Participant Support Procedures > Day Activities Coordinator’s Information
Authorised by Chief Executive Officer
Revised Date: 6 January 2023
Kyeema Support Services’ Day Activities provides service to adults with disabilities. Activities are based at the centre at 50 Lalor Street and in the community.
Activities run from 8.45am until 3.30 pm Monday to Friday, with flexibility for service outside those hours.
Opportunities for social interaction are encouraged to support people’s goals, increase social skills and importantly - to have fun.
The following are some of the features of Day Activities.
Day Activities Coordination Role
Provide leadership in promoting up to date direction of Day Activities in response to changing needs.
Roster activities as per participant goals
Encourage development of new activities in response to participant goals and so that people can try new things.
Active Support
Participants engage better and enjoy activities more if the support staff practice the principles of active support. This includes supporting the participant to do activities, make decisions and learn, rather than the worker doing things for them.
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting is usually in September and must be held before the end of November.
The Day Activities staff responsibility is to gather good photos of activities and participants to include in the annual report and the AGM slide show.
Finances
There is a responsibility to manage the program in an efficient manner, to get best value out of our resources. Staffing is the biggest expense so it is important to a) ensure ratios of staffing match the participants’ NDIS plan funding and b) non face-to-face time is charged for additional participant-related work, whether for individuals or planning for groups.
Building Security
Afternoon building lock-up is the responsibility of Day Activities workers, although it is recognised that other activities use the building after hours on some evenings.
Doors, windows, lights and heaters are the main focus. Day Activities staff are also asked to put vehicles away, shut carport doors etc.
Communication
There are a number of people with whom the Day Activities Coordinator must communicate regularly to ensure the welfare and community access of participants, and the convenience of stakeholders such as families, carers and other program areas of Kyeema.
These may include those in supported employment and Support Coordination, other team leaders, support staff, residential supervisors and workers, community advocates, taxi company, community organisations accessed by participants, volunteering opportunities such as Meals on Wheels.
Community Inclusion
Anything that includes genuine social interaction or valued role in mainstream environment is on the right track.
Supporting participants to make friendships with other people with a disability is to be encouraged.
Complaints
Complaints that relate to the service we provide should be noted and placed on the Complaints Register that is found at www.orima.com.au
Staff to sit with the participant and work through this with them, using for HRF-19 to gain all information required for the Complaints Register. Resources that may assist participants are the Complaints Brochure KCF-10 and the Disability Services Commissioner brochure “Its Ok to complain” which are sent to our organisation periodically or are available on 1300 728 187.
Continuity of Support
Kyeema aims to offer continuity of support as far as possible for participants by backfilling absent staff and offering alternatives where an activity has been cancelled or postponed.
Duty of Care/ Dignity of Risk
Workers have a duty of care to the people they are supporting. This means ensuring their safety and health to the best of the worker’s ability, whilst allowing that everyone has a right to try new things and to choose to undertake activities that carry some risk.
Duty of care is part of the legal concept of negligence. The law says we all have a duty to take reasonable care not to cause foreseeable harm to other people or their property, either by our actions or our failure to act.
Emergency and Disaster Management
At unforeseen times, Day Activities participants and staff may be affected by a disaster or an emergency that requires changes to operations. This can include pandemic, bushfire or some other emergency that requires communication and management.
Under these circumstances, the role of the day Activities Coordinator is one of assisting with crisis management with knowledge of the participants, staff and their activities and assisting with communicating decisions by management or external emergency services.
Incident Reports
Use the poster CCF-31 created for this purpose as different incidents must be documented and reported to different places. The main categories for NDIS are Reportable and Non-Reportable, although the latter may still need to be reported in-house.
Induction and Orientation
There are documented induction processes for new workers
There is a Lalor St induction that includes some information about Day Activities
Casual workers in Day Activities to do shadow shifts to ensure work readiness
Medication
Medication in Day Activities is administered by two people, at least one of whom must have Medication training. Please alert the Training Coordinator if there are people without Medication training.
Occupational Health & Safety – Workplace Inspections
These take place in the first week of the new season (summer, autumn etc). Complete using the checklist from the QMS, take action or organise maintenance as required and give to admin for filing.
Other Agencies and organisations
Good communication with other relevant organisations include TAFE, Neighbourhood House, coordinators of the swimming pool and gym etc helps in building partnerships with the programs we run for the benefit of participants.
Participant Goals and Evidence
Ensure daily documentation on Carelink is sufficient to meet or exceed the requirements for evidence so that we can at any time establish whether participants are doing their chosen activities and are satisfied with the support we are providing.
• Changing participant goals are brought to staff meetings for discussion.
• Photos are an excellent way of recording good outcomes for participants.
Participant Procedures
Some individuals have a procedure that relates specifically to their needs eg health plans. These are saved in participant files. Information about this should be kept in participant folders, reviewed periodically and communicated to staff working with the individual.
Participant Information Forms
These are electronically stored forms in K/Clients or Participants, with a snap-shot of important information about the participant. When they are updated other program areas must be informed by email, and if the changed information is considered important the forms will need to be reprinted in hard copy and will replace the out of date version in participant folders in the staff room and the Evacuation backpacks
Quality Framework
This is the set of standards and performance indicators that we need to meet and are checked against at audit time.
Rostering
This task uses the Carelink+ client management system and requires training. Participants and groups are matched to staff.
Start of year tasks
These include:
• Duty rosters completed and displayed in necessary locations
• Updated program timetables completed and displayed in necessary locations
• Updated participant attendance form completed and placed in taxi folder
• Old medication forms to be removed from folder and replaced with new ones
• New participants’ information given to all staff. Participant information forms created/updated if needed
• Individual participant programs printed and sent home
• Clients and ratios put into Carelink
• Vehicles required for programs forward bookings onto electronic calendar
• All relevant information carried over to the next year for the Day Programs file on K Drive
Staff
Staff Handbook
This is reviewed periodically by the CEO and HR Officer. Please draw their attention to anything outdated.
Staff illness
Staff are to phone or text the Day Activities Coordinator. Medical certificates are required at the discretion of the Coordinator, HR Officer or Supports Manager
Staff Management
The Day Activities Coordinator has a leadership role regarding the direction the program takes and the workplace culture. The sort of staff management required varies with the staff and the situation.
For example new workers need a more directive style of management than experienced staff, but experienced staff might also need some direction when doing new tasks.
Coaching - for staff with skills but not yet the confidence to take on particular tasks.
Delegating - as the person is competent to take the task and run with it, reporting their progress as required.
Performance Management. Sometimes it is necessary to draw a worker’s attention to an error they have made or the fact that they appear to have fallen short of expectations. These discussions need to be had with respect for the person and should follow Kyeema’s documented procedures.
Staffing Backfill
Day Activities staff backfill uses the list of casual relief workers. Backfill staff may also be drawn from permanent staff available for extra work. Effort is made to take into account participant needs and preferences when replacing staff.
Students
Placement students must pass Worker Screening Checks.
All students to undergo basic site induction prior to commencing work. Managing students and their rosters is a task usually delegated to a worker, however many students gain valuable experience in Day Activities and the staff are asked to mentor where they have the opportunity.
Support Planning
Ensure a thorough process is undertaken that identifies individual’s goals and needs. These are on the Goals and Action Plans template. Current support plans for each participant are found in the participant’s electronic file.
Training/Professional Development
Staff training is managed in multiple ways, including all-staff training days, small group training targeted to specific needs and individual training. This affects staffing at times in Day Activities.
Much of Kyeema’s training is due to mandatory compliance e.g. First Aid, Medication updates, Manual Handling, Food Handling. Other training needs are learned through staff appraisals or by requests from staff with a particular interest area.
Cert IV in Disability is to be encouraged. Professional development due to changes in the industry is a constant.
Related Policies, Procedures and Documents:
Day Activities Staff Duty Roster CCF-79
Day Activities Participant Timetable for Families CCF-80
Day Activities - Staff Meeting Minutes Template CCF-91
Day Activities Timetable Template CCF-92