Initiative by Afford Promises All Australians Access to Disability Supports in Response to COVID-19

Introduction

In a first for the Australian disability sector, Afford (The Australian Foundation for Disability) has launched a new initiative called Afford Care, to combat gaps in disability supports caused by COVID-19 disruptions. Afford Care will benefit people living with disability, as well as provide more job opportunities to the thousands of disability workers across the country.

Main Item

Afford Care is a new concept for the disability sector that guarantees that any person living with disability in Australia can access supports under Afford NDIS service offerings. This is available to them whether they are an existing Afford participant or registered with another organisation.

Afford Care is a collaborative initiative where Afford staff and services step in to 'fill the gaps' and continue to deliver supports to individuals living with disability during COVID-19. This could be in the form of one-to-one supports, in-home care, Day Program or Allied Health professional support.

Afford champions the interests of people living with disability in every aspect of the organisation's operations. An important part of delivering exceptional supports to participants under the NDIS is having dedicated staff to provide individualised care.

In advocacy of its workforce, Afford extensively and successfully lobbied with the Government to cover lost wages for disability workers. To bridge the gap while Government discussions were taking place, Afford committed to delivering four weeks of wages to every employee affected by reduced hours as a result of COVID-19, in an effort to retain their hard working and dedicated front line staff.

Organisational and employee initiatives have seen Afford lead the disability sector to be heralded as the best in Australasia (awarded by the Enablement Awards) and having the most engaged and satisfied staff (Voice Project's Change Challenge Awards).

Steven Herald, Afford CEO, says "Afford Care will change the way disability supports are delivered across Australia. The new initiative will ensure that every person living with disability has access to essential supports to suit their individual needs."

"The safety and health of our clients and staff are our top priority. Afford Care will allow individuals to continue to receive contact-free support to develop their skills, get involved in activities they love and have every opportunity to access supports to help them live a full and meaningful life on their terms," Mr Herald added.

Afford is a registered charity and has been operating in Australia for 68 years, providing a range of disability supports to thousands of people every day.

As one of Australia's longest-serving not-for-profit disability organisations, Afford goes beyond traditional service offerings to adapt to new operating environments to support individuals achieve their goals for work, home and life under the NDIS.

The Australian Foundation for Disability

The Australian Foundation for Disability is a registered charity providing disability services to thousands of people across Australia. The supports provided by Afford include Shared Living; Overnight Respite; Social and Community Programs; Transition to Work Programs; Transition to Retirement Programs; Carer Support; Disability Employment Services; Supported Employment; Allied Health Support, Support Coordination and Supported Holidays.

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Attribution/Source(s):

This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World due to its significant relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by The Australian Foundation for Disability (Afford), and published on 2020/04/17 (Edit Update: 2021/08/23), the content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, The Australian Foundation for Disability (Afford) can be contacted at afford.com.au. NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.

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Cite This Page (APA): The Australian Foundation for Disability (Afford). (2020, April 17 - Last revised: 2021, August 23). Initiative by Afford Promises All Australians Access to Disability Supports in Response to COVID-19. Disabled World. Retrieved December 12, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/disability/foundations/afford-covid-19.php

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