COVID-19 Staff Vaccination

From midnight 16 September (QLD) and 0859am on 17 September (NSW) 2021, residential aged care workers must be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. This includes all full time, part-time and casual workers within residential aged care facilities, volunteers engaged by a facility, and students on placement are required to have evidence of their first COVID-19 vaccine dose or a valid exemption. Evidence of the second dose is required by 31st October, 2021.

McLean Care has been working with all staff to ensure they understand their obligation as a worker in the aged care industry and support those staff who wish to receive their Covid-19 vaccine prior the mandatory vaccination due date.

“We are working closely with our staff, answering their questions and discussing issues related to the mandating of vaccination.”

“Staff that have indicated they do not wish to have the COVID-19 vaccination understand it will be a condition of working in residential aged care and for staff that do not have a valid exemption that meets the QLD and NSW legislation employment with Mclean Care will cease as of September 17th, 2021 for both NSW and QLD, stated McLean Care CEO, Sue Thomson.

Hunter New England Health Primary Health Network have organised vaccination hubs for our Inverell, Guyra and Gunnedah residential facilities to ensure our workers have access to the vaccination. Hubs for the second dose have also been scheduled.

“We are proud to protect ourselves, our workforce, our residents and the broader community by ensuring all staff and residents can access vaccines.

As of 6th September, McLean Care has met vaccination benchmarks or exceeding in some of our residential care locations across NSW. Currently we have 95% of total organisation with partial or fully vaccinated,” said Sue Thomson.

Whilst not mandatory by the Commonwealth Government or States and Territories, we are strongly encouraging our home care workers to also get vaccinated as the people they support are as equally vulnerable. . For Home Care clients we are ensuring that our staff can also support our home care clients if they choose to get vaccinated.

“McLean Care is celebrating vaccination success, as a way of encouraging others to get vaccinated and to improve protection of their staff, residents, clients and their broader communities.”