COVID-19 Service Response

Althea Projects is responding as a team and adjusting service delivery so we can work around the growing serious impact of COVID-19 in our community. We have the best cleaning and hygiene practices that we can in place to protect Staff and the Community, and Staff will keep away from the offices if we are unwell (or recently returned from overseas) and we ask everyone in the Community to please do the same.  We have taken all reasonable measures to adjust our workspaces to account for social distancing requirements and throughout the course of COVID-19 we will keep abreast of government updates and changing circumstances, and implement innovative and flexible measures to continue to offer our services as best as we can.

Staff and Community health and wellbeing are our highest priority.

Here is an update of how we are adjusting our service delivery across Programs to work around COVID-19

Shared Family Care – Foster and Kinship Care Services

As of Monday, 23/03/2020 as much as practical, Staff will be based in the office and will predominantly deliver services over the phone and email and will cease offering face to face meetings in homes or our office at Ross River Road. Staff will also only participate in sector meetings via phone or other electronic means. This will be reviewed regularly, with some exceptions as thought necessary and risk managed.

Wee Care – Residential Service and Playgroup

Remains open; however, we will not be able to care for any children or young people who are unwell or have recently returned from overseas. We will be unable to allow access to our Centre to parents and care providers of children who are unwell or have recently returned from overseas. We will also only allow people access to the foyer when bringing children to the Centre and stop other meetings at the Centre.

Playgroups have finished for the term. We will advise when they will recommence.

The Drop In Centre – Homelessness and Aged Care

As from Tuesday 24/03/2020 the Centre will be open from 8.30am to 2pm Monday to Friday. The Centre remains open only to clients and other service providers who deliver services to clients at the Centre.       Clients or service providers who are unwell will not be able to access the Centre. We will support service users to access health supports if this is required. 

We are keeping in regular contact with our Aged Care clients and adjusting services around client needs. 

Emergency Relief

Our usual phone lines for Emergency Relief remain unchanged; however, we ask that people in the      community do not physically access Wee Care or the Drop In Centre or be referred to those addresses. On providing our usual phone support and assessment we will arrange with those needing Emergency Relief a suitable option on how to pass supports on.

We have not made any of these changes to our service provision lightly and we have heeded the government advice. Like everyone across the world who has implemented changes to how they conduct their business, these measures are temporary, and will be regularly reviewed and updated as further changes become necessary. We ask everyone to heed the government health advice. These months will pass. Our communities and services will return to what is more familiar.

Finally, on behalf of everyone at Althea Projects please know that our families and service users are in our thoughts and prayers. We also particularly hold close in our thoughts everyone in our community who has been impacted at this time.

Paula La Rosa

CEO