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COVID-19 Safe Plan

Business name:                        Freedom Social Skills

Site location:                             Shop 3, 337, Kingsway Caringbah

Contact person:                        Emma Davidson

Contact person phone:            0435 482 133

Date prepared:                          01 Nov 2022 

The safety and well-being of our community are always our priority. We are committed to supporting the Government, health officials and front-line workers as they work to overcome the COVID‑19 pandemic. Over the course of the pandemic, Freedom Social Skills has taken the threat of COVID-19 to our community seriously. We will continuously follow Public Health advice and monitor the Government’s responses to ensure we are taking steps and measures to ensure the safety of all our participants and staff.

Guidance Action to mitigate the introduction and spread of COVID-19
Hygiene
Provide and promote hand sanitiser stations for use on entering the building and other locations in the worksite and ensure adequate supplies of hand soap and paper towels are available for staff.
  • Location of hand sanitiser stations throughout the workplace
  • Ensuring rubbish bins are available to dispose of paper towels
  • Ensuring adequate supplies of soap and sanitiser
  • Ensuring staff have information on how to wash and sanitise their hands correctly
  • Recommending staff wash their hands every 20 minutes when in a client’s home
Where possible: enhance airflow by opening windows and adjusting air conditioning.
  • Make sure that windows and air conditioning are set for optimum airflow at the start of each workday or shift
Wearing a face covering and/or required PPE, unless a lawful exception applies. Ensure adequate face coverings and PPE are available to staff that do not have their own.
  • There is no legal requirements to wear PPE or face coverings in NSW in the workplace.
  • Ensure there is a supply of face coverings and PPE in the office and describe when and how they need to be worn and the difference between single-use face coverings and reusable coverings.
  • Monitor the use of face coverings in all staff, unless a lawful exception applies
  • It is recommended to wear a face covering when you cannot physically distance yourself
Provide training to staff on the correct use and disposal of face coverings and PPE, on good hygiene practices and slowing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Provide training to staff on physical distancing expectations while working and socialising (e.g., during lunch breaks).
  • All staff have completed the COVID – 19 infection control training
  • Educating staff on hand and cough hygiene, including how to wash and sanitise their hands correctly
  • Reinforce the importance of not attending work if unwell
  • Ensuring appropriate information on the use of face coverings and PPE
  • Develop and educate staff on strategies and work practice changes to maintain physical distancing
  • Reinforce messaging to staff that physical distancing needs to be maintained during work and social interactions
Replace high-touch communal items with alternatives.
  • Swapping shared coffee and condiments for single-serve sachets
  • Avoid sharing equipment such as phones, desks, headsets, offices, tools, or other equipment
  • Encourage staff to use their equipment where possible
 

Guidance Action to mitigate the introduction and spread of COVID-19
Cleaning
Increase environmental cleaning (including between changes of staff), and ensure high-touch surfaces are cleaned and disinfected regularly (at least twice daily).
  • Identify high-touch surfaces (lift buttons, door and cupboard handles, kitchen counters, touch screens, shared work equipment)
  • Ensure the clinic is cleaned at regular intervals. Particularly, high touch surfaces and objects.
  • Provide information about the workplace cleaning schedule and how to use cleaning products.

 
Ensure adequate supplies of cleaning products, including detergent and disinfectant.
  • Identify which products are required for thorough cleaning
  • Monitor supplies of cleaning products and regularly restock
Guidance Action to mitigate the introduction and spread of COVID-19
Physical distancing and limiting workplace attendance
Participants and Staff can cancel work, stay home, or work from home when unwell. Employers cannot require workers to work when unwell.
  • It is no longer a requirement to isolate if you test positive for COVID
  • If you test positive on a Rapid Antigen Test NSW Health strongly recommends people who are sick or have tested positive for COVID-19 stay home until their symptoms have gone.
  • You can register your Rapid Antigen Test Results with Service NSW
  • We always follow advice from nsw.gov.au/covid-19
  • If you are feeling unwell or have flu-like signs and symptoms, you should stay home from work. A flexible work-from-home option will be provided where possible.
  • Clients are asked to cancel sessions if they feel unwell and return to sessions when they are no longer present with symptoms or can show a negative Rapid Antigen Test.
  • Freedom Social Skills management will never ask their clients or staff to have sessions if they are unwell.
Establish a system to screen workers and visitors before accessing the workplace.
  • No staff member can provide disability services unless they are up to date with their COVID–19 Vaccinations (unless they can provide evidence of a medical exemption).
  • All staff must provide evidence of vaccination can include your; online immunisation history statement launch, COVID-19 digital certificate via the Service NSW app, and COVID-19 digital certificate from the Australian Immunisation Register launch.
Guidance Action to ensure effective record keeping
Record Keeping
Establish a process to record the attendance of workers, customers, clients, visitors and workplace inspectors, delivery drivers. This information will assist employers to identify close contacts. Our scheduling software Caremaster will allow us to keep track of the movements of staff and participants and the locations they are in. This will allow us to inform individuals if they have been exposed to COVID-19.
Provide guidance to staff on the effective use of the workplace OHS reporting system (where available).
  • Staff are aware that they must contact our operations manager if they are unwell, or if they have received a positive COVID-19 result.
  • Staff should report a COVID-19 rapid antigen result to Service NSW
  • Staff and Participants can cancel their sessions anytime according to the policies and procedures outlined in our cancellation policy
Guidance Action to prepare for your response
Preparing your response to a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case
Prepare Outbreak Management Plan to consider the impacts of an outbreak and potential closure of the workplace.
  • Identify the roles and responsibilities of employers and workers.
  • Prepare for the absenteeism of unwell staff members
  • Describe how you will continue to deliver essential services
  • Plans to communicate with customers, suppliers, and stakeholders in the event of a positive case
Prepare for how you will manage a suspected or confirmed case in any workplace during work hours.
  • The client or worker will be asked to leave the premises immediately.
  • Surfaces that the client or worker has touched will be disinfected.
  • Workers will be asked to provide their Rapid Antigen Test result to Service NSW
  • Close contacts will be assessed using the NSW gov exposure to COVID-19 risk assessment table. Close contacts will be asked to monitor for symptoms and engage in frequent rapid antigen testing.
Prepare to notify workers and site visitors (including close contacts) Ensure that Caremaster is regularly updated with the movements of workers and visitors to the workplace, including customers.
Prepare to immediately notify the state department of health if have a confirmed COVID-19 case at your workplace. Establish a process and responsibility for notifying WorkSafe and your health and safety representative. Safe work must be notified in the event of serious illness or death of a worker.
Notify workers and participants they can return to work/sessions Workers and participants can return once they no longer have signs and symptoms of COVID – 19 or illness or can present a negative Rapid Antigen Test result.
Download our COVID-19 Safe Plan PDF

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