The long march towards the relaxation of restrictions in Western Sydney continues, with the state hitting the 80% double vaccinated milestone over the weekend. With these changes come increased opportunities to move back to delivering support face to face, and also the opportunity for us to rebuild some of that trust and goodwill which has eroded in our communities over the past three months. Its a complex time for services as we balance our responsibility to our funders, our employees and the people we work with on a daily basis. As always, our team has had their ear to the ground and are across the key policy decisions that will impact your organisation.

From October 5, services have been required to provide updates about the vaccination status of their workforce. The data that services are providing gives us a picture of vaccination rates across the industry, with vaccinations playing a critical role in keeping the people that we work with as safe as possible during this pandemic.

In exciting news, the Let It Shine! 2021 CHSP Conference is just around the corner, scheduled for 23 and 24 November. Aged care experts across the country will be joined by the voices of consumers, volunteers and industry leaders to share their insights, research and learnings about current trends and what lies ahead. Tickets are selling fast, and at $100 for a packed two-day agenda, it’s easy to see why. Make sure you don’t miss out!

Finally, you may have noticed that there has been a change of leadership in NSW. Premier Perrotet has wasted no time in announcing a flurry of significant investments in both the region and service provision more generally. These include $5 billion towards building local infrastructure through WestInvest, $183 million directed towards social housing, $130 million to expand access to mental health services and $464 towards tackling domestic violence and supporting women’s refuges. It’s also important to note that Minister Hazzard remains as Minister for Health.

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