Media Statement: Covid 19 (23 March 2020)
Taking action to continue providing the critical services needed by the most vulnerable people we support, now and into the future.
UnitingCare West has today taken additional steps to ensure the safety of our team, the people we support and the community in the new paradigm of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our Pandemic Response Plan has already served to educate and promote good hygiene, implement flexible working practices, reduce face-to-face contact wherever possible, postpone volunteering, suspend group-based activities, and ensure social distancing and self-isolation practices are upheld.
From Tuesday 24 March, UnitingCare West is suspending all non-critical face-to-face services to the people we support, until further notice. Additionally, we are instructing our team who do not provide critical services to people we support to work from home, wherever possible.
UnitingCare West will continue to provide essential critical services that are needed to maintain the health and wellbeing of the people we support. These services and supports already have additional precautions and safety measures put in place and include:
- Tranby Centre and Homelessness services, including expanded outreach
- Family Group Homes
- My Home / supported accommodation
- Welfare checks on participants when uncontactable by phone/email.
For non-critical services, we are adopting innovative, new ways of continuing the supports we provide to people over the phone, via video conference and through methods which do not require close contact.
The deeply serious nature of COVID-19 in our community has meant these carefully considered changes are necessary to support the health and wellbeing of our team, our families, the people we support and the broader community.
We will continue to adapt our services as needed and heed advice from WA Health and other authorities to protect the health and wellbeing of people wherever appropriate.
We have taken this action to enable us to continue providing the critical services needed by the most vulnerable people we support, now and into the future.
We are committed to ensuring that those who are already experiencing vulnerability and hardship aren’t further impacted.
A PDF of this media statement is available here.
*ENDS*
23 March 2020
Media Contact
Ren Adams, Lead – Communications & Engagement,
UnitingCare West
Phone: 0422 146 680