IMPORTANT: Staff Mobility and Single Site Requirements Victorian Homes

Date: 1 December 2021

To: All VIC CRC Staff

From:  Cynthia Dowell, Regional CEO - VIC/TAS

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for your ongoing commitment and care of our residents.

On the advice of the Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sonya Bennett, in consultation with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and the Victorian Chief Health Officer, it is now appropriate for residential aged care providers in Victoria to commence transitioning out of single site arrangements.

What do staff need to know?

With the end of single site employment on 3 December 2021, workers can return to usual working arrangements, however, all staff must be aware of the following:

• Staff must advise the Home Manager if they are working for more than one employer and provide details of the other work premises.
• Home Managers will keep records of staff who are working at other work premises.
• Where there is an outbreak, workforce mobility must strictly cease and we require staff to remain at one site, and to submit a leave application to the other site/provider.   
• We request that staff inform the Home Manager if a site they worked at had gone into lockdown.
• Restrictions on working at other locations do not apply to visiting health care professionals.
• In the event of an outbreak the below requirements must be followed:

Fully vaccinated

•     A fully vaccinated staff member cannot work anywhere else until at least 7 days since the confirmed case was present, and must have had a negative test on or after day 6.

Not fully vaccinated

•     A staff member who is not fully vaccinated cannot work anywhere else until at least 14 days since the confirmed case was present, and must have had a negative test on or after day 13.

Please continue to reach out to the HR team if you have any specific queries around this matter.

A reminder that staff, contractors or visitors may not enter the facility if they:

• are required to isolate or quarantine;
• have been to any close or casual contact locations, or interstate/overseas places of high concern;
• have COVID-19 symptoms - fever (37.5°C or higher) or symptoms of COVID-19;
• are a close contact of a person with confirmed COVID-19;
• live in a household with, or are a close contact of a person who is currently self-isolating; and/or
• are waiting for a COVID-19 test result.

Please do not hesitate to speak to your Manager should you have any questions. Calvary’s COVID-19 staff information page is also updated regularly.

Thank you for your continued understanding and cooperation, and for your assistance in keeping our residents, their families and each other safe.

Regards,

Cynthia Dowell

Regional CEO - VIC/TAS