- Home
- About Us
- Membership
- Learning & Professional Development
- Mature Workers Matter Resource
- Publications
- Useful Links
Members login
Aged & Community Services
SA & NT Inc©
246 Glen Osmond Road,
Fullarton SA 5063
Phone: (08) 8338 7111
Fax: (08) 8338 7077
Disclaimer & Privacy Statements
web design by 
Snippets - Volume 8 Issue 1
January 2008
Please note, some of the articles provided will have additional papers which can be downloaded or directed to another website page. In some cases these documents are linked to the ACS Members Only section of this website and will require a Username and Password. All members have been issued with a Username and Password. If you have not received this please contact Julia Beckett with your contact details and she will issue you with your access details.
Index
Snippets - Proudly Sponsored by ACSure
ACSure is a range of insurance and risk solution products developed by Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pty Limited (JLT), in consultation with The Aged & Community Services Australia (ACSA) Federation. JLT is a leading provider of innovative insurance and other risk solutions in Australia . Today, employing over 700 industry professionals covering risks in all states and territories. Building upon a strong reputation of trust and professionalism fostered over many years, JLT aims to become the broker of choice in Australia 's key market segments. At JLT, we are extremely proud to be an invited National Partner of ACSA - chosen by ACSA because we are leaders in our field. As a result of our collaborative development of ACSure, these products respond to aged and community services issues and needs and are available for the benefit of the entire industry, including ACSA, state bodies, and valued members. The aged and community services environment is rapidly developing and constantly changing. Ongoing consultation ensures that JLT continues to arrange and advise on the right products for all concerned. ACSure helps you to respond to these challenges. Click here to view the products developed by JLT for ACSure.
From the CEO's Desk
ACFI
The Department of Health & Ageing has acknowledged industry concern about what individual organisations’ modelling is showing in terms of the financial impact of ACFI. The ACS national office wrote to the Department raising this issue just before Christmas. The Department plans to work with a small number of organisations to review the modelling and identify whether adjustments need to be made.
This is a targeted exercise by the Department so there is no need for you to send any data to them directly. ACS will keep you updated on progress and outcomes.
You may also have heard a rumour that ACFI implementation may be delayed. ACSA has raised this with the Department and the response was that they are still working towards ACFI commencement on the March 20 2008. The legislation with the income testing and accommodation payments lapsed when Parliament ceased for the Federal Election and must be reintroduced. There is no announcement as yet about whether or not ACFI would be delayed if the legislation is not passed before the implementation date. The Act to introduce ACFI was passed last year. ACSA will be following this up with the Minister.
ACS forums
Look out for details of the upcoming ACS forums. These topical and informative one-day seminars cover the latest issues affecting the aged and community care sectors. Finance is first cab off the rank on February 29 at Morphettville Junction, followed by the Community forum in March, the Board Governance forum and Residential forum in April and the Retirement Housing forum in May.
General News
Ageing atlas
Planning SA has produced an interactive internet-based Ageing Atlas to help with planning housing and services for older South Australians.
Key themes include the projected population to 2021; dwelling type and tenure by age group; mobility data; and retirement villages and other household types.
Click here to access the atlas.
Better Practice roadshow
The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency is planning its fifth series of Better Practice events in State capitals during 2008. The Adelaide event will be held May 22-23.
The agency is calling for papers, with the deadline for submissions February 1. Click here for details.
Palliative care nurses conference
The second national conference for palliative care nurses will be held in Adelaide on September 12-13, 2008.
Privacy clarification
The Australian Privacy Commissioner has made two Public Interest Determinations; to continue to allow health service providers to collect health information from patients about their family medical history, without seeking the family members’ consent. The information can only be collected where relevant to the patient’s condition or family, social or medical history.
The determinations also clarify that health service providers can collect third party health information from a person responsible for the patient, when the patient is incapable of supplying the information.
The determinations, including the Commissioner’s statement of reasons, are available here.
The latest edition of the National Report is now available from the members only section. Click here to download National Report. Issues covered in the latest edition are:
- Community Care Conference: Sydney 14-16 May 2008
- ACSA National Conference Call for papers
- Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Meeting
- New Aged Care Approval Round
- More HACC Funding Announced
- Community Care Census Update
- Not-For-Profit Internet Resource
- Not-For-Profit Entity Definition
- COTA Over 50s Interactive Website
- Victorian Workcover Authority Prosecution
- Privacy Issues and Information About Relatives Sought from Patients
- Walking and Moderate Exercise Help Prevent Dementia
- Software Prevents Patient Medication Overdose
- Australian Health Workforce Institute
- Nutritional Supplementation
- NZ Workers Win Right to Change Working Hours for Care Needs
Call for Papers - 2008 ACSA National Conference
The 2008 ACSA National Conference Aged Care in the Fast Lane: More Costs, More Clients, More Competition will be held in Adelaide, Sept 28 - Oct 1 2008 at the world-acclaimed Adelaide Convention Centre.
The organising committee is seeking providers of aged care services, Government Departments and corporate product developers to consider submitting an abstract for presentation at the conference through this Call for Papers.
The conference will include concurrent sessions on Monday September 29 and Tuesday September 30. These sessions will be linked to the main conference themes:
- Working in the Fast Lane (Workforce)
- More Cost More Competition (Economics)
- Living in the Fast Lane (Environment)
It is planned that each theme will have three dedicated concurrent sessions each with a specific focus on:
- Strategic Planning and Leadership
- Research/Policy
- Quality Practice
The Call for Papers is designed to allow you to present organisational case studies, individual research, best practice projects and practices to your peers and colleagues. As a guide the organising committee is seeking presentations that address a particular concept (see full brochure), but submissions are invited on other subjects that are relevant to the conference themes. Don't be afraid to talk about something that may not have worked - we can all learn from it.
All submissions must be received by Friday February 1, 2008. Submission details are available in the Call for Papers brochure which can be downloaded from here.
Palliative care booklet
The Palliative Care Council has released a new booklet to provide practical information for people facing a life limiting illness. The What Now booklet can be purchased for $3.50 by phoning (08) 8291 4137 or can be ordered from the organisation’s website.
Grant to improve eye care
Guide Dogs SA.NT has received a $200,000 Commonwealth grant under the Eye Health Demonstration Grants Program, which focuses on education and early intervention programs to prevent avoidable blindness and vision loss.
Specifically targeting older people, the project aims to improve collaboration and partnerships between service providers for more effective and timely prevention diagnosis, treatment and ongoing support of eye health and low vision services.
Guide Dogs Strategic Projects Manager Lesley Currie says the grant will set up a continuum of care for older people and coordinate everything from prevention, eye health assessments and care through to low vision services.
Withdrawal of Graseby syringe drivers
Graseby MS16a and MS26 syringe drivers have been withdrawn from sale, however Smiths Medical Australia will continue to service and support these pumps until 2012.
Following their withdrawal from sale Palliative Care Australia, in collaboration with the Centre for Palliative Care Research and Education, has prepared a report to help inform the palliative care and aged care sectors about alternative devices available to the Australian market. The report is available on the website.
COAG puts ageing on the agenda
At its December meeting the Council of Australian Governments identified seven areas for its 2008 work agenda, including a specific Working Group on Health and Ageing.
Key reform directions in relation to ageing include the need for greater levels of community-based care, opportunities for more seamless delivery, delivery of aged care places and the intersection between aged care funding, HACC and disability funding.
Click here for more detail.
Tri-State conference
Last chance to sign up to attend the seventeenth annual Tri-State conference - in Albury February 24-26.
Click here for details.
Centre for Cultural Diversity
The centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing assists aged care services providers to address issues around access to services and the provision of culturally appropriate care.
Support services include:
- Consulting services, including policy support to assist service providers in the development of culturally inclusive organisational practices, continuous improvement initiative and sustainable links with ethnic communities.
- Training in cultural diversity.
- Resources on culturally appropriate aged care.
- Language services, including translation services.
More information is available on the website.
Improving the System: SA Patient Safety Report 2004-2005
The SA Patient Report 2004-2005 has now been released by the Department of Health. The Report contains information about serious adverse patient events, and highlights improvements made to safety and quality in health care.
Access the report by going to the website and clicking on the Patient Safety Report 04-05 link on the right.
Social Determinants of Oral Health
The Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health has just released a publication, Social Determinants of Oral Health: Conditions linked to Socioeconomic Inequalities in Oral Health in the Australian Population.
Profound differences in tooth loss, the social impact of oral conditions and subjective oral health were found between social groups in the Australian adult population. Adults with lower levels of household income and educational attainment suffered greater tooth loss, greater social impact of oral conditions on quality of life and worse subjective oral health. Inequalities increased with increasing age.
Click here to access the full document.
ACS Finance Forum
The ACS Finance Committee has organised a finance forum for Friday February 29 at Morphettville Junction, with registrations commencing at 8.30am.
It will be an interesting and informative day, with topics covering the economic future of Australia; financial performance benchmarking; maximising your investments; understanding e-commerce; and the current topic of interest to residential providers, the financial impact of ACFI.
To encourage whole finance teams to come along, ACS is offering a group registration arrangement, with substantial savings if five or more people from the same organisation register. Full details are on the registration form.
Please mark this date in your diary now – Click here for the flyer with full details of the day, and a registration form.
News for Residential Members
ACAR
On December 20 the Federal Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, announced the 2007 Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR).
The round allocated 6,525 new residential aged care beds across Australia, plus capital grants to assist in building or improving residential services.
South Australia received 375 new residential places with annual recurrent funding of $13.96million, and capital grants totalling $250,000.
The Northern Territory received 65 new residential places with annual recurrent funding of $2.01million, and capital grants totalling $6.33million.
Click here for full details of national allocations.
Accreditation assessment
Feedback from members of the ACS Residential Care Committee indicates a particular focus by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency on staffing levels, call bell response times and other emergencies.
Members are reminded that the Agency has developed a set of assessment modules to ensure a broad review of homes’ activities.
Click here for more information on assessment modules.
News for Community Providers
Community Services Training Package review
The Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council will hold workshops in February to review the second draft of the Community Services Training Package.
Click here for the draft materials.
Adelaide workshops
February 21
9.30am - 12.30pm Community Services & Development Sector Validation
1.30pm - 4.30pm Individual Client Support Sector Validation
February 22
9.30am - 12.30pm Client Services Sector Validation
1.30pm - 4.30pm Children's & Youth Services Sector
Darwin workshop
February 28
9.30am - 4.30pm General (all sectors) validation
Click here to register for a workshop.
Contact Vanessa Dayeh on (02) 9270 6616 or Anita Jacobsen on (02) 9270 6627 for more information.
Click here for an implementation guide.
Rural grants
HACC agencies in rural Australia may be eligible for grants of up to $10,000 from the Caring for Ageing in Rural Australia program from the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal. Applications for current funding will be received up to 12 August 2008.
Click here for detailed guidelines and application forms.
Retractable syringe trial
Safety Medical Products is an Adelaide-based company developing a unique range of safe retractable syringes and medical products. The safety syringe system is designed as a single-use syringe which retracts within its own sleeve cartridge after use.
The company says dosage delivery remains extremely accurate and its quality control technologies comply with the standards set in the general health market for such products.
Safety Medical Products is interested in conducting a small trial with Aged Care community workers to consider ease of use; safety; accuracy; and reduction in the incidence of needle stick injury.
If you are interested in participating in this trial please contact Christopher Harnett, Marketing Manager, Safety Medical Products, Mobile: 0424 388 893.
ACOSS
The Australian Community Sector Survey is an annual survey of the community services and welfare sector in Australia. The information collected provides a picture of the size, shape and experiences of the sector over time and is an important tool for service development, social policy and building sector capacity.
The survey is intended to be completed by organisations that deliver services directly to the community. If you are a non-government or not-for-profit organisation providing services please click here to complete online, or here to download the survey. Surveys should be submitted by February 1 2008.
Better Practice Project extended
Last year all HACC service providers across SA received the competency-based training package Living as an Older Person and the Better Practice Project Handbook, along with a one-day Train the Trainer seminar to enable agencies to deliver the training packages to their own staff and volunteers.
These packages are linked to competencies in Certificate 3 & 4 as well as being a stand-alone tool that can be used in a variety of ways within programs.
The Better Practice Project team is delighted that funding has been granted for a further 12 months to help embed these resources and training. A schedule is being developed to cover all regions again. The team welcomes any enquiries and is keen to send out more information when it becomes available.
Consultations for the HACC Triennial Plan outlined the principles of person-centred care, along with the importance of socially inclusive communities. These make an enormous difference to quality of life and independence, and reduce reliance on the formal care system for older people.
Feedback from the Train the Trainer sessions in 2007 highlighted the desire of people to not only network but to build on each others’ strengths in achieving these lofty goals. Support for this will be a major focus of the next stage of the Better Practice Project.
Specific events will be planned for people who are keen to play a key role in taking the work further within their regions. Stand by for more information about these opportunities.
If you are new or missed out last time on attending the Train the Trainer seminars there will be opportunities to catch up. The first will be held on March 3 2008 at ACS/ SA&NT, 246 Glen Osmond Rd, Fullarton.
For further information about any of the above, please contact the Project on 8338 7111 or by email.
ACFI Update
Training Website and Registration
Medicare has set up the training website for ACFI, which will enable you to practice submitting ACFI data. All providers should have now received a letter explaining how to access this site.
If you are planning to use the web-based claiming you will need to register by completing the ACFI Authorisation web form, which can be found on the Medicare Australia website.
News for the Retirement Sector
Rental incentive scheme
The National Affordable Rental Incentive scheme is designed to improve the supply of affordable rental housing for lower and middle income households.
It also seeks to ensure that the housing is of adequate standard with reasonable access to community services, and that there is an adequate supply of appropriate rental managers.
The scheme would focus especially on providing a new national incentive for developers, investors and landlords to provide new housing at below-market rents or to commit existing housing for that purpose.
Click here for further information.
News for Northern Territory Members
Additional HACC funding
The Federal Government has allocated an additional $800,000 to expand and support HACC services in the Northern Territory.
The funds will be used to develop programs and improve the delivery of services throughout the Territory. In particular, the money will be used to enhance services for remote communities, to expand services focused on dementia and complex care needs, and to improve access for frail Indigenous men.
Ministerial visit
Federal Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot visited Darwin in January for discussions on the proposed $6million, 65-bed Southern Cross Care facility.
The project received capital grant funding in the recent Aged Care Approvals round.
News for Volunteers
Training calendar
The Volunteering SA training calendar for 2008 is now available on the Volunteering SA website.
Workplace Issues
Australian Health Workforce Institute
The University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland have launched the Australian Health Workforce Institute to address Australia's drastic shortage of health workers. This Institute will promote health workforce research and work closely with Commonwealth and State jurisdictions, aiming to deliver Australian health workforce sustainability by 2020.
Click here for the Institute website, which will include a database of health workforce expertise and a forum featuring articles on health workforce issues.
SafeWork SA Newsletter
The 2007 Summer edition of the SafeWork SA Newsletter is now available, featuring articles on:
- Work-life balance
- The review of the OHSW Regulations
- SafeWork SA's mass media campaign
- SafeWork SA's Industry Improvement Programme
- OHS and IR FAQs
- New publications
To view the newsletter click here.
ACS Education & Training Events
Papers and Presentations from ACS Forums
Papers and Presentations from some of the recently held ACS Forums are available for members only access. Click here to view the list of presentations available.
The full events program for 2008 is available for viewing on the ACS Website Registration forms for the events will be placed on the website as they are prepared, as well as being sent to members. Please mark this page as a bookmark and return to it regularly to view any changes and additions.
Zero Tolerance - Recognising and addressing the abuse and neglect of older people
Dates: February 7 2008 1.00-4.00pm
March 11 2008 9.00am-12.00pm
April 14 2008 1.00-4.00pm
May 21 2008 1.00-4.00pm
June 16 2008 1.00-4.00pm
Venue: ACS Office, 246 Glen Osmond Road Fullarton
Time: See registration form
Conducted by Anglicare SA
Registration fees: Members $88, Non-members $154
Click here for a registration form.
Ideal for all staff, Board members, key personnel and new managers. Anglicare SA's Zero Tolerance - recognising and addressing the abuse and neglect of older people program assists individuals and agencies to meet their legal and moral obligations for notification of abuse of the elderly. The training program provides essential education in recognising and addressing the broader scope of elder abuse to ensure a preventative approach is adopted within all service delivery settings. The training also provides strategies to effectively deal with instances of elder abuse that may occur. The training program covers:
- The attitudes and values of participants and the impact when considering whether behaviour is abusive.
- The definitions and context for what constitutes abuse of the elderly.
- The legislative context in Australia for reporting abuse and neglect, including the responsibilities of individuals.
- The importance of collaborative practices in responding to the abuse of the elderly.
The Training package is presented as an interactive workshop, utilising case scenarios and applies the adult learning principles as well as having the tick of approval for its Learning, Literacy and Numeracy content.
Leadership Series
Being a leader takes skill, patience and perseverance. This tailored series
will provide participants with a comprehensive look at what it takes to be a
leader, how you lead and provide you with some very helpful tips to be the leader
that inspires, participates and respects others. All sessions can be attended
individually or if you wish to attend 2 or more sessions a 10% discount is provided
- a 20 percent discount is provided to attend all nine. Become the Leader you
want to be.
Module 6 - Strategic Planning - February 8, 2008 (9.00am - 5.00pm)
Module 7 - Working Styles - March 14, 2008 (9.00am - 1.00pm)
Module 8 - Project Management - April 4, 2008 (9.00am - 5.00pm)
Module 9 - Time Management - May 9, 2008 (9.00am - 5.00pm)
Click here for a registration flyer and program outline.
Module 6: Strategic Planning
Date: Friday February 8 2008
Time: 9.00am - 1.00pm
Venue: ACS Training Room, 246 Glen Osmond Road , Fullarton
Presented by Allison Taylor, OzTrain
This module will discuss and define the Strategic Planning process. The session will address the following:
- Situation Analysis
- Prioritising the issues
- What is meant by a key result?
- Key Result Analysis - The Goals
- Strategic analysis - The Strategies
- Next steps in the planning process
Module 7: Understanding different Working Styles
Date: Friday March 14 2008
Time: 9.00am - 1.00pm
Venue: ACS Training Room, 246 Glen Osmond Road , Fullarton
One of the key aspects for people working together is their ability to use the diversity of members constructively. By using the Myers-Briggs personality styles as a foundation to understand different working styles, participants will:
- gain insights into how different personalities think and approach problems and thus ensure that people
- respect and learn from these different ways of thinking and seeing.
- create a profile of the various teams and make explicit some of these team's potential blind-spots so
- members can build-in processes to manage these blind-spots.
- gain insights into how these personality differences play out and practice valuing the diversity team members bring.
Date: February 11 2008
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Registration Fee: Members $176, Non Members $264
Venue: Innovation House, Cnr Mawson Lakes Blvd & First Avenue Mawson Lakes
Click here for the flyer.
Follow work procedures to maintain food safety
Date: February 18 2008
Time: 9.00am - 4.00pm
Registration Fee: Members $110, Non Members $154
Venue: ACS Training Room, 246 Glen Osmond Road, Fullarton
Click here for the flyer.
Financial Aspects of Resident Admission
Date: February 26, 2008
Venue: ACS Training Room
Time: 1pm - 4pm
Registration Fee: Members $77, Non-Members $154
Conducted by: McInerney & Barratt Financial Solutions
Click here for a registration form
This seminar will address specific issues relating to resident admissions, including:
- Strategies to maximise bonds
- Bonds and their impact on Centrelink and cash flow
- Calculation and analysis of ongoing fees and accommodation charges
- Concessional, Assisted Residents and Self Funded Retirees
- Understanding the Centrelink asset and income assessment
- Understanding financial assets/products and their impact on aged care
Date: March 3 2008
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Registration Fee: Members $176, Non Members $264
Venue: Academy IT, Innovation House, Cnr Mawson Lakes Bvd & 1st Avenue, Mawson Lakes
Click
here for the flyer
Date: March 4, 2008
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Registration Fee: Members $176, Non Members $264
Venue: Innovation House, Cnr Mawson Lakes Blvd & First Avenue Mawson Lakes
Click here for the flyer.
Financial Aspects of Resident Admission - Board Session
Date: March 25, 2008
Venue: ACS Training Room
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Registration Fee: Members $55, Non-Members $110
Conducted by: McInerney & Barratt Financial Solutions
Click here for a registration form
This information session will provide an opportunity for CEO’s and Board Members to gain important information on the specific issues relating to resident admissions.
Date: April 1 2008
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Registration Fee: Members $176, Non Members $264
Venue: Academy IT, Innovation House, Cnr Mawson Lakes Bvd & 1st Avenue, Mawson Lakes
Click here to download the flyer.
Implement the food safety program & procedures
Date: April 7 2008
Time: 9.00am - 4.00pm
Registration Fee: Members $110, Non Members $154
Venue: ACS Training Room, 246 Glen Osmond Road, Fullarton
Click here for the flyer.
E-learning
The following recruitment courses are offered online via the ACSA e-Learning system:
- EEO – Best Practice Recruitment Guidelines
- Privacy For The Onhire and Recruitment Industry
- Effective Reference Checking
- Workchoices – Fundamentals
- Recruitment and Selection
- Develop Business Strategies To Source and Assess Candidates
- Develop Employment Management Services For Candidates
- Manage The Recruitment Process For Client Organisations
Formal Qualifications:
- Certificate IV in Business (Employment Services)
Click here for full details.
Industry Education & Training
Seminar on Cognitive Impairment
A two day seminar on Improving the Management of Cognitive Impairment for Older People will be held in Sydney on April 17-18.
Click here for program details.
Palliative care clinical placement
A Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA) is open to any health care workers who provide clinical care to people at the end of life.
This Commonwealth funded program offers primary health care professionals the opportunity to upskill in palliative care through placement with a specialist palliative care service for 3-5 days and workshops that provide updated information about a palliative approach.
Specialist palliative care clinicians can also apply for a placement in another palliative care service that can provide a unique learning and development experience that is not available in their own service
Funds have been allocated to backfill and provide travel and accommodation support for those in rural areas.
For information and application kits, visit the Palliative Care Council website and click on PEPA. You can also contact Janet Taylor, SA PEPA Project Manager, on 08 8226 6428, or Peta Jackson, Aboriginal Project Manager, on 08 8226 6491.
Value adding with Easy Moves for Active Ageing® - EMAA
EMAA is a nationally accredited training program that provides aged care workers with the skills, knowledge and confidence to conduct safe and effective physical activity programs for older people in aged care facilities or in the community.
EMAA consists of an interactive, two day training format of lectures, demonstrations, brainstorming, discussions, practical sessions, assessments and feedback. The training is conducted by physiotherapists experienced in the fields of exercise, health promotion and aged care.
Feedback from over 1,000 EMAA participants has been unanimously positive with leaders reporting improvements in all areas from their teaching skills and confidence to planning abilities and communication as well as improvements in clients’ attitudes, balance, strength and functional ability.
EMAA also has a role in assisting facilities to meet a number of the expected outcomes required to achieve Accreditation including human resource management, continuous improvement, health and personal care-mobility, dexterity and rehabilitation and education and staff development.
For further information or to obtain a booking form, please contact Marie Talbot at Active Ageing Australia® on (08) 8232 9077.
Upcoming training sessions for early 2008:
February 7 and 8 - Bordertown
February 11 and 12 - Port Lincoln
February 19 and 20 - ACS, Fullarton
February 26 and 27 - Kapunda
April 7 and 8 - Office for Recreation and Sport, Kidman Park
NoFalls Leader Training
Active Ageing Australia® has received funding through the SA Department of Health to run NoFalls Leader Training for health and fitness professionals in South Australia at no cost to participants.
The Leader Training and manual provide a successful exercise program to promote safety for older adults, by reducing the risk of falls. It assumes a basic level of training in the delivery of physical activities.
The NoFalls training will be held on the following dates in 2008:
February 6 - BordertownFebruary 13 - Port Lincoln
April 2 - Adelaide (ACS) and 30
April 30 – Adelaide (Office for Recreation and Sport)
April 11 - Port Augusta
May 7 - Port Pirie
There are very limited funded places available for the NoFalls training under the grant and certain criteria must be met. For queries or booking forms contact Tracey at Active Ageing Australia (08) 8232 9077.
RDNS training program
There are still places available in RDNS training courses running between now and the end of June 2008.
Click here for details.
Member Services
ACS SA&NT have entered into arrangements with a range of businesses to provide cost effective and quality services to its members. Please be advised that ACS SA&NT has entered into these arrangements with a financial benefit for the Association. Currently arrangements have been made with
Message Media - SMS Messaging
OCAR - Employment Assistance Program
Mutual Community - ACS Health Insurance Plan
Jardine Lloyd Thompson - ACSure Insurance
EMA Consulting - Industrial Advice Service
Does your organisation waste countless hours every week, trying to fill gaps in staff rosters? messagemedia solves this problem. Harness the speed, convenience and cost effectiveness of SMS messaging, which is unrivalled by any other communication medium. Faster than email, less intrusive and cheaper than phone calls - SMS has become an essential business tool.
Instead of phoning members of staff one by one to see if they want an extra shift, send an SMS to the staff from your PC instantly. Sending the group SMS from your PC takes seconds, you include a phone number in the message so that staff that want to work the shift can call you. In our experience the whole process including the staff member calling in takes approximately 5 minutes.
Through a joint arrangement established between ACS SA&NT and messagemedia ACS SA&NT members are able to purchase the SMS messaging product at a reduced rate of $349.00 (saving $100.00). Call 1300 767 903 to discover more about the incredible impact messagemedia will have on your organisation.
Click here to download an expression of interest. Upon completion of this form messagemedia will contact you.
Do you have an Employee Assistance Program?
As part of our ongoing commitment to strengthen services and opportunities for Members, ACS SA&NT is pleased to be able to provide members with access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). ACS SA&NT has entered into an agreement with Access OCAR Workplace Consulting to provide an EAP to members at a substantially reduced rate. (Payment is made on a quartlery basis)
An EAP is a confidential counselling service designed to offer an effective means of assisting employees with problems that may eventually affect job performance and personal well-being. Employees have access to qualified counsellors who are located outside of their workplace and are trained to help people identify and resolve their problems. It has been advised that the Unions are in favour of EAP in businesses and often quality and standards accreditation also favour EA programs.
Access OCAR Workplace Consulting will provide the services of the EAP to members who join this service.
Click here to download an expression of interest form. Upon completion of this form OCAR will contact you to commence the service.
ACSure - meeting your insurance needs
JLT Health & Aged Care has been servicing those operating and living in aged care facilities nationally for almost a decade and utilising this experience have developed ACSure in consultation with the management and membership of ACS SA & NT. JLT Health and Aged Care offer a range of ACSure product packages which ensure compliance with the Aged Care Act and structures packages for both small and large operators, including aged care facility operators, retirement living services and community care providers. ACSure are now online - click here to view their website.
For more information contact Bronson Justus or call 8418 0288.
As of 1st July 2006, EMA Consulting (EMA) has been providing ACS SA&NT Inc (ACS) Members with Industrial Relations Assistance. EMA's Consultants are highly qualified, trained, experienced and are contemporary leaders in their profession. As an ACS Member, you have access to EMA for the following services:
Telephone Advisory Service
- Unlimited access to discuss any Industrial Relations topic
- Deal with IR Consultants
- No charge per call ~ generally limited to 15 minutes per issue. If it does longer than this, it generally means the issue is complex and you need to get specific advice.
- Nurses (ANF ~ SA Private Sector)
- Nurses SA
- Clerks SA
- Health Service Employees
Wage Rate Summary ~ will be forwarded from ACS
Consultant Service
EMA will provide consulting services for all ACS Members at a discounted hourly rate of $175.00 per hour, which is a saving of $50 per hour. This includes access to a full range of user pays services such as AWAs, training, workers compensation, disputes and collective agreements.
Simply contact EMA with your organisation's name and provide your client access number as shown on your client card (sent with your renewal of membership for 06/07). If you do not know your client number please contact Eileen King.
Telephone (VIP toll free number) 1800 632 812
Advisory Service (08) 8221 6565
Telephone (08) 8221 6665
Facsimile (08 8221 6660
Website www.emaconsulting.com.au