Our response to the pandemic

We are certainly sharing unfamiliar and unpredictable times. CatholicCare Diocese of Broken Bay has worked hard to keep our doors open to those in need, and our clients and their families, our staff and our communities safe in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.  We have few precedents to guide us, but we have leveraged our expertise and experience to develop creative and responsive ways of working that balance the needs of our clients, our staff and our communities, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable.

Some sites have remained open the entire time, and at other sites staff are returning now in greater numbers. We are operating business as usual wherever possible.

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SERVICE SPECIFIC UPDATES AS AT OCTOBER 2020

Family Centres
We are really pleased to now be able to offer both face-to-face and online services to meet client needs.  We are continuing outreach to clients as normal meeting them in their home or in the community and have started to plan to be part of community events which are starting up again. Counselling, housing support, domestic violence and emergency relief supports are always available. For more information please call (02) 9481 2600.

Children’s Services
All services continue to operate as normal. Vacation Care has continued to be offered and will be offered again in January 2021. Infection control protocols remain  in place for all children, families and staff, whilst ensuring the curriculum is engaging and exciting. OSHC, Family Day Care and Long Day Care services are again working under the Child Care Subsidy system and gap fees are payable by families. ELC’s (preschools) have had free preschool for 2 days per week extended until the end of the year.

Disability Futures
All day and weekend programs are up and running with participant attendance onsite, with some provision for one-to-one home support where needed due to vulnerabilities. Vacation Care has continued to operate and will be available again in January 2021. Boonah Art continues to provide some online programming with any artists now back in studio. Disability Futures is accessing community activities, within strict infection control protocols. We are working with the community locations to ensure COVID safe approaches are being taken. If it is unsafe, we will not attend.

Services for Seniors
In home respite has continued, under strict infection control protocols, and many clients have returned to face-to-face services. For those who are still unsure, we remain in touch and online. Our Memory Innovations Centre has reopened to clients who wish to attend in person – for those not yet ready to return, they can still join us online.

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We are conscious that the demand for services across our most vulnerable communities will continue to increase. We have already experienced increased requests for emergency relief and domestic violence support. Given the economic impact of the pandemic, we will need the support of our government partners and any additional support communities can provide, to ensure we best manage the risk to the vulnerable people we directly support, families and staff. We will continue to monitor and adapt our services in response.

Click on the links below for additional resources:

• Current NSW Government public health orders
• NSW Government’s response to COVID-19 (coronavirus)
• NSW Health (in English)
• NSW Health: resources in other languages (Arabic, Bahasa, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese)
• SBS News and information on Coronavirus available in 63 languages (incl. Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Nepali, Spanish, Vietnamese)
• Travel advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade