Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) is about making sure that for any vacant position, people with an equivalent chance of job success have an equal opportunity of being hired or promoted. EEO refers to the right to be considered for a job for which you are skilled and qualified.

All positions are filled on a merit principle, which means that appointment is based on qualifications, experience and ability to undertake the work involved and achieve the outcomes required. EEO aims to ensure that employment conditions and benefits are available and can be used by all employees. Jackie Care and Support Services is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity principles.

Jackie Care and Support Services is committed to providing a work environment free from unlawful discrimination and harassment on the grounds of:

• Age – Pregnancy
• Impairment – Race
• Industrial Activity – Religious Belief or Activity
• Lawful Sexual Activity – Sex
• Marital Status – Status as a Parent or Carer
• Physical Features – Political Belief or Activity

Inform your manager that you have been requested to attend and the reason for this. Unless otherwise exempted by the court, attend court or inquiry as specified.

If attending in an official capacity, under subpoena or order, to give evidence or to produce papers in any court, you are required to pay any fees you receive to prior to receiving your normal wage entitlements for the time spent at court. Provide an account and vouchers of all necessary expenses, if any incurred in the performance of such duty to the director.

Attending court for personal reasons should be undertaken as specified by the court. If a staff member is summonsed, subpoenaed, or called as a witness or juror at a court of law or any legal constitution inquiry, they should inform their department manager as soon as practicable.

Leave arrangement can be made as per the leave other than long service leave or annual leave

Observe the following points:
(a) Respect their rights to make decisions
(b) Respect their right to dignity
(c) Be supportive and enable clients
(d) Keep noise to a minimum
(e) Everything is confidential
(f) Good standard of personal appearance and hygiene
(g) Punctuality in your duties
(h) Positive attitude on your part
(i) Honesty, loyalty and
(j) SMILE!

Where an employee forms the belief on reasonable grounds that a child has been, or is in danger of being abused, it is necessary for you to advise the Department of Human Services (DHS) on the following numbers:

– DHS (during business hours) on 02 60557777

You are encouraged to discuss the matter with your Manager/Team Leader prior to reporting, to enable management support to be provided to you during this process.

We should always be security conscious. A few rules to associate yourself with would be:
(a) Always wear your identification badge.
(b) Recognize intruders, but do not take action. Contact the Police on 000 if safely able to do so and keep the phone line open.
(c) Secure your valuables.
(d) Remove confidential material from open view and secure it in its proper place.
(e) Make sure all files and drawers are secured.
(f) Lock all doors and windows and turn off lights in your area when leaving.

The Director have access to all Human Resource files. Department Managers have access to their own staff personnel files only. Timesheets are securely filed in a separate file from your personal record. Staff may have access to their personnel files but must arrange a mutually convenient time with the Human Resources manager.

At this time a staff member may peruse the file but is not under any circumstances permitted to remove any documents. Should staff members wish to have copies made of any documentation on their Human Resources file, the approval of the Director must be given.

For some professions it is essential to maintain current registration with the appropriate Professional Board.

It is each employee’s responsibility to ensure that a copy of his/her current registration is provided to the Manager/Team Leader each time a registration is renewed

Your professional development is your responsibility and if possible financially, some consideration may be made by Jackie Care and Support Services to support staff with education.

All requests for internal training/conferences should be made on the Study Leave Request and Training Request Forms, in accordance with the Policy. All requests should reflect priorities identified in your Personal Development Plan. Mandatory education to be completed annually.

Performance Appraisal requires commitment, honesty, caring and time. The result of an effective performance appraisal system assists in achieving employee job satisfaction, productivity gains and more effective working relationships.

Jackie Care and Support Services is committed to a staff performance appraisal system which will reduce any negativity and perceived threat by employees and use a team building approach to achieve an outcome that will benefit both the employee and the Service. Performance Appraisals are to be completed at 3 months and annually thereafter.

Any staff who have a private practice in the same or similar area of professional expertise for which they are employee by Jackie Care and Support Services should notify their Manager/Team Leader or Director. A confidential discussion with the Manager/Team Leader concerning code of conduct, possible conflicts of interest etc., is recommended.

This work may not be performed at time when you are expected to be working for Jackie Care and Support Services and the resources of the service may not be used to support your private business. This involves telephone, facsimile, photocopying, internet/email, motor-vehicle or other resources.

Union membership is not compulsory, but a matter of individual choice. Jackie Care and Support Services is obligated to inform relevant unions when orientation of new employees occurs.

Our orientation program provides reference and contact details.

As an Employer, under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, is required to provide and maintain, so far as is practicable, a safe work environment and without risk to health.

Specific Duties Include:

• Provide and maintain safe plant and systems of work.
• Arrange safe systems of work in connection with plant and substances.
• Provide a safe working environment.
• Provide adequate welfare facilities.
• Provide information, instruction, training and supervision to enable
• employees to work safely.
• Monitor the health of employees.
• Keep information and records.
• Engage or employ suitable people to provide advice on health and safety in their workplace.
• Nominate appropriate senior person/s to act as the employer’s representative.
• Monitor conditions at the workplace.
• Provide information to employees (in appropriate languages).

While at work, employees must:

• Take reasonable care for their own health and safety and for anyone else who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
• Cooperate with their employer or any actions taken to comply with the requirements of the OHS Act.
• Complete the Register of Injury Form as soon as practicable.

Staff shall follow all Health and Safety Policies and Procedures when working on and offsite. Staff shall report all observed potential or actual hazards to their direct supervisor and document them on appropriate forms. Forms can be accessed from the General Administration area.

When an injury or near miss occurs at work, the OHS Representative needs to be informed as soon as practicable. An investigation of the incident will occur, and the necessary process will be put into place to address the issues.

Our service is insured for Public Liability / Malpractice. We have an obligation consistent with the disclosure requirements of the Insurance Contract. Failure to comply with this obligation could prejudice our right to indemnity under the contract.

• Aims of Incident Reports
• To ensure that all known incidents, no matter how minor or trivial, have been advised to the Insurance Company.
• To comply with the requirement of our Public Liability / Malpractice Insurance.
• To ensure that corrective action is taken to prevent the incident from occurring again.

Standard Precautions

Staff must use standard precautions as part of their daily routine.
This means staff should assume that all residents and staff are potentially infected and, therefore should use basic infection control measure when there is potential to come into contact with:

• Body fluids, excluding sweat
• Moist body surfaces
• Non-intact skin
• Mucous membranes
• Dried blood and body substances

PPE should be worn and regular hand washing should occur for all situation where staff be in direct contract with blood or body substances. For more information on your Operational Documents Policy/OHS Policy, ask your Manager/Team Leader.