COVID-19 Health & Safety Update

What we're doing to keep you safe

As we have returned to face-to-face sessions, the health and wellbeing of our clients, staff and the wider community remains a top priority for our practice. We are therefore implementing the following measures for all sessions delivered in person:

• Increased instrument and equipment cleaning, especially at points of frequent contact
• Encouraging clients to use their own instruments rather than those we provide, to minimise shared points of contact (NB. If needed, we can provide NDIS clients with an equipment report to assist in securing funding for equipment) 
• Increased use of hand sanitiser (this has always been our standard practice between sessions; we are now sanitising before and after all sessions)
• Advising all clients to be aware of Department of Health guidelines around symptoms of COVID-19, and requesting that they do not attend their session if they are unwell
• Conducting sessions in compliance with physical distancing guidelines of 1.5 metres whenever possible
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): wearing face masks as appropriate to client needs. The Department of Health has recently stated that disability workers should consider that when workers wear PPE "people with intellectual or development disabilities may become fearful or anxious" and therefore providers "do not have to wear PPE when providing services to all clients" (Alison McMillan, Australia's Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, July 2020). Therefore, we are discussing client needs with their families and care teams to assess the most appropriate use of PPE for each individual client. 

We have not traveled overseas in the past 3 months, and we will not make contact with anyone who has traveled overseas in the past 14 days. If we come in contact with anyone who is suspected to be positive for COVID-19 we will immediately suspend face-to-face sessions for 14 days. 

What we're asking our clients to do

We ask that you don’t attend your in-person session if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Shortness of breath

We also ask that you don't attend an in-person session if you've had contact with someone diagnosed with or suspected of having coronavirus in the 14 days before your session, or if you’ve traveled internationally during that time. We request that you continue to follow the Department of Health’s guidelines for reducing your risk of infection (see PDF below). 

Finally, we believe that maintaining a healthy immune system is the primary defence against illness. A nutritious diet, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, stress management, and strong social networks are primary for this.