WorkAbility Qld takes the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and what that means for operations across our consortium partners and Industry seriously.

The NDIS workforce and wider sector plays a key role in keeping vulnerable people safe and taking precautionary action to minimise impacts on service delivery.

The Queensland Government is working across the board to make sure stakeholders are engaged and is the best source of COVID-19 information.

Key information you need

• Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/diseases-infection/diseases/coronavirus 
• Fact Sheet – novel coronavirus https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/diseases-infection/diseases/coronavirus/public-info-novel-coronavirus/fact-sheet-coronavirus 
• Novel coronavirus alert https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-events/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus 
• Industry information https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/diseases-infection/diseases/coronavirus/industry-resources 

At this stage in planning the Queensland Government has been sharing the following messaging, which should underpin all organisation’s communications:

• If you have been overseas in the last 14 days and are feeling unwell, see a doctor immediately.
• If you have staff who are travelling overseas for work or holidays, they must self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to the workplace. If the workplace agrees and the staff member is equipped to do so, working from home is an option.
• Frequently wash your hands with soap.
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid contact with anyone who is unwell.
• Stay home if you are unwell.
• Stay up to date with health advice at https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/diseases-infection/diseases/coronavirus/public-info-novel-coronavirus

Organisations need to know the following: 

• Health advice for the public, clinicians and industry is kept up to date here https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/diseases-infection/diseases/coronavirus
• People in home quarantine in Queensland can also call the Red Cross on 1800 733 111 to receive over the phone psychosocial support.

Review your plan

Do you have a plan for any crisis, including a pandemic? Now is the time for you to review your plan.

If you don’t have one, it’s important for your staff and your clients that you have a well thought out disaster management and business continuity plan for everyone’s safety.

Following are some Industry resources to help you develop or review your business continuity plan:

• Community Services Industry Alliance (CSIA) planning kit and other resources, developed by Industry for Industry, to support your planning at https://csialtd.com.au/disastermanagement. CSIA is also keeping organisations updated on COVID-19 Industry briefings at https://csialtd.com.au/coronavirus.
• Queensland Council of Social Services (QCOSS) business continuity resources on the Community Door website https://communitydoor.org.au/planning-and-evaluation/business-continuity
• National Disability Services (NDS) Coronavirus Hub https://www.nds.org.au/resources/all-resources/coronavirus-covid-19
• The Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction project developed with extensive research and community engagement to co-design resources that increase resilience for people with disability during times of disaster. The DIDRR Framework, toolkit and suite of resources is available online at https://collaborating4inclusion.org/disability-inclusive-disaster-risk-reduction/.