthcare and hospital care sectors.

If you get COVID-19, you need to immediately isolate yourself at your home, or accommodation, for 5 full days from the date you had your test and notify your supervisor.

• If you returned a positive result using a RAT, report this to Queensland Health: https://www.qld.gov.au/rat-positive
• You may have symptoms like a fever, cough, headache, or a sore throat. You may feel unwell for a day or 2, and then start to feel better.
• If you're unsure whether you need medical care for your symptoms you can call 1800 020 080 or book a telehealth appointment with your GP.  
• You can return to work after you have completed 7 days of isolation, so long as you have no symptoms other than a dry cough which is improving.
• Please contact your supervisor prior to returning to work as you may be required to wear extra PPE for the next 5 days.

If you are a close contact of a person with COVID-19 (QLD ONLY):

• If you have no symptoms, you may continue to work. Please speak with your supervisor. You may be required to wear extra PPE (N95 or P2 Mask) for 7-14 days post exposure.
• You must return a negative COVID-19 test result before your first shift and every second day for 5 days from the last time someone in your household tested positive for COVID-19
• If you have or develop symptoms:
• Isolate and notify your supervisor.
• Test for COVID-19 as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms.

If your test is negative but symptoms continue or worsen you should seek medical advice

Please note the regulations in NSW differ to those in QLD, so please call Marie, our Clinical Care Manager, who will support you through this process

The Commonwealth’s temporary Rapid Antigen Test Concessional Access program – which provided free RATs for concession card holders -  ended on 31 July.

The Queensland Government announced free RATs would be available at specific Queensland Health facilities for concession card holders. Eligible people can get up to five RAT kits per month. 

Find them at: 

Carrara Health Precinct

Address: 45 Chisholm Road, Carrara, 4215

Where: Entry is from Pappas Way into Chisholm Road - Entry is the second driveway.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10am-2pm

Information around eligibility and other locations to find a free RAT can be found here. . 

MCCGC continue to have RATs available for our staff. We can also be contacted if you identify any clients/customers who may not meet above eligibility. Please contact Marie on mariek@curacares.com or Troy on troyn@mccgc.com.au if you have any concerns.  

• 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.