covid-19 guidance and framework - v1 · continue service delivery by: • ceasing groups •...

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COVID-19 Guidance and Framework

For the last 25 years, Micah Projects has maintained an unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of all our staff,

community members and program participants.

With the ongoing concerns of coronavirus (COVID-19), we continue to use the utmost vigilance to ensure services remain accessible

to our most vulnerable and at-risk populations. All staff have the necessary support, equipment and directions for ensuring their own

health and wellbeing and infectious disease protocols, whether on the street, in homes, in vehicles, in our offices or in the

community.

Micah Projects is a 24/7 organisation. To ensure our program participants who have experienced significant trauma receive the

safety and support needed, we cannot close our doors or scale down our services while we deal with this pand emic. All staff are

committed to supporting both the participants in our services and the community where needs arise during this time of crisis.

Pandemic Emergency Management Response (PEMR) Steering Committee

Micah Projects has established a PEMR Steering Committee. The purpose of this committee is to coordinate and plan for service

and staff impacts and manage all new updates around current pandemic: COVID-19.


Members of this committee include:

Karyn Walsh (CEO), Jo Bennett (Quality and Risk Manager), Dan Cosgrove (Strategic Performance Manager), Bridget Kinch (People

and Learning Manager), Rajkumar Gohain (Finance and Operations Manager), Sam Eyles (Community Connections Manager), Belinda

Kippen (Inclusive Health and Wellness Hub Project Manager), Simon James (Consultant- Service and Clinical Governance), Kelly-ann

Tansley (BDVS Team Leader), Leanne Papas (Clinical Nurse), Jim Decouto (Street to Home Team Leader) and others as required.

The PEMR Steering Committee will meet daily. The greater Leadership Team will meet twice weekly to discuss any service delivery

concerns for urgent feedback, conversations or problem solving.

Overview of guidance

A number of COVID-19 Work Instructions have been specifically developed in response to the current pandemic that give clear

guidance to all of our employees, volunteers and students. These Work Instructions (named below) will be distributed to all

employees and students,

and they are required to read and confirm that they understand and agree to work within the parameters outlined within each.

• Infection Prevention and Control • Contact with a Suspected or Confirmed Case of COVID-19 • Outreach Work • People and Learning • Planning and Communication • Transporting People – Families


• Transporting People – Individuals • Street to Home Outreach • Hand Hygiene • Mental Health and Wellbeing • Working from Home – ICT.

Framework

The purpose of this document is to,

• plan continued services and support to vulnerable populations in the community with whom we work

• maintain a trauma informed approach • ensure the health and wellbeing of all participants, staff, volunteers and students • comply with all public health directives • maintain employment for all staff, including casual employees.

The four priority phases of planning are defined by scenario, with Micah Projects Objectives for each phase: Preparedness, Initial

Response, Large-scale Response and Recovery. This document is aimed at providing a higher level overview of each service area and

how they are adapting their services to ensure continuity of support for people accessing the different programs that are delivered.


Scenarios

Areas Preparedness Initial Response Large-scale Response Recovery

Scenario definitions

• None or few confirmed cases in Australia

• No school or business closures

• Insecurity and misinformation spread, resulting in potential disruptive behaviours

• Some pre-emptive measures may impact supply-chain delivery (e.g. border closures, movement restrictions)

• Limited or no testing availability

• Confirmed cases of community transmission in areas of operation

• Sporadic closure of schools, businesses, transportation systems

• Changes in availability of essential supplies

• Beginnings of critical infrastructure breakdown

• Access to healthcare is reduced

• Anxiety is heightened, which may impact social interaction and demand for service

• Limited PPE available • Low community

understanding of prevention requirements

• Widespread, sustained community transmission

• Significant market disruptions

• Lack of available essential water, food, supplies and PPE

• Widespread and prolonged closures of schools, businesses, transportation systems

• Public health and other critical services workforce is reduced by 30%

• Public community directives and limitations are confusing

• Government and local restrictions prohibiting movement and access to services

• Decrease in community transmission

• Schools and public spaces beginning to re-open

• Businesses coming back online; essential goods more widely available

• Government restrictions lifted or eased

• Likelihood of movement into another wave, return to initial response phase


Scenarios


• High illness rates in some populations and demographic areas

• Disproportionate impact on the marginalised and vulnerable

Objectives • Preparedness and contingency planning – form PEMR Committee

• Ensure Micah Projects staff are healthy and free of virus

• Communicate critical risk and increase community awareness and education

• Reduce or delay transmission (“flatten the curve”) with mitigation strategies in all Micah programs

• Continue service delivery as much as possible with risk mitigation strategies in place

• Prepare services, staff participants and stakeholders for potential large-scale disruption to come

• Begin/scale up all COVID-19 response services for life-saving and life-sustaining measure during the pandemic wave

• Reduce virus transmission throughout the wave

• Continue key program goals as much as possible

• Support safe return to work and school

• Ensure mental health and wellbeing of staff, participants and other relevant stakeholders

• Resume all program objectives

• Prepare for possible second wave of virus


Scenarios


Social Impact and Service Delivery

Continue commitment to providing services to the most vulnerable across all population groups. Researched likely implications of COVID-19 across our service areas according to the population groups we work with.

Continue commitment to providing services to the most vulnerable across all population groups. Prioritised informing participants that • Ceasing groups • Maintaining phone contact

to provide information, education of current health directives, psychological support, risk management and safety planning.

• Enable group-send SMS to participants

• Exploring tools such as Face-time with participants

• Exploring how to increase access to internet for the

Continue commitment to providing services to the most vulnerable across all population groups. Continue service delivery by: • Ceasing groups • Maintaining phone

contact to provide information, education of current health directives and psychological support

• Enable group-send SMS to participants

• Exploring tools such as Face-time with participants

• Exploring how to increase access to internet for the most vulnerable via distribution of devices

Continue commitment to providing services to the most vulnerable across all population groups. Follow government/public health directives in planning return to program goals. Review, reflect and document learnings from the experience. Ensure ICT resources are utilised in an ongoing capacity to improve efficiencies, whilst ensuring connectedness and engagement.


Scenarios


Provided initial directions to teams and researched what both national and international jurisdictions were doing.

most vulnerable via distribution of devices

• Negotiated outreach by including COVID-19 screening questions

• Practical assistance by food/supply-drops at premises door

• Distribute information and provide education for participants around COVID-19 and the likely impacts for them.

Develop infection prevention work instructions for • office-based • outreach to homes and

motels • street outreach

• Negotiated outreach by including COVID-19 screening questions

Homelessness and domestic violence teams adapt and adjust work in line with Department of Housing (QG) enactment of an emergency rapid housing response (natural disaster) as of Wed 1 April. Realign workers as needed to this response as a public health priority. Abide by all Work Instructions in relation to COVID-19 – protecting each other and protecting others.


Scenarios


Coordinate ordering and dissemination of PPE to all sites and outreach workers Ensured representation of all service delivery areas in the Pandemic Emergency Management Response Steering Committee and specific service delivery meetings established for the greater Leadership Team to attend.

Communicate our commitment to employees that PPE will be provided to enable safe protective service delivery Commitment of the organisation to provide PPE to participants by distributing COVID-19 hygiene packs BAEH called a meeting of all street-based services to look at disruption of services to people sleeping rough. On being informed all food vans and other services were ceasing, the Hope St Café has redirected it’s work to providing meals to: • People on the street

Continue with the initial responses at left with adaptation according to any new government/public health directives. Establish a central distribution process as PPE stock is received at ‘Pondera’ office and communicate to staff (commencing 2/3 April)


Scenarios


• People in homes that are socially isolated

• Women and children from domestic violence

• Homeless families from the Coordinated Access Team in hotels and motels

Organisational Capability

Established the Pandemic Emergency Management Response (PEMR) Steering Committee with representation from service delivery and key organisational service areas. Communicate with contract managers providing our intended actions to respond to the public health crisis.

Continuation of the PEMR Steering Committee to revise, adapt and distribute appropriate work instructions and resources. Communicate with contract managers weekly and when a change occurs that impacts on service delivery. All departments have communicated formally that

Continuation of the PEMR Steering Committee to revise, adapt and distribute appropriate work instructions and resources. Communicate with contract managers weekly and when a change occurs that impacts on service delivery. All departments have communicated formally that

Continuation of the PEMR Steering Committee to direct the re-establishment of services operating as usual in line with public health directives. Communicate with contract managers weekly until service delivery returns to normal services.


Scenarios


Identify ICT requirements to support any change in work and delivery of programs. Investigation and costing of remote communication platforms (e.g. Zoom)

service delivery contracts are to focus on adapting to the public health crisis. Conduct an audit of existing mobile devices for working from home and remote access. Support staff in remote access capability. Identify necessary requirements for collaborative platforms in line with partners capability e.g. Zoom – non-government at the moment, Skype for Business – government, use of Microsoft Teams internally and externally.

service delivery contracts are to focus on adapting to the public health crisis. Purchase necessary IT devices where gaps have been identified. All staff have access and skills to use remote communication platforms. All new remote communication platforms have been implemented and employees know how to use them. All communication with government, partners, leadership and employees uses the appropriate platform for business continuity.

De-activate any work instructions no longer needed. Ensure ICT resources are utilised in an ongoing capacity to improve efficiencies, whilst ensuring connectedness and engagement.


Scenarios


Development of instructions on accessing software and ICT systems remotely. Prioritised use of SharePoint as main information sharing tool internally in lieu of ‘social justice’ email group.

Adapt and create organisational policy, procedures and work instructions in response to government/public health directives.

People Learning and Culture

Communication to the staff around what some of the upcoming consequences of COVID-19 may be (eg. School closures, health risks), and gather basic information on the impacts per individual staff member and their greater teams.

Structure rosters, working days and locations of work to meet public health directives and self-isolation requirements. Ensure staff are aware of the organisational supports and options in place that they can

Continue with all initial response activities at left and maintain full compliance with government/public health directives. Ensure increased levels of management and peer support

Maintain basic awareness around prevention of communicable disease. Plan return to workplace practices in line with government/public health directives. Ensure ICT resources are utilised in an ongoing capacity to improve efficiencies, whilst


Scenarios


access as outlined in the People and Learning Work Instruction. Provide training and information in relation to work instructions. Distribute PPE as it becomes available for office space, personal outreach bags and vehicles. Undertook measurement of site floor plans, to ensure public health directives were being followed in relation to

for health and wellbeing of employees. Review and adapt work instructions in relation to People, Learning and Culture as changes arise due to public health directives and volume of work. Establish a central distribution plan as PPE kits are made, in line with the arrival of stock. Ensure staff are aware of the organisational supports and options in place that they can access as outlined in the

ensuring connectedness and engagement.


Scenarios


social distancing maximum room numbers. Provided products and guidance on hand washing and hand sanitizing.

People and Learning Work Instruction. Employ casual staff to assist in increase and coverage of work as contracts and budgets allow. Additional administrative support is employed.

Financial Sustainability

Develop cost centers appropriate to COVID-19 response. $20,000 endorsement by FARM Committee for initial unexpected expenses. Maintain awareness of financial incentives to NGOs in addressing the impact of the public health crisis to

Purchase first instalment of PPE to allow immediate implementation of use of PPE allowing for longer than usual delivery times. Costing of administrative support due to high demand for communication, planning and administrative duties to

Establish a central distribution process as PPE stock is received at ‘Pondera’ office and communicate to staff (commencing 2/3 April). Maintain all financial and business practices.

Ensure ICT resources are utilised in an ongoing capacity to improve efficiencies, whilst ensuring connectedness and engagement.


Scenarios


supplement financial resources for our response.

support additional service obligations and reporting.

Support local and small businesses as much as possible. Additional administrative support is employed.

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