Aruma participants have their say in latest survey

Throughout March, Aruma participants shared their views on our services, as part of our twice-yearly participant and family feedback survey. We had our largest response number to date, and they had some important feedback to share.

Of the 608 responses, 398 were participants and 210 family members or guardians. Once again there was a high uptake of the Easy Read version of the survey.

The last survey we did in August 2023 had 585 responses. Reaching more participants and families means we can gain more insight and information that will guide us to make meaningful changes and continue what we do well. 

What are we doing well?
Our participants and families told us our strengths are:

• 36% of those who promote us, say we provide excellent support & care and great staff.
  
• 92% of participants feel safe and supported and that they are treated with dignity and respect. 
• 92% of participants are satisfied with Support Workers

What are some areas of improvement?
The main areas we need to improve relate to: 

• Key drivers of dissatisfaction are communication (32%) and poor participant care (28%), followed by staffing issues (19%).  
• Another improvement theme emerging was for more meaningful activities and social inclusion opportunities. Easy Read respondents (19%) and Standard survey respondents (12%) wanted to see more meaningful activities, contributing to social inclusion and life skills (19%), such as both Aruma hosted and community events, going on holidays, having more friends visit, and Christmas parties. This increased across both Home & Living and Community.

What are some key take-aways for Aruma? 

• Continue our focus on consistency in the quality & availability of person-centred supports and communication with family members.
• Participants, specifically, are looking for more meaningful activities that contribute to social inclusion and the development of life skills.

We want to hear from you, and we invite feedback at any time of the year by: 

• Speaking to a staff member or manager 
• Calling us on 1300 725 748
• Emailing us at feedback@aruma.com.au. 

In the meantime, we run this survey every six months and encourage you to have your say when the survey is released again.