Spring is finally here, how do I know this? It’s not just the weather, it’s the sudden appearance of pesky flies. This is a real challenge as we have automatic opening doors. We want to investigate ways to reduce the flies but allow for cool breezes to flow though the building now the winter chill has gone, and the better weather is on the way. Daylight savings will be back next week, so summer is coming. Ross has been working diligently on our emergency management plan and preparing for the fire Season which we hope will not be as bad as last year. This includes what we will need to do if we have a catastrophic day or a bush fire in Creswick or a major flood again, much more serious than a few flies. Our endeavour is to keep everyone safe, and this includes planning for our ILU residents.
As reported in the last Chronicle, the JCAC way has been endorsed.
Our new revised vison for JCAC is “Real choice and real inclusion for All”.
Our revised mission is providing the best quality, customised services for the people we support.
Our Objectives are:
- To make a difference
- To enhance our community
- To ensure our staff are skilled, supported & valued
- To ensure a strong and sustainable organisation
We embrace a model of service delivery based on four key enablers:
- Watch and listen (to the people supported)
- Work together
- Get it right
- Aim higher
These four enablers underpin the core values of all that we aim to do at JCAC to work together with people who are ageing and their circles of support so as to create high quality, individualised services that enable people to live their life in the way that creates value and meaning for them whilst feeling connected to their community
- Our revised core values are
- Client focus – People as partners driving their service and support model
- Quality – Striving to do our best and continually seeking to improve on what we do
- Integrity – Treating all people with respect and dignity
- Collaborative Relationships – Working together to achieve better outcomes
- Ongoing Learning – Skilled and empowered staff delivering quality services
Our strategic outcome for 2024 / 2027.
We exist so that people who are ageing and use our service have support and lifestyles which reflect their expressed preferences (or those of their family / carer); that enhance their emotional, physical, social and intellectual wellbeing; which meet or exceed community norms and expectations and for which funding can be sourced.
Strategic Consequences
For people using JCAC services, the desired effects will be satisfaction in the following “quality of life” domains :
- Emotional Well-Being: “Each person experiences contentment, self-esteem and control”
- Interpersonal Relations: “Each person has the friends and relationships they desire”
- Physical Well-Being: “Each person is fit and healthy enough to perform the activities they wish to”
- Self-Determination: “Each person can pursue their goals and experience personal choice and control”
- Social Inclusion: “Each person can be supported by and participate in the community as they desire”
- Rights: “Each person is free of injury, unfairness or legal threat”
These domains will be measured by all people supported by JCAC as a measure of how we deliver our services in accordance with the Strategic Plan.
Service Priorities 2024 – 2027:
The period 2024 – 2027 is perceived to be one of consolidation with organic growth occurring when service opportunities are identified which:
- Measurably meet the quality-of-life domains (strategic consequences)
- Operate with sufficient funds to ensure positive cash flows
- And meet the following service priorities:
- Provide services in flexible responsive ways
- Enable people supported (both currently or in the future) to enhance their emotional, physical, social or intellectual well-being
- Provide opportunities for the community to enhance their perception of people who are ageing
- Provide opportunities for the community to develop greater skills in meeting the needs of JCAC clientele
- Contribute to the capacity of the organisation to further enhance its delivery of services to people supported and the staff of the organisation this will include building and fabric redevelopment
We hope for our residents and their families that this is not just jargon but practiced daily Real Choice, Real Control and inclusion for All. The strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards emphasise the importance of older people ‘living the life they choose’ (ACQSC 2024). This is highlighted in Standard 1: The Person – Outcome 1.3: Choice, independence and quality of life, which states that older people should be able to ‘exercise choice and make decisions about their care and services, with support when they want or need it’ (ACQSC 2024).
How do we ensure a choice is given and that older people are not subjected to a predetermined routine that primarily benefits the operators rather than aligning with the older person’s preferences?
Our role is to always act in the person’s best interest, ensuring a balance between honouring their choices and maintaining their wellbeing.
An Approach to Ensuring Real Choice revolve around three key elements:
- Offering a choice to the person
- Perceiving choice as the provider
- Perception of choice by the person making the request.
Examples of how staff can improve how a choice is offered include:
- Knowing the person and their habits and fitting your schedule around these. Being flexible so you can adjust your routine to suit their choices
- Remember, providing options is not giving them a choice – avoid restricting options and instead focus on providing what the person truly desires
- Avoiding exerting undue influence or manipulation.
- Examples of we can improve how they perceive choice include:
- Listening attentively, understanding a person’s requests, and refraining from immediately saying no
- Viewing yourself as an assistant in helping individuals achieve their desired choices
- Trying to place yourself in the person’s shoes – what would you want in their situation?
- Offering choices selflessly without expecting anything in return.
- Examples of how staff can help improve the perception of the choice maker include:
- Providing a safe environment with open communication to enable people to make choices confidently, without fear or limitations
- Ensuring their reasonable and achievable choices are always met.
Our Plain English Strategic Plan:
Why do we exist?
To support people who are ageing, our residents
We exist so that people who are ageing and use our service have support and lifestyles which reflect their expressed preferences (or those of their family / carer); that enhance their emotional, physical, social and intellectual wellbeing; which meet or exceed community norms and expectations and for which funding can be sourced
What do we do?
We work together with people who are ageing and with their circles of support so as to create high quality, individualised services that enable people to live their life in the way that creates value and meaning for them whilst feeling connected to their community.
How do we do it?
Our staff will listen to the people we support and their support networks and make decisions with them, not just for them.
We teach our leaders to look for the best people and to help them become even better once they are working for us. We always want our staff to ask themselves, “Why are we here?”
We will look after our money carefully and work with the government and other people to make sure we’ll be around for a long time to come.
How do we know if what we’re doing is working?
Our staff will listen to our residents and their families and ask them questions about how happy they are with:
- Their well-being and health
- Where they live
- The people they live with & the types of friends they are able to make
- The activities they do
- Feeling safe
We will design everything we do around the answers to these questions.
Further jinformation about our strategic plan can be found here: Strategic Plan 2024
