A change in work culture and the adoption of a more proactive and innovative approach in health and safety led to Wyndham Council being awarded category B of The Premier’s Award for Continuous Improvement.
Presented last October, Category B of these Victorian awards relates to specific functional areas within Local Government and in this case it was awarded to Wyndham Council’s business arm, WYNCARE, in recognition of the continuous improvements to health and safety in its Community Care and Asset Management Services Units.
WYNCARE’s Community Care Services covers home based care, such as house cleaning and home maintenance, and centre based care which provides carers with a break from caring for a dependent.
WYNCARE’s Asset Management Services responsibilities include the maintenance of Council’s roads, drains, and parks and gardens, and the cleaning of public toilets and street bins.
The unit also covers the operation of Council’s transfer station and landfill.
Wyndham Council’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Bernie Cronin, said that the award recognises that WYNCARE is taking the lead when it comes to improving the health and safety systems adopted by Councils.
“Our proactive and innovative approach encourages a high level of staff involvement in finding solutions for improving health and safety in their workplace,” he said.
“It’s all about empowering staff and encouraging them to come up with their own solutions – after all, they are the ones who best know their environment.”
The Community Care and Asset Management Units each developed their own systems, checklists and solutions for controlling hazards and risks.
“This approach has had a number of benefits for both the community and staff,” Bernie Cronin said. “It has meant less work related injuries and lost time, and this obviously means that we can maintain a continuity of service.
“This is particularly important for our home care service clients. It has also led to improved staff morale.”
For further information contact Helen Rowe, telephone (03) 9742 0763.
