The below is an overview of the feedback received around the recent Policy consultation. We thank you for your involvement in this review process.
We have now reviewed all your feedback and as an organisation we wanted to share the results with you.
Responses:
- 17 responses in total were received.
- 5 responses were fully supportive of the proposed policy position.
- 12 responses were not in agreement to the proposed policy position.
- 7 of those twelve who were opposed to the proposed position provided feedback about possible alternate WHS measures to manage the risk to our staff, clients, and other people we are in contact with in the workplace.
- One responder who was in favour of the proposed policy direction also provided feedback about their thoughts on contractors in the workplace and the need for proper training in relation to the use of PPE moving forward.
- Many of the respondent’s opposed to the proposed policy position provided personal feedback about the reason for their position and we accept that we will not always agree on what is lawful, reasonable or on what the current acceptable medical information is. Allambi Care believe we are acting in good faith and in line with the best overall information available to us, while at the same time, respecting that not all staff will agree with this position.
Consistent themes:
- A strong theme was staff being accepting of Allambi Care’s efforts to ensure the safety of our staff and clients, regardless of whether people disagreed with the proposed policy position.
- Staff with concerns about the policy position were worried about the impact this policy may have on clients given the possible break in relationships caused by unvaccinated staff not being able to attend work.
Alternate or other Risk Management Strategies:
- 6 staff suggested that rapid antigen testing would be an appropriate control measure to negate the need for vaccinations.
- 1 staff member suggested PPE with rapid antigen testing should be considered.
- 1 staff member suggested temperature checks with rapid antigen testing.
- 1 staff member suggested rapid antigen tests, blood testing and ivermectin should be considered.
Allambi Care’s response to these control measures:
Allambi Care has been exploring the use of rapid antigen testing as a control measure in the workplace, to the extent that we have secured amounts of these tests and are exploring the legal use of them in the workplace. This control measure was also considered and included in the Work Health and Safety Risk Assessment Process.
We do not believe however, that these tests replace vaccination as an appropriate control measure, but do act as an additional control measure that we anticipate using in various conditions:
Reasons:
- Allambi Care has on average 220 individual front line staff members who commence a shift in any 24 hour period over more than 100 work locations. This does not include office staff. Rapid Antigen tests cost a minimum of $9 per test meaning these tests would cost Allambi Care $13,860 per week just for the tests for front line staff only.
- To be used in the workplace as a safe control measure these tests would need to be administered by Allambi Care staff under the direction of a health professional. Even without including the additional resource cost to undertake this task it is simply not reasonable. This is not achievable across our workplace.
- Our personal experience as an employer throughout COVID is that staff in general do not adhere to the directions of their employer in relation to covid safe practices in the workplace. We have had numerous cases of COVID-19 infections in our workplaces in NSW and Victoria. In many cases we have had to manage infection and assist in contact tracing. During these times staff have been honest and confirmed they had not been wearing the appropriate PPE as instructed. We must act to protect all staff and clients knowing this to be true. Expecting staff to administer their own tests appropriately is not a control measure we can rely on to ensure the level of safety required.
- Rapid Antigen testing only indicates if a staff member has COVID-19 before they enter the workplace. It is also not as accurate as the Health administered tests. It does not prevent the staff member contracting COVID-19 in the workplace from a client or another staff member, and it does not reduce the health impacts to the staff member should they contract the virus at work. This is a real risk given that our clients behaviours put them at increased risk of contracting COVID.
Alternate control measures being developed:
Previous communication has documented the steps we are already using in the workplace to improve workplace safety in respect of COVID-19. The following information are steps currently being done to improve safety moving forward in addition to the vaccination policy being adapted by Allambi Care.
- We are in the process of developing Covid Safety Plans for each placement as we anticipate an increase in the transmission of COVID-19 post 1 December, 2021. In the coming weeks you may notice people drafting floor plans of each of our placements for this purpose. While vaccination does reduce transmission, we also know it does not prevent transmission and post 1 December, 2021 we will not have the additional and effective control measure of “lockdowns” to reduce transmission in the community. So we need to prepare for this.
- We are also planning to have to care for clients who have COVID-19 in our placements in a safe manner, without the need for staff to have to quarantine themselves. We have secured the appropriate PPE to allow staff to continue to work safely in these environments. This PPE includes, gowns, gloves, N95 masks, glasses and face shields. We have consulted with Health and other agencies currently working with people with COVID and this can be done in a safe manner utilising the array of control measures we are adopting.
- We are in the process, in close consultation with NSW Health, of developing an internal training package to ensure staff are appropriately trained in the “donning” (putting on) and “doffing” (taking off) of all PPE. Donning and Doffing zones will be implemented into the safety plan for each placement.
- The PPE training package is going to implemented into our induction process as well as being provided to all existing staff who work in front line positions.
- As mentioned, we have already secured a supply of rapid antigen tests and are organising for staff to complete the required training to administer these tests as required. We anticipate having these tests available in November, 2021
