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Health and Well Being
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Whilst employee “health and well being” does not fall strictly within the definition of employment, I am a firm believer in the notion that fit and healthy employees make for a better workplace.
Within our Health and Wellbeing Program, at VATMI we are currently supporting a number of initiatives!
Working in partnership with Alpha Dental, this month will see the first of a number of employees receive onsite dental care. Alpha Dental has a Mobile Domiciliary Clinic that provides quality dental care to approved patients by accessing a Medicare funded scheme that allows for up to $4250 in dental work over a 2 year period at no cost to our supported employees. |
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VATMI are working with the allied health professionals involved to establish Health Care Plans for a number of employees who are eligible to participate. It is anticipated that the program will commence at Kew later this month before commencing at Keon Park and other regional sites during the second quarter of the year.
We are also supporting another Social Impact Program this year that will be offered to supported employees at Kew and Keon Park. Readers of this periodical will remember the program from last year and the tremendous success we had in working with our disabled employees. Social Impact is all about providing our employees with the social skills necessary to build and maintain personal relationships.
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At Social Impact employees learn how to interact and be assertive, how to build emotional independence and get to explore how relationships work. Social Impact explores the risks and laws of unsafe sex and sexual abuse. It also helps employees to be more aware in this area. As well, the program gets employees out and about in the community. It's about socialising and catching up at fun places. Social Impact, the emphasis is on having fun, learning about relationships and how they work. It's a way cool program which I think previous participants have all enjoyed and received a great deal of benefit from.
Working with Diabetes Australia (Victoria), we are running a number of information sessions aimed at improving employee knowledge of diabetes and how they might lessen their chances of contracting the disease through improved diet and exercise.
In Australia, nearly two thirds of men and half of all women are overweight or obese. This is a key factor in the alarming rise of type 2 diabetes. Yet up to 60% of diabetes cases could be prevented, or at least delayed, by people maintaining a healthy weight. The main keys to long-term weight loss and reducing your waist measurement are healthy eating and regular physical activity. Type 2 diabetes often runs in families.
Having type 2 diabetes means that your body doesn't make enough insulin, or doesn't properly use the insulin your body makes. Insulin is a hormone that is made in your pancreas. It helps your body's cells use sugar (also called glucose), which comes from foods and drinks. Sugar is a source of energy for cells. Typically, with type 2 diabetes, the body still makes insulin, but its cells can't use it. This is called insulin resistance. Over time, high levels of sugar build up in the bloodstream. Being overweight and inactive increase the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
Out of interest, readers might be interested in taking a look at this online diabetes risk assessment tool to see if you are at an increased risk of developing diabetes: Click here to read more.
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Stawell Is Giving Back!! |
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Inevitably in life, whenever we hit a rough patch we find it difficult to look beyond our own situation. In Stawell, there is an initiative to look beyond our own troubles and lend a hand to others. Kate Sage has organized a group to make a weekly financial contribution to help support a young person living with cancer under the CanTeen program.
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What CanTeen do:
CanTeen's mission is to support, develop and empower young people living with cancer. We do this by providing an Australia-wide peer support network for 12 to 24 year-olds, who include:
- Patients - young people who have been diagnosed with cancer
- Siblings & Offspring - young people who have an immediate family member (brother, sister, parent or primary carer) who has been diagnosed with cancer; and
- Bereaved Siblings & Offspring - young people who have had an immediate family member die from cancer.
We provide Members with a place where they can simply be young people, away from the day-to-day pressures that come from living with cancer in the hospital or at home. Through a wide range of camps and programs, CanTeen encourages members to share their experiences, make great friends...and of course, have fun!
Stawell are contributing to an extremely worthwhile cause and we are all very proud of their efforts!
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VATMI Employees Are In It for the Long Haul |
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| In today’s work environments, it may be unusual to hear of a people achieving a long service with the same organisation beyond six or seven years. At VATMI long service achievements go way beyond the norm and we are extremely proud to been able to make awards to sixteen employees with who have been with VATMI for over ten years. VATMI is extremely proud to be able to boast that once our employees join us, they are in it for the long haul and testament to that; here are our 2011 Long Service Award recipients: |
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Receiving a Long Service Award for 10 Years with VATMI
- Wan Ho Wong
- John Davey
- Emil Riachi
- Susan Burdekin
- Rosa Negro
Receiving a Long Service Award for 15 Years with VATMI
- Jim Catts
- John Bates
- Dora Sipakis
- Darren O’Toole
- Nathan Paul
- Diana Landsheer
- Anthony Console
- Sonja Kan
Receiving a Long Service Award for 20 Years with VATMI
Receiving a Long Service Award for 30 Years with VATMI
Congratulations and thank you to all of our Long Service Award recipients!
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Exciting Employment Opportunities at VATMI - Kew |
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The VATMI Group (Victoria’s leading employer of people with a disability) is currently in the process of building increased flexibility within our workforce. This is great news for anyone looking to work only one or two days per week. If this sounds like you, then read on.
We employ people in contract packaging activities at our modern sites located in Kew and Keon Park. Our workplace is safe and structured, we provide individual training and development plans, a supportive team environment and an opportunity for you to expand your social network.
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To be eligible for employment with us, you must be receiving the Disability Support Pension (DSP), and demonstrate the following:-
- A genuine desire to work;
- Strong teamwork skills;
- A capacity to follow instructions and procedures;
- The ability to travel to and from work independently.
Employees are paid a Productivity Based Wage and are employed on an ongoing casual basis.
Motivated and interested applicants are encouraged to apply in writing to Nicole Burton at Vatmi Group, 35 Hutchinson Drive, Kew 3101 or via email nburton@vatmi.com.au. Alternatively you may call 9851 9704, however please note this telephone number will not be accessed until Wednesday 8th February. Applications close on Wednesday 15th February. Successful applicants will be contacted by telephone after the closing date and invited in for an interview and site tour at a mutually convenient time. For more information, visit our website at www.vatmi.com.au
VATMI is an Australian Disability Enterprise, providing employment opportunities to people with a disability and receives some funding from the Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA).
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Wangaratta Is Taking Shape |
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Wangaratta has seen yet more progress with the office block now taking shape. The project is currently still on track with completion expected as scheduled in late February 2012.
All at Wangaratta are getting excited as the building is slowly taking shape week by week and before we know it – we will be moving in!
Watch this space for further updates…..
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Food That Comes To You! |
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Due to the restructured workforce at Kew it has been proving to be an increasingly difficult task for TAYST to provide a variety of lunchtime food at stable prices for our employees. Over the past few weeks the customer volumes and sales have been monitored; yet it is has not been possible to estimate the necessary requirements of the day to day employee numbers here at Kew.
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With this inconsistency of trade, TAYST have been under increasingly pressure to cater to the unknown quantities. Therefore a decision has been made to employ the services of an alternative mobile food provider. This will relieve the pressure on TAYST in terms of ordering the appropriate volumes of food and also secure a set price structure for Kew employees with the alternative arrangements.
The food van will visit Kew daily from approximately 12.15pm. Onboard you will find a wide variety of sandwiches, salads, confectionery, drinks and hot food.
The current arrangement for morning and afternoon tea will continue as per normal and TAYST will provide a selection of cakes and muffins, for break time snacks.
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Disability Service Standard 1: Service Access |
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This month’s edition looks at Service Standard, Service Access.
VATMI currently operates 3 business divisions employing people with a disability (Recycling, Packing and Art Studio). Production Assistant (supported employment) positions form the core workforce within each business. Other merit-based positions in warehousing, machine operation and quality assurance specific roles are also undertaken by supported employees.
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VATMI offers permanent full-time, part-time and casual positions. Access to supported employment is by application, interview, and work trial, resulting in either a mutually agreed employment outcome or a referral to other services / opportunities.
Terms and Conditions of Employment outlined in a Letter of Offer are as per the Supported Employment Services Award 2010. A position description is attached to the letter outlines the inherent requirements of the position on offer. General criteria include:
- eligibility to receive the Disability Support Pension (DSP)
- ability to travel to and from work independently
- ability to follow and comply with workplace instruction and company procedures and policies
- capability to develop workplace skills and knowledge through in-house and on the job training
- ability to communicate workplace information
KPIs based on CORE and industry competencies underpin decisions regarding each workers support requirements. Ongoing employment is by mutual agreement following a three month work trial process. Individual assessments for support (Disability Maintenance Instrument or DMI) and award-based wage (Business Services Wage Tool Assessment or BSWAT) provide the worker and our businesses with sufficient information to make informed and impartial employment decisions. Gaps in KPIs are supported by the business through feasible workplace adjustments outlined in the workers Individual Development Plan (IDP), Case Based Funding and a pro-rata award-based wage.
Recruitment strategies and referral include:
- Job advertisements placed with Melbourne Weekly, Leader Newspapers, Bendigo Advertiser, Ararat Advertiser and Wimmera Mail-Times
- Recruitment presentations and marketing to TAFE Colleges, Adult Training & Support Services (ATSS Day Programs), Specialist Schools, disability specific advocacy groups including mental illness organisations
- Referral from Dept of Human Services (especially for school leavers) and some Disability Employment Services, self and word-of-mouth referral
- Direct application to vatmi.com.au
Our Individual Development Planning process is used to manage behavioural issues; transition to open employment and to retirement.
Adherence to and promotion of our Equal Opportunity/Anti Discrimination /Harassment and Grievance Policy ensures non-discriminatory employment access and workplace environment. Entry and Exit Procedures are consistent with the relevant Award; available on the VATMI QMS; and currently under review. Plain English versions of relevant policies, procedures and training materials are available and/ or under review.
Most operational work areas exhibit full physical access. Access to some operational areas is limited by plant design. Feasible adjustment to access is made where commercially viable.
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Five Minutes With: Terry Corry, VATMI Recycling - Group Operations Manager |
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| What is the best thing about your job? |
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The best thing about my job is that I get to work in an industry which I have grown with since it's conception |
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| How long have you been with VATMI? |
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I started with VATMI in December of 2011 making it almost two months now. |
Where did you work before VATMI? |
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Before VATMI I worked for A.T. Hayes Recycling, Visy Recycling and Newcomb Sand & Soil |
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What was your first concert? |
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My very first concert was Fleetwood Mac |
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What is the best piece of advice you have been given? |
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Never assume anything! |
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Key Dates |
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| 14th Feb |
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Valentines Day |
| 20th Feb |
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World Day of Social Justice – Recognised by United Nations |
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