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Aged & Community Services
SA & NT Inc©
246 Glen Osmond Road,
Fullarton SA 5063
Phone: (08) 8338 7111
Fax: (08) 8338 7077
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Snippets - Volume 7 Issue 3
March 2007
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 Rhianna Morris 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
Starting as a regular feature in the Snippets newsletter will be a new section From the CEO's Desk. It is intended to provide you with additional insight into things the ACS office is undertaking, planning in the future, or other matters of mutual interest.
ACS Committees
Of particular importance over the next few months is the establishment of the five new ACS advisory committees established as part of the strategic restructuring of the organisation. The five new committees are:
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Community Care
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Finance
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Residential
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Retirement Housing
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Workforce relations
Terms of Reference and related documentation are currently being prepared and will be submitted to the April ACS Board meeting.
Nominations from interested individuals with knowledge, expertise and skills relevant to the particular committee will be sought in late April and it is intended that appointments will be made in late May. Committee members will be appointed for a 3 year term with initial appointments being staggered. As necessary, working groups of the committee will be established to deal with specific matters.
Each of the five committees will be made up of between 8 and 10 members one of whom will be an ACS Board member. The Chair will be chosen from amongst the membership of the committee. The ACS office will provide secretariat services to the 5 committees.
The new advisory committees will have a ‘charter' focusing on strategically important issues which is crucially important as past experience indicates that ACS resources have not been able to match the ambitious agendas of the committees.
If you are interested please contact the office for any other information that you may require.
New Minister
The ACS office has already been in touch with Christopher Pyne's office inviting him to attend our April Board meeting. In the meantime I will be doing all I can to ensure that he is provided with an industry perspective of the issues as quickly as possible. We have potentially a unique opportunity, given that the new Minister is South Australian, to influence his thinking and work with him to ensure that we really do have a system that ‘secures the future' for the aged in our community.
General News
Police Check Information
In an attempt to address member concerns regarding the new Police Check legislation for aged care services subsidised under the Aged Care Act 1997 , ACS conducted an information session which was attended by over 120 members. As the session progressed, it became apparent that many questions remain unanswered, with some members feeling frustrated and confused by the new legislation.
In addition, there is some confusion as to who is affected by these new requirements. To clarify, these requirements apply to all Australian aged care services subsidised under the Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) , specifically:
- Residential aged care;
- Community aged care services under the Act: Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs); and
- Flexible care services under the Act: Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) and Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACHD) packages, Multi-Purpose Service places and Transition Care.
The speakers included Jody-Ann Brockelbank and Steve Hadley from Department of Health & Ageing, Helen Malandris from SAPOL, Fiona Lee of Lynch Meyer Lawyers and Ian Barton, Executive HR Manager for Anglicare. Copies of all presentations are provided on our website.
As a follow up to this session, Anglicare has kindly agreed to provide ACS with a copy of it's Police Check Policy and other relevant documentation, which can be shared with members, and accessed on the Members Only section of the ACS Website.
(ACS would like to acknowledge and thank Anglicare for their generosity in sharing this information)
As a result of the many questions raised at the forum, ACS has been in discussion with DoHA , who has agreed to follow up these outstanding member queries and concerns with us. ACS has developed a Question and Answer sheet on issues already raised, also available on our website. As further information becomes available from the Department and Lynch Meyer Lawyers, we will update this Question and Answer sheet.
ACS is now developing a response, incorporating member feedback on the new Police Check Legislation, which will be sent to both the Minister for Ageing and ACSA.
We will keep members informed of any developments via regular updates on our website.
ACS has also developed a Police Check Information Sheet and Resource Guide. Click here to view this document.
2007 ACAR Announcement
The Department of Health and Ageing have advertised that the Invitation to Apply for places and capital grants in the 2007 Round is expected to be notified in all major national and regional and selected ethnic-specific newspapers on Saturday 14 April 2007. Additional information is available from the website.
ACSA Annual Awards for Excellence
Every year ACSA presents awards in
order to promote and recognise excellence in a range of areas that contribute
to the quality of life of older people, people with disabilities and/or their
carers.
The Awards also acknowledge efforts to increase public confidence and community
involvement in aged and community services.
Over the past few years judging panels have included such prominent Australians as Rt Hon Sir Ninian Stephen KG, AK, GCMG GC, Ita Buttrose AO OBE, Rt Hon Ian Sinclair AC, Baillieu Myer AC, Margaret Whitlam, Professor Warren Hogan, Tim Costello AO, and Hon Senator Santo Santoro, Minister for Ageing.
Nominations close on Friday 1 June 2007. Winners will be announced at the ACSA National Conference to be held at the Melbourne Convention Centre 16 - 18 September, 2007.
Click here to view Nomination Criteria.
Any queries regarding the Awards should be directed to Heather Stevens at our office by phone (03) 9686 3460 or email.
HealthConnect SA Newsletter
Edition 4 of the HealthClix publication is now available. Click here to view.
Pandemic Influenza
The State Department of Health's Pandemic Influenza Interim Infection Control Guidelines for Health Care and Community Settings is now available. This resource includes fundamental infection control principles, infection control in residential care settings, home settings, a Pandemic Influenza Ready Reckoner, ‘What to do at Home' brochure and other useful information.
Stepping Up: A Social Inclusion Action Plan for Mental Health Reform 2007-20012
Premier Mike Rann commissioned the Social Inclusion Board to prepare a report advising on how to redesign the system to deliver better outcomes for people experiencing mental health conditions and their families and carers. Stepping Up: A Social Inclusion Action Plan for Mental Health Reform 2007 – 2012 presents 41 recommendations around the following areas:
• Developing a People Centred System
• Understanding the People Who Use the Mental Health System
• Implementing a Stepped System of Care with Community Services at its Centre
• Developing a Workforce for the Future
• Focusing on Prevention and Early Intervention
• Redeveloping Glenside as a Centre for State-Wide Specialist Services
• Encouraging Agencies to Work Together
• Tackling Stigma and Discrimination
• Implementing the Plan – Making it Happen
The Report can be downloaded from the Social Inclusions website.
Premier Rann has launched a response to the Report outlining in brief, the following actions:
• A new commitment of $20.46 million to build an additional 73 (creating 122) 24 hour supported accommodation places
• 60 new beds in Community Rehabilitation Centres by mid 2008
• New commitment of $18.2 million to build 90 new intermediate care beds
• A reduction of adult acute in-patient beds from 252 to 204 when alternative services are in place
• Secure Care – 30 beds in 2006/07
The State Government response to the Social Inclusion Board's Report can also be downloaded from the website.
State Dementia Action Plan
OFTA will be distributing the draft Dementia Action Plan in March for comment. Two metropolitan and four country forums will be undertaken between mid March and the end of April where service providers and consumers will have further opportunity to have input. Ruth Russell and Rob Martin from OFTA will have responsibility for progressing the Plan with involvement from other sources. Ruth and Robert can be contacted via telephone on 8207 0256 or telephone 8207 0453.
New Legislation Impacting Contracting
The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, the Hon Joe Hockey MP, recently announced that the Independent Contractors Act 2006 and the Independent Contractors Regulations 2007 commenced on 1 March 2007. The Act and Regulations set out penalties of up to $33,000 for breaches such as:
• Misrepresenting an employment relationship as an independent contracting arrangement,
• Dismissing or threatening to dismiss, an individual so as to rehire him or her as an independent contractor to perform substantially the same work,
• Knowingly making a false statement to a current or former employee to persuade that person to become an independent contractor to perform substantially the same work.
For more information, contact the Independent Contractors' Hotline 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday 1300 667 850 or visit the Workplace website.
New Record Keeping Obligations as at 27 March 2007
Members are reminded that revised record keeping and payslip obligations concerning wages and other employment matters commence on 27 March 2007 .These revised obligations are in the form enacted by Government in December 2006 (which differ from that initially proposed when WorkChoices came into operation). The revised record keeping obligations largely (but not exclusively) reflect pre-WorkChoices record keeping and pay slip obligations. Employers can be prosecuted for failing to keep and maintain proper records and pay slips in accordance with these new provisions. The new regulations repeal the existing provision contained in Part 19, Chapter 2 of the Regulations and replace it with a new Part 19. The new Part 19 contains provisions for the keeping of certain records and payslips and allows workplace inspectors to prosecute for breaches of these records. The new Regulation 19.9 provides that if an employee actually works overtime hours and a penalty rate or loading (however described) must be paid for those overtime hours worked, the employer must record the number of overtime hours worked by the employee, and when the employee started and ceased working overtime hours. However, the Regulations continue to require employers to keep records of hours worked by casuals and irregular part-time employees, when they are paid on an hourly basis. The Regulations have also consolidated the civil remedy provisions and a court may order penalties of up to $1100 for an individual, and $5500 for a body corporate, who breaches the record keeping provisions. However, the Workplace Relations Regulations 2006 allow for workplace inspectors to issue an infringement notice to employers for identified breaches of record-keeping requirements, as an alternative to initiating court proceedings.
Temporary Residents – Right to Work
The Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMIA) offers information that can assist Australian employees wishing to recruit a person who is a temporary resident, but may have the right to work. A freecall fax-back facility is available to employers to check the applicant's work status. All that is required is to forward an `Authorisation to Obtain Details of Work Rights' form, available on the website and fax to DIMIA on 1800 505 550.
News for Residential Members
Accreditation Update
The changes to the Accountability Principles (Aged Care Act 1997) now allow the Aged Care and Standards and Accreditation Agency to conduct unannounced visits without giving any notice to the Provider. The legislation has also changed to enable the Agency to seek permission to enter the facility from the person deemed to be in charge, if the Provider or senior management staff are unavailable. It is suggested that Providers or senior managers appoint a designated person to be in charge if they are off site. Generally unannounced visits will only be conducted during normal business hours, unless there is indication of a health or safety risk to residents.
The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency has advised that the assessment models used in the context of their unannounced contacts are now posted on their website.
Changes to ACFI Implementation
The announcement of Securing the Future included information that the implementation of the new ACFI tool has been postponed to 20 March 2008. It follows that the industry training scheduled to commence in March will now be rolled out later this year. A lot of the administrative details are currently being finalised and business rules should be announced in the near future. We will keep members informed as details come to hand.
While the foreshadowed introduction date for ACFI is 20 March 2008, it is important that providers ensure the RCS levels of residents are an accurate reflection of their status as at the date of implementation. The interim period can be utilised to rectify any deficiencies of systems and seek expert advice if necessary, to ensure accurate and comprehensive assessment of residents is achieved.
Update on the regulation of the re-manufacture of single use medical devices
Timeframe extended to 1 July 2007
The working group established under the auspice of the National Coordinating Committee on Therapeutic Goods has agreed to extend the transition timeframe to 1 July 2007 to cease re-manufacturing Semi-critical and Non-critical single use devices for reuse.
More information can be found on the Therapeutic Goods Administration website.
News for Retirement Housing Members
GST Ruling on Communal Facilities
The Australian Taxation Office has, on 7 February 2007, issued the final GST ruling on when retirement village premises include communal facilities for use by the residents of the village. This is now Goods and Services Tax Ruling 2007/1 and replaces the draft ruling.
The ATO now states:
Communal facilities are those facilities that are intended and capable of group use by the residents for recreation, sporting, social, religious or other similar uses that enhance a sense of community amongst the residents. This is determined objectively having regard to the primary function or purpose of the facilities as evidenced by their physical characteristics.
The ATO has further clarified its view of how you determine whether a particular facility is a communal facility or not, and now states:
In the retirement village context communal facilities would ordinarily include the following types of facilities:
A library
A dining room
A recreation room
A chapel
An equipped gymnasium
Outdoor recreational and leisure facilities such as a tennis court, swimming pool or a barbeque area.
The ruling also clarifies that the existence of a reception area is not a communal facility in the same way that pathways and driveways are not communal facilities. The final ruling is to the same effect as the draft ruling.
News for Community Members
Infection Control
At the recent ACS Infection Control in the Community forum, a useful resource titled You've Got What? Prevention and control of notifiable and other infectious diseases in children and adults was shown to participants. Click here and here to view the resources (downloaded from the Department of Health website). There are limited numbers of hard copies available from the Communicable Disease Control Branch. Please contact Lucia Arman on 8226 7301 if you would like a hard copy.
Expanded Services for Maltese Community
Last year the Maltese Aged Care Association SA Inc concentrated on expanding its centre based and transport services. In 2007 these services will continue to grow but there will also be a particular focus on expanding the meals service, originally available in the west, to other metropolitan regions. If you provide services in the north, south, east or west of Adelaide , Maltese Aged Care looks forward to working with you to develop an efficient referral process for culturally appropriate services. To obtain a fax referral form, please contact Madeliene Scicluna, Service Manager via telephone 8346 7422 or 0412 014 313.
ACOSS Community Sector Report
The Community Sector Survey National Report contains information provided by 857 not for profit agencies involved in delivering a wide range of community services including aged care, health, child care, employment, housing, legal, family support.
Some findings include:
• The majority of respondents found the funding required under government contracts a significant burden,
• Matching resources to demand remains the fundamental challenge facing sector organisations,
• There was a 3% increase in the number of paid staff and a 4% increase in the number of clients during the same period (2004-5 and 2005-6),
• In South Australia 161,664 people were assisted and 7,651 eligible people turned away with the majority of agencies reporting tighter targeting of their services.
The full report can be downloaded from the ACOSS website.
HACC Reform Reference Group
The ACS representative on the HACC Reform Reference Group (replacing the HACC MAC) is Andrew Stoll . Andrew Stoll is the Chair of the ACS Community Network Committee and the General Manager, Community Services ECH Inc. The HACC Reform Reference Group is a Deprtmental Group, not a Ministerial Group as was HACC MAC. The HACC Reform Reference Group has been established to guide the implementation of the reform processes being undertaken in relation to the administration of the HACC Program in South Australia . The first meeting was held in March and further meetings have been scheduled for 18 May, 23 August, and 23 November 2007. Opportunities to provide member input to the group will be made available and feedback from the group will be communicated through Snippets.
HACC Police Checks
As a result of a recent audit of SAPOL's HomeAssist business practice, SAPOL identified an increase in the number of free HomeAssist volunteer criminal history checks being processed. Closer examination revealed a large percentage of checks which had been conducted fell outside of SAPOL's Service Agreement.
SAPOL has now advised that the free police checks will be done specifically in line with the Service Agreement for organisations who run a HomeAssist Program either providing home maintenance, modification or a service which begins and ends within the consumers' home.
The stricter criteria excludes other HACC funded volunteers providing social support, transport to medical appointments, working in centre based day programs, on HACC funded community buses, providing friendly visiting or respite services etc.
At the HACC Managers meeting, 23 February, it was suggested that, rather than each organisation applying for additional HACC funding to cover the cost of checks for excluded volunteers, a more strategic approach would be for OFTA to expand the amount of HACC funding to SAPOL. ACS has written to OFTA seeking a commitment to increase funding to SAPOL to include all volunteers working in HACC funded programs not already covered with a Volunteer Organisation Authorisation Number (VOAN).
ACS will keep members informed as to the progress of this correspondence.
New Lives in Community for 20 People with an Intellectual Disability
Twenty people with intellectual disabilities will now have a home in the community following the completion of stage 2 of Project 105 – a joint initiative of the State Government and Minda Inc.
Minda Inc CEO, Phil Martin and Minister for Disability Jay Weatherill have commissioned a new home in Mitchell Park which will accommodate five people with an intellectual disability, in addition to three other houses in Clovelly Park , Plympton Park and Blackwood.
For Further information contact Phil Martin via telephone 8422 6200 or email.(information from Media Release dated 23 February).
The Essential Provider Guide to Packaged Care
The Essential Provider Guide to Packaged Care provides resources on funding, management, human resources, governance, administration and quality. It is a quick reference tool on management of CACP's, EACH and EACH Dementia. The Guide complements and builds on the Commonwealth Departmental guidelines. It also includes a copy of “In Their Homes”, CACP Standards Workbook with updated matrix, sample client agreements and brokerage agreement that can be tailored for your use, and the Protecting Older People brochure. If you would like to order a copy of the guide please contact ACSA by phone 03 9686 3460 or email, or download an order form from the ACSA website. ACS has a copy of the guide if you wish to view before you purchase.
The Development of Guidelines for a Palliative Approach for Aged Care in the Community
A research team headed by Associate Professor Chris Toye from Edith Cowan University, as well as researchers at Curtin University of Technology, Flinders University and Queensland University of Technology, have recently been contracted by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing to develop Guidelines for a Palliative Approach for Aged Care in the Community.
The project goal is to formulate evidence based guidelines for a palliative approach for older people in the community setting that will help to facilitate best practice in this area. They will be aimed at enhancing the care provided by medical practitioners, nurses, allied health professionals, care workers, volunteers and Indigenous health workers in the community setting throughout Australia .
The guidelines will be developed in consultation with consumers and key stakeholders.
Therefore, the project team will be looking to recruit interested people to be involved in the national consultative process. Focus groups will be held across Australia to identify issues relevant to the provision of a palliative approach in the community setting. Once the guidelines have been drafted, feedback will be requested.
Further information is available on the Care Search website, or for further enquires contact the Project Manager Dr. Ruth McConigley by email.
Funding News
Enrolled Nurse Medication Management Training Initiative Round 4
The Australian Government is providing $7.5 million over four years to train Enrolled Nurses to manage and administer medication as part of its $2.2 billion 2004-05 Budget package Investing in Australia 's Aged Care: More Places, Better Care. Invitations to apply for Round 4 of this initiative have now been distributed to Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) who have been approved by their State/Territory nursing regulatory authority.
The funding is available to all Registered Training Organisations, including TAFEs, universities and private organisations that are authorised by their state or territory nursing regulatory authority to provide training in this area. Training organisations were required to demonstrate a partnership with aged care facilities to deliver the training package to nurses working in aged care.
Applications for funding under round four of the Enrolled Nurse Medication Training Initiative close on Monday, 16 April 2007. Interested aged care providers should contact their approved local RTO as soon as possible and advise how many Enrolled Nurses required the training. Information about RTOs approved to deliver the training is available from the Aged Care Information Line (1800 500 853) or on the Department's website.
Finance News
Taxpayer alert - Charitable lease arrangements
The Tax Office has warned charities to be wary of entering into arrangements designed to secure input tax credits by treating residential accommodation as GST-free. Click here to view full information.
National News from ACSA
ACSA National Report
The ACSA National Report Issue 150 is now available for downloading from the ACS Members Only website (you will need your username and password to access this).
Topics included in this Report are:
Fine Tuning the Future of Aged Care
ACFI Changes
Aged Care CEOs Forum: Sydney , 30 April
Community Care Review
TOCC – “Who Cares?" Campaign
Parliament, Politics and Aged Care Police Checks
Guide to Help Reach People at Risk of Suicide
Dental Services in Aged Care Facilities
16th Annual Tri-State Conference 2007
Aged Care Residents' Project
IAHSA's 7th International Conference: Malta 18-20 June
ABS Age Matters
Alzheimer's Australia Publications
Ageing and Disability – New Challenges
Overseas Reports
Industry Education & Training Events
40th National AAG Conference
The Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG) has announced it will hold its 2007 National Conference in Adelaide during November. To be held 21 - 23 November 2007 at the Adelaide Hilton Hotel, the Conference will focus on the theme ‘BeyOND 2007 Ageing: Evolution and Revolution.'
The Conference is the major annual activity of the Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG), which brings together professionals interested in promoting education and research into all aspects of ageing. The Association encourages cross disciplinary exchange of ideas amongst professionals including clinicians, therapists, social scientists, economists and demographers.
The AAG is now calling for abstracts for the Conference. If you are a professional working in ageing, whether you are developing policy, an active researcher, an educator, a service provider or a consumer and you have research, policy or practice information to share, then the AAG National Conference will provide a wide, diverse, well informed and well connected audience. The AAG program committee welcomes abstracts that are informative, relevant and contribute to the ageing research and education agenda.
Over the years James Bond has adapted and changed to suit the audience of the times. The 2007 Conference will follow through on this theme of adaptation highlighting that ageing can be viewed in much the same way as Bond. New technologies, innovative thinking, changing social structures, policies and community attitudes impact on the way we view and manage ageing today. The 2007 Conference will offer opportunities to showcase these evolutions and revolutions in ageing.
The 3-day Conference will include plenary, concurrent and poster presentations as well as a social program designed to maximise networking for attendees in the wine and festival capital of Australia
Further information on the Conference, including a ‘Call for Abstracts' is available on the AAG website or by contacting the Conference Managers via phone 02 6650 9800 or by email.
2007 NDS Ageing and Disability Conference - Register Now!
The Program for the 2007 NDS Ageing and Disability Conference is now available, featuring sessions of interest to staff from service providers, government departments and academic institutions.
International speakers, Kolbein Lyng from Norway and Philip McCallion from the USA , are well supported by Australian academics, service providers and people with disabilities.
A highlight of the Program will be the extraordinarily moving account of Ken Haley's journey through Asia, Europe and within.
A Walkley Award-winning journalist, Ken Haley's travels took in 41 countries and, post-September 11, turned him into an eyewitness to the ‘war on terror' from the other side of the frontline.
Program and Registration Information is now available on the NDS website.
Community Managers & Care Worker Training
“Working with older people with Mental health problems”
Thursday 29 th March & Thursday 31 st May 2007.
Click here to view full Training details.
ACS Education & Training Events
Click here to view the full current ACS Education & Training Calendar.
Strategic Planning Workshop
Date: 13th April 2007
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Venue: ACS Training Rooms 246 Glen Osmond Road Fullarton
Registration Fees: Members $198, Non-Members $297
The facilitator will give a brief overview of the meaning of strategic planning, the day's activities and the overall planning process:
• 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
Click here to view full program and Registration Information. http://www.agedcommunity.asn.au/about_acs/documents/PlanningFlyer.pdf
Retirement Housing Forum – “Doing Retirement Living Well”
Date: 3rd May 2007
Time: 9.00am – 4.00pm
Venue: Stables Ballroom – Morphettville Junction
Registration Fees: ACS/RVA Members $110, Non ACS/RVA Members $198, Residents/Prospective Residents $55
This forum is jointly presented to the industry by Aged & Community Services SA&NT and the Retirement Villages Association SA. This forum will be presented in three sections:
• How to Age Well
• How to Market Well
• How to Build Well
Presentations will be made from interstate presenters on Ageing Successfully and Building for Seniors. Local experts will outline the existing and future demographics of the market place and how providers can understand how marketing can work for them along with presentations from local providers on how they market to their future clients.
Advanced Microsoft Excel 2003
Date: 9th May 2007
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Venue: KAZ Training Rooms 290 Glen Osmond Road Fullarton
Registration Fees: Members $176, Non-Members $264
Students will cover the following topics: working with advanced formulas, lookups and data tables, advanced list management, working with PivotTables, exporting and importing, using analytical options, working with macros, interactive Web pages, using SharePoint services.
After completing this course, students will know how to:
• Use names to make formulas easier to understand; use the IF and SUMIF functions to calculate a value based on specified criteria; use the nested IF function to evaluate complex conditions; use the ROUND function to round off numbers; and use the PMT function to calculate periodic payments for a loan.
• Use the VLOOKUP function to find a value in a worksheet list; use the MATCH function to find the relative position of a value in a range; use the INDEX function to find the value of a cell at a given position within a range; and use data tables to project values.
• Use the PivotTable and PivotChart Wizard to create a PivotTable for analyzing and comparing large amounts of data; change PivotTable view by moving fields and by hiding and showing details; improve the appearance of a PivotTable by changing its field settings and applying a format; and create a PivotChart to graphically display data from a PivotTable.
• Export data from Excel to a text file, and import data from a text file into an Excel workbook; import XML data into a workbook, and export data from a workbook to an XML data file; and use Microsoft Query and the Web query feature to import data from external databases.
• Run a macro to perform tasks automatically; record macros to perform repetitive tasks; assign a macro to a button, and use the button to run the macro; edit a macro by editing VBA code.
…and much more.
Click here for the Registration form for this event. http://www.agedcommunity.asn.au/about_acs/documents/Excel2003AdvancedFlyer.pdf
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
Management Update
Click here to view recent or previous issues of the ACS Management Update.
SMS messaging
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 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.
OCAR Workplace Consulting will provide the services of the EAP to members who join this service.
Click here to download an expressionof 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 Kerrie Zwart or call 8418 0288.