CFWA Services 2022 Updates
Cystic Fibrosis WA constantly reviews its services for ongoing relevance to people with CF, families and carers. In recent times, our review has also had to consider changes in legislation, our funding and contract arrangements and our operating environment. This page will be updated as information is confirmed.
If you would like to discuss any of these changes or get more information on how you can access support, please contact us on 08 6224 4100 or at servicesmanager@cfwa.org.au
Update Regarding Community Support Worker Service
With WA’s changing COVID risk and government rules, we have revisited our processes for home visits. Many adults and families who have a Community Support Worker prefer face to face services when safe to do so. We are pleased to advise that from 9 September we will move back to face-to-face visits, unless there is a good reason to remain remote.
Please be assured we will continue to have risk management practices in place. If a CSW is COVID positive, a 7-day isolation period is our default position as per the requirements from the WA government. If a CSW becomes a close contact, they will also communicate with you prior to visiting, as details will depend on circumstances. If a CSW is unwell or has symptoms, your visit will be rescheduled or moved to remote if practicable. Please let your Community Support Worker know if you have any queries or concerns regarding this. As always, if someone in your household tests positive, is unwell or has symptoms; or is a close contact, please contact your Community Support Worker. We will work with you to provide the support you need safely.
We thank you for your patience and understanding throughout the year.
Community Support Worker Changes
There are some changes for our organisation will influence the scheduling of Community Support Worker (CSW) home visits/face time sessions. This is due to changes in the legislation around our CSW employment Award that came into effect on 1 July 2022. To manage the financial implications of these Award updates, our CSWs will be looking to schedule their visits more efficiently. This will enable us to continue delivering the same level of services within our budget.
The main change in the Award is that CSWs must now be paid a minimum of two hours for each block of work they do. This means that a short session that occurs in isolation (no visit before or after it) will be paid a minimum of 2 hours. We have asked our CSWs to have conversations with clients where necessary, to try and avoid these isolated visits. What this means is that your regular visit may need to change to enable our CSWs to group their sessions in blocks of at least 2 hours. Unfortunately this may mean their availability is more limited and they may not be able to reschedule appointments as easily. We understand that everyone’s circumstances are different, and we will work with you to ensure you receive the support you need.
Community Educator
We would like to welcome our newest team member, Michelle, who will be working as our Community Educator. Michelle and her family have recently returned to Perth after a 20-year adventure living and working in the Pilbara, Kimberley, and Central Queensland.
She will be delivering our community-based respiratory health education program in regional WA, particularly around chronic wet cough, in collaboration with PCH and TKI. Click here to read more, and keep an eye out to hear out more about the chronic wet cough education program in 2022.
Senior Therapist
We are excited to welcome Deidre, our new Senior Therapist, to the CFWA team. She has finally made it across the border and out of quarantine and is available to provide support to our CF community. She will be overseeing our psychosocial support program so please get in touch at deidre.gorrie@cfwa.org.au or on 0478 521 054 to access support.
Community Support Service
Our Homecare workers will have a name update, to Community Support Workers. We believe this better reflects how their role has developed over recent years.
As part of our new Health Department contract, we will be making some changes to our assessment and review process for community support services. This may impact the number of visits or time allocation for some families. We will share further details with individual families in the near future.
Financial Assistance
All CFWA financial subsidies are subject to ongoing funding. To comply with our new Health Department contract requirements, subsidies will be available to those who require financial support . The application process has also become more structured and this may mean that your subsidy application will require additional documentation to support your claim. For the most up to date information, see our Financial Support page.
School Education
We are excited to announce that new e-Learning modules for school teachers and staff will be released early in 2022 to ensure better access and more relevant CF education for all school staff. We are still available to provide support specific to your child’s needs and will work with you and your school to determine the best way to deliver education.
Cleaning Packages
In the past we have been able to offer long term cleaning to our CF community members who met specific assessment criteria. To reflect Health Department contract changes, this service will now be offered as short term packages for CF community members who are experiencing an acute change in circumstances. For more information please contact Paula at services@cfwa.org.au or on 08 6224 4100.
Sir Charles Gairdner Wi-Fi
We are very pleased to continue funding Wi-Fi access for SCGH inpatients as an important connectivity support. However, from January 2022, we will no longer be able to subsidise TV access. We trust SCGH inpatients will appreciate our rationale given the increasing accessibility and reliance on personal devices.