5 things about Afford’s client family and carer meetings

Between May and October 2022, our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) met with Afford client families, carers, and support people to learn more about our strengths and weaknesses.

The meetings were conversations – open and honest – and took place around Australia. They generated valuable insights about the service we provide to our clients, including information about what Afford is getting right and what we can improve. Here are five things to know about what we learned and what we’re doing next.

#1 We heard directly from families and carers

“It was wonderful to be able to meet with so many families and carers – I really appreciated them taking the time to meet with us and provide constructive feedback. It was also very pleasing to hear so many good stories about our staff and the work they do.” says Afford’s Chief Executive Officer, Jo Toohey

#2 What we learned we’re doing well

We learned that Afford clients feel very much ‘at home’ in their Supported Independent Living accommodation, which means the goals of this service are being realised. Families also highlighted the sense that Afford feels like an extension of their family, thanks to the strong relationships developed with Lifestyle Assistants and Team Leaders. Of note, is the praise for Afford employees during the most difficult periods of COVID-19 lockdowns.

#3 What we learned we could improve

Opportunities for improvement also came to light. Key focus areas centred around how we communicate important information, workforce continuity and staff turnover, the suitability of properties, client health, safety, wellbeing, and capacity building within community services.

#4 How we’re responding to the findings

Communication guides for each team, employee training, and improved recruitment procedures have all been rolled out. A new property team is evaluating service locations to assess suitability and improvements. There has been a significant upgrade in policies, procedures, and associated training. A major project is also underway to review and propose a future working model for community services.

#5 How we shared the information

The final step was communicating our findings with those who attended the meetings. In collaboration with the ELT, our Consumer Experience team created a summary infographic that shared this information and our action plan for meeting client satisfaction expectations.

Afford values feedback as part our commitment to continuous improvement. Visit afford.com.au/feedback.

This story is from the January 2023 edition of Afford News. Click here to read more.