ex-Cyclone Alfred: information and latest updates

Tuesday 11 March, 2:56pm – Read the email sent to families in Home and Community.

We continue to monitor flood warnings, but things seem to be settling with most of our L&Ls operating as normal from Wednesday 12 March. This is except for Hervey Bay L&L hub which is closed until further notice. People who attend Hervey Bay have been offered a place at Maryborough L&L hub for the time being. 

Families can visit the website to double check site closures. 

A few homes have power outages and some damage, but we are addressing these as quickly as possible.

Families are advised to contact the home directly as normal or call the National Contact Centre from 9am – 5pm on 1800 112 112 if you are unable to reach anyone. 

A big thank you to our Property and Asset team and local teams for their tireless work in keeping everyone safe.

Monday 10 March, 3.39pm – Read the email sent to families in Home and Community.

Things continue to improve in the aftermath of ex-Cyclone Alfred and we are relieved to see that homes and L&L hubs have held up well on the whole. We have a handful of homes and sites that have power outages and/or some damage, but these are being dealt with as quickly as we can.

As of Tuesday 11 March, all of our sites in the South-East should be reopen except for Labrador L&L which is without power and has some damage. People who attend the Labrador L&L will be contacted directly to see if they would like to attend the Mermaid Waters L&L instead. 

Closures at our L&Ls will continue to be shared on our website.

Families are encouraged to get in touch with the National Contact Centre or the relevant Operations Manager if they have any questions:

• Sunshine Coast | Sophia McLucas – 0474 209 160
• Caboolture & Redcliffe | Jo Calvery – 0460 885 014
• Brisbane North | Nicole Cooper – 0455 854 461
• Brisbane South / Gold Coast | Tim Thorpe – 0428 018 658
• Gympie | Rowena Hanlon – 0419 659 088

Sunday 9 March, 4:12pm – Read the email sent to families in Home and Community.

What has changed since yesterday is that the weather is impacting the Wide Bay region now. We are monitoring our homes and L&L sites in Hervey Bay and Maryborough and are identifying any sites at risk. We will continue to keep in touch with local authorities when necessary, in order to keep our people safe. 

We have made the decision to close some of our Learning and Lifestyle (L&L) hubs on Monday 10 March. A full list of closures and further information can be found on our website.

Families can share an Easy Read we created to discuss expectations of the weather over the next couple of days with people we support.

Families and carers are advised to contact the Operations Manager in their area if they cannot get in touch with their home or by calling our National Contact Centre on 1800 112 112.

Saturday 8 March, 3:48pm – Read the email sent to families in Home and Community.

We have been able to supply generators to all homes experiencing power losses and will continue to do so. 

Families and carers are advised to contact the Operations Manager in their area if they cannot get in touch with their home or by calling our National Contact Centre on 1800 112 112.

We have made the decision to close some of our Learning and Lifestyle (L&L) hubs on Monday 10 March. A full list of closures and further information can be found on our website.

Thursday 6 March, 4:04pm – Read the email sent to all Home, Community and Rostering staff.

The Home and Community team are all working together to ensure shifts are covered where employees aren’t able to get to their workplace safely.

Please continue to follow the On-Call rostering advice from your leader and in the email and SMS sent on Wednesday 5 March from your Executive General Manager, Leanne Rutherford.

Emergency contact details and resources

• For emergency property concerns, call Head of Property & Assets Simon Northey on 0428 116 170 or your Operations Manager.
• For emergency credit card purchases above usual limit, call your Operations Manager or Head of Finance Shared Services Richard McCormack on 0421 950 765.

Wednesday 5 March, 5:49pm – Read the email sent to all Home, Community and Rostering staff.

For Home and Community staff whose workplace is closed, many of you have or will be asked to work at another service during the cyclone.

If you are in the regions impacted by Cyclone Alfred we know circumstances may change rapidly for you:

• Contact your Operations Manager for any On-Call or urgent Rostering needs for:
  • Caboolture & Redcliffe – Jo Calvery – 0460 885 014
  • Brisbane North – Nicole Cooper – 0455 854 461
  • Brisbane South / Gold Coast – Tim Thorpe – 0428 018 658
  • Sunshine Coast – Sophia McLucas – 0474 209 160
  • Gympie – Rowena Hanlon – 0419 659 088
• Rostering changes relating to shifts from Thursday – Sunday within business hours, please contact your Portfolio Manager who will be overseeing rostering for critical services. The Rostering team will not be able to make any changes to shifts during this period.
• For all urgent Rostering changes outside of business hours, call your Operations Manager in your region, please do not call rostering for urgent changes during this period.

Over the next few days please be prepared for the event that you may need to stay in place beyond your rostered shift time to support through the emergency. We all have an important role to play in keeping the people we support safe.

If you are outside of the regions impacted by Cyclone Alfred:

• Regions outside of cyclone impacted areas are to continue to call the On-Call Line as per normal. After Hours / On-Call Service: 1800 800 585

Tuesday 11 March, 2:56pm – Read the email sent to families in our Work services.

Things are settling with all emergency alerts for Queensland now cancelled. We are relieved that most of our Work sites have held up well.

Families and employees we support can visit the website to double check site closures. 

Families and employees we support are encouraged tp reach out to the relevant Site Manager or call the National Contact Centre on 1800 112 112 with any questions or concerns regarding the closure of Work sites.

Monday 10 March, 3.40pm – Read the email sent to families in our Work services.

We are relieved to see things improve at our Work sites with most sites holding up well. There are a handful of sites that have power outages and/or some damage, and these are being dealt with as quickly as possible.

Closures at our Work sites will continue to be shared on our website.

Families and carers are advised to reach out to the relevant Site Manager if they have any questions or concerns regarding the closures of Work sites.

Sunday 9 March, 4.30pm – Read the email sent to families in our Work services.

WeWe are relieved to see things improve at our Work sites with most sites holding up well. There are a handful of sites that have power outages and/or some damage, and these are being dealt with as quickly as possible.

Closures at our Work sites will continue to be shared on our website.

Families are encouraged to get in touch with the National Contact Centre or the relevant Manager if they have any questions or concerns regarding the closures of Work sites.

Saturday 8 March, 3:33pm – Read the email sent to families in our Work services.

We have made the decision to close some of our Work sites on Monday 10 March (as of Saturday 8 March). A full list of closures and further information can be found on our website.

Social enterprises:

• Burleigh | Monday 10 March
• Geebung | Monday 10 March
• Gympie | Monday 10 March
• Kippa Ring | Monday 10 March
• Maroochydore | Monday 10 March
• Southport | Monday 10 March
• Wacol | Monday 10 March

DAP sites remain closed until further notice.

Families and carers are advised to reach out to the relevant Site Manager if they have any questions or concerns regarding the closures of Work sites or call our National Contact Centre from 9am – 5pm on 1800 112 112 this weekend.

No updates.

Please encourage all team members to stay in touch with their Leader/Site Manager over the weekend – if any sites need to stay closed on Monday they will be advised by email, SMS or phone.

Some updates on our work sites:

• Resource Recovery Centres: All affected RRCs (Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Brisbane) will be closed to the public tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday, with most aiming to be back in operation on Saturday. Some of our dedicated Sunshine Coast RRC team will still be on site working to ensure site safety tomorrow morning and all sites other than the Geebung and Acacia Ridge Treasure Troves are aiming to reopen on Saturday – we’ll be thinking of you all.
• Defence Assistance Program: RAAF Base Amberley is also closed from today, Wednesday 5 March – to Monday March 10 unless advised otherwise. Where possible, staff will work from home during the closure.

Initial updates regarding work site closures:

• Resource Recovery Centres: A big shoutout to our RRC and recycling teams on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Southern Downs who are on the frontline of community efforts to reduce green waste and other household debris before the cyclone arrives.Staff are working hard to keep up with demand and are having to navigate a huge number of patrons, many of whom are quite stressed. We’re thinking of you all. All sites will be operational tomorrow; we are waiting on advice from councils about closures later in the week.
• Business Solutions: Our sites in Gympie, Maroochydore, Kippa Ring, Geebung, Wacol, Southport and Burleigh are closing from 12pm tomorrow, Wednesday 5 March. Site Managers are communicating with all staff at affected sites and will ensure that sites are secure and ready. Where possible, staff will work from home during the closure. Staff will also remain in contact with employees who are living independently to support their cyclone preparations. These sites are scheduled to reopen on Monday 10 March unless advised otherwise.
• Defence Assistance Program: Gallipoli Barracks have closed from today, Tuesday 4 March – to Monday March 10 unless advised otherwise. Where possible, staff will work from home during the closure. We are awaiting advice on any possible closure of the Amberley DAP site.
• Support Centre Business Solutions team: Where possible, this team will work from home during the closure (or take leave) from tomorrow Wednesday 5 March until Monday March 10 unless advised otherwise. Our EC is working closely with staff who live independently to ensure that preparations are in place.
• Vacenti: This site will be closed from Thursday 6 March – to Monday March 10 unless advised otherwise. Where possible, staff will work from home during the closure. ECs will remain in contact with employees we support and families.

Tuesday 11 March, 4:23pm – Read the email sent to employees in the impact zone from David Swain.

The majority of our sites are now returning to some sense of normality. There are just a handful of sites which have power outages and/or damage, but there are plans in place to deal with these.

Site closures continue to be updated on the website each afternoon.

Employees are encouraged to continue to reach out your leader if there is anything you need at this time.

“It is heartening to see how everyone has pulled together and produced the best outcomes we could have hoped for. Thank you to everyone for living our values and I continue to be proud of the amazing effort that everyone has put in.” David Swain

Please share any stories of resilience and teamwork.

Monday 10 March, 4:01pm – Read the email sent to employees in the impact zone from David Swain.

Site closures will continue to be updated on the website each afternoon.

Cannon Hill Support Centre and Bokarina Support Centre will re-open on Tuesday 11 March. Staff to come to work if safe to do so. 

If you need to discuss particular site closures, reach out to your leader or you can call the National Contact Centre from 9am – 5pm on 1800 112 112.

As sites re-open, there may be a lot of debris, or even minor flooding. Please read and follow the Safety Alert that went out to everyone today, and remember if it’s flooded, forget it! Nothing is worth putting yourself in that danger.

“I’m proud of the way #TeamPossible has continued to meet new challenges, as heavy rain, storms and flooding continued yesterday and overnight, including with significant impacts for Hervey Bay.

As we assess the impact and start urgent repairs, it’s clear that our preparations and the big effort by teams from across the organisation have really helped us to minimise disruption now.” David Swain

Sunday 9 March, 4:23pm – Read the email sent to employees in the impact zone from David Swain.

Here are some updates about the current status:

• We continue responding to flooding and power outages for our Home, L&L and Work sites as quickly as possible. 
• A number of sites will be closed over the coming days and we will alert you to new closures as soon as possible.
  • For current closures you can visit the website or click on the link below.
    • Cannon Hill Support Centre will remain closed on Monday with staff working from home.
    • Bokarina Support Centre staff will also work from home on Monday if possible.
• We are seeing reports of significant flooding in a number of areas now, with some people are being impacted in a big way. Please hold off on any non-urgent requests and messages and keep communication lines clear for emergencies this week.
• Please reach out to your leader for support.

Saturday 8 March, 4:40pm – Read the email sent to employees in the impact zone from David Swain.

Here are some updates about the current status:

• The preparations that we made in the lead up to ex-Cyclone Alfred crossing the coast have stood us in good stead and allowed us to effectively manage the situation to date.
• Thank you to the large group of people involved in planning and responding to the impact of ex-Cyclone Alfred on our clients and services, across Endeavour Foundation and Community Solutions. I am proud of your collective effort and teamwork, and the comfort and safety this has provided for people we support.
• We are now turning our attention to supporting impacted sites, cleaning up, and monitoring flood risks in south-east Queensland and the NSW Northern Rivers. Over the coming days we will continue to do this to ensure that they have all they need to keep people safe.

Friday 7 March, 6:13pm – Read the email sent to all employees from David Swain.

Here are some important items about emergency preparations:

• Our emergency team will continue to work together over the weekend to stay across developments, coordinate arrangements and ensure that each division of the organisation is well supported.
• We’ve seen some areas in the Southeast corner already experiencing power outages. To ensure continuity of care, our Property and Asset team is currently arranging generators to homes that have critical power needs.
• If you are aware of a home, L&L or work site that has sustained damage from the cyclone, please contact Simon Northey, Head of Property and Asset Management, on 0428 116 170, who can organise help for you. Having said that, if it is an emergency situation where safety is a concern, call 000 first. 

Thursday 6 March, 4:49pm – Read the email sent to all employees from David Swain.

Here are some important items to note from ICT during this event:

• Please be extra cautious of email phishing scams over this time. Here’s what to look for in your inbox to identify phishing and report anything suspicious to ICT online at #TeamPossible Support Hub or phone 1300 742 212.
• Please print and download RiskMan forms for documenting incidents now in case you don’t have access during or after the weather event. Please remember the information must still be uploaded to RiskMan as soon as possible:
  • QF 4050.02 RiskMan WHS Near Miss or Hazard Manual Data Entry Form
  • QF 4230.01 RiskMan WHS Injury Illness Manual Data Entry Form
  • QF 8205.03 RiskMan Manual Data Entry Form
• Turn off your camera and just use audio on Teams calls if connectivity is temporarily poor during and after the weather event.

If you are in a role where you are able to work from home, please:

• Refer to the work from home ICT preparation fact sheet with important actions to check you are set up to work from home.
• Keep your laptop and mobile phone fully charged at home in case of power outage. Disconnect your mobile and laptop chargers from the power outlet BEFORE a storm.

To contact ICT, please raise a ticket #TeamPossible Support Hub or call 1300 742 212.

Wednesday 5 March, 6:21pm – Read the email sent to all employees from David Swain.

Personal or Carers leave

Employees can apply for personal or carers leave if you need to care for dependents where their usual care arrangements have been cancelled as a result of Cyclone Alfred and you are unable to work from home. You will need to attach evidence of the cancellation or closure to your leave application in Peoplesoft.

Tuesday 4 March, 5:39pm – Read the email sent to all employee from David Swain.

If you work at Cannon Hill or Bokarina support centre, please work from home on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 March. If you are unable to work at home, please speak to your Leader.