Aruma’s response

The information below was published on 22 August 2022 and it is still current.

Our preparedness and response to COVID-19

Aruma is following all Australian Government and state health authorities’ advice.

As the situation continues to evolve, we’re making changes to our services and continuing to plan, to keep everyone safe at Aruma – our staff, customers, families and carers, contractors and suppliers, business customers, and all others who visit our services and sites.

We have a Pandemic Response Team managing our organisational response to COVID-19. The team continues to develop and update guidelines for us to follow. The safeguards in place all meet official Australian Government COVID-19 guidelines.

All Aruma staff are responsible for ensuring they keep customers, visitors and themselves safe by adhering to our strict infection control policies. These include wearing of masks (in accordance with Government advice) and Personal Protective Equipment where necessary, washing hands properly and following coughing and sneezing etiquette.

The situation and response to COVID-19 in Australia is changing constantly. We’re providing updated and ongoing information to our staff, to our customers and their families, and visitors to our sites.

In addition to our strict infection control guidelines and social distancing measures, our staff are following protocols that have been developed specifically for their area based on government state-based rules. In general:

• All staff across Aruma are vaccinated against COVID-19
• Any customers who are unwell are tested immediately.
• Any staff with a confirmed case of COVID-19 must self-quarantine for 7 days or longer until they are symptom-free. Staff who are ill are not allowed at work until they are well again.
• Staff must notify their managers if they have been in close contact with anyone with COVID-19 or who is currently being tested for COVID-19.
• We continue to encourage meetings to take place via phone or online. If they do happen in person, COVID-safe measures are in place.
• Staff that are able to work from home are continuing to do so.
• Formal face-to-face training has commenced with COVID-safe measures in place for high-risk customer practices and high-risk staff safety areas including (but not limited to) First Aid, medication administration, diabetes management, epilepsy and midazolam administration, PEG Feeding, infection control (how to use PPE). Our standard protocols regarding limited numbers of people per room, social distancing, temperature checking and sign-in sheets will apply.
• Ongoing coaching and on-the-job training by experienced staff and managers (where already working together on-site) will ensure consistent and safe services.
• All sites now have mandatory sign in sign out sheets.
• Sites are cleaned daily and where there is a positive COVID-19 case, affected sites undergo an intensive deep clean.

Supplies

Where we can, our staff are maintaining four weeks of supplies. This includes medications and items for safe food handling, infection control, and cleaning. We’re also in ongoing contact with a variety of suppliers and the government on how best to maintain this buffer.

Keeping customers calm and informed

Staff have easy-to-understand information for customers. This includes information on self-care, activities, wearing of masks and exercise.

We’ll continue to provide our staff with useful resources to help our customers and supported employees to understand what changes are needed and what they should do. Resources are provided in Easy English format or through Social Stories.