The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact all areas of our organisation. The latest wave has been by far the most challenging yet for Sylvanvale, but our priority remains keeping the people we support, our staff, families and the community safe.
We continue to follow the advice of NSW Health, as well as the state and federal government advice, and have implemented several additional measures.
Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs)
In January 2022 we made surveillance rapid antigen testing a requirement for all staff at all services, including Head Office. Sylvanvale secured enough stock for each staff member to complete a test before coming into any Sylvanvale location to complete their shift. If an employee tests positive, they cannot enter the site and must immediately go home to isolate for the required period.
We are already seeing the benefits of this initiative, with several positive cases identified via the rapid antigen tests.
Sylvanvale Booster Hubs & Vaccinations
In February 2022, we established booster hubs in Katoomba, Birrong and our Head Office in Kirrawee. The hubs were made available for all Sylvanvale participants, families and staff.
Sylvanvale has also mandated the booster vaccination for all Sylvanvale staff as a condition of employment, once they are due.
We continue to encourage all the people we support to receive the booster vaccination and are supporting our Supported Independent Living (SIL) participants to receive theirs.
Other Measures
During this challenging period we have also adopted a number of other safety measures. This includes requiring full PPE for staff at SIL sites where a resident has tested positive; strict PPE requirements at all other sites; and additional PPE training and safety checks. Staff have also been on high alert, regularly checking the people we support for symptoms.
For all COVID-19 updates, please visit our website:
https://sylvanvale.com.au/covid-19/
