COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

Policy Statement

  1. This Vaccination Policy aims to ensure a safe environment for our employees, contractors, volunteers, children and their families, as well as external stakeholders we engage with, such as suppliers, service providers and fundraisers.
  2. The health and safety of all members of our Camp Quality community is at the forefront of everything we do. Camp Quality is committed to:
    • ensuring its employees, contractors, volunteers, children and their families, and any other person who engages with our services, are protected from acquiring COVID- 19 in connection with Camp Quality’s services, so far as is reasonably practicable; and
    • complying with all government requirements and stakeholder requirements with respect to COVID-19.
  3. Camp Quality has a responsibility to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health and safety of its employees, contractors, volunteers and others in the workplace, including the children and families we support. This includes implementing risk mitigation practices to minimise the risk of transmitting Covid-19 in the Camp Quality community.
  4. Consistent with our commitment to the health and safety of our Camp Quality community, Camp Quality expects all Employees and Volunteers to be vaccinated against Covid-19, in accordance with all relevant government public health orders, at all times.
  5. Due to the vulnerability of our children and families, Camp Quality requires all frontline employees and Volunteers to receive Covid-19 vaccinations as lawfully and reasonably directed by Camp Quality.

Definitions

  • Covid-19 digital vaccination certificate: provides evidence of an individual’s Covid-19 vaccination status, following all required doses of an approved Covid-19 vaccine. This
    is accessed through individuals’ myGov or Medicare accounts and may be downloaded as a PDF.
  • Covid-19 vaccine: a vaccine approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Association at any given time, that is intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
  • Workplace: a place where work is carried out for a business or undertaking and includes any place a worker goes, or is likely to be, while at work.

Responsibilities

General Managers

  1. Final review and approval of policies.
  2. Ensuring legislative and legal requirements have been adequately addressed.
  3. Consultation with employees and Volunteers about health and safety issues in the workplace, including policies as required.
  4. Dissemination and communication of approved policies using approved policy format.
  5. Organisational support to ensure successful implementation of policy.
  6. Request managers or employees to review or develop policies as appropriate.
  7. Seeking expert advice on policy matters as required.
  8. Maintaining and implementing the Policy Review Schedule.
  9. Conducting themselves in line with Camp Quality polices.
  10. General obligations of Employees and Volunteers.

Line managers

  1. Review policies and provide input as requested.
  2. Consult with employees or Volunteers about health and safety issues in the workplace, including policies as required.
  3. Conduct themselves in line with Camp Quality polices.
  4. Comply with obligations under the relevant workplace health and safety framework.
  5. Ensure Employees and Volunteers are aware of and understand policies.
  6. Support Employees and Volunteers to comply with this policy.
  7. General obligations of Employees and Volunteers.

Employees and Volunteers

  1. Review policies and provide input as requested.
  2. Consult with volunteers regarding policies as required
  3. Conduct themselves in line with Camp Quality policies.

Policy, Practice and Procedure

  1. Requirements for front line Employees.
    1. The following are identified as Camp Quality’s front-line teams or personnel:
      • Primary School Cancer Education Program (PSCEP) team.
      • Recreation Programs teams.
      • Events team.
      • Community Fundraising team.
      • Any Employees representing the organisation at a program or event delivered for children and their families or for the purposes of fundraising.
    2. To enable Camp Quality’s 2022 schedule of services, programs and events to be delivered by a CovidSafe team, all front-line Employees must be fully vaccinated by 1 December 2021.
    3. From 1 December 2021, Camp Quality endorses only Employees who are fully vaccinated (with their final dose received no less than one month prior to the activity) to staff or participate in Camp Quality’s services, programs or other activities.

Requirements for Office based employees

  1. Employees who only work from a Camp Quality office are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 (by 1 December 2021) to help protect them against the Covid-19 virus and protect our front-line staff and the children and families they work with.

Volunteers

  1. Camp Quality Volunteers must be fully vaccinated by 1 January 2022 to ensure they are eligible to work on a recreation program or event. From 1 January 2022 only those who have provided documentary evidence of their Covid-19 vaccination status (in the form of their Covid-19 digital vaccination certificate, will be engaged.
  2. From 1 January 2022, only fully vaccinated Volunteers will be engaged to volunteer on front line services and programs with Camp Quality.

Getting vaccinated

  1. Camp Quality is supportive of all Employees accessing appointments to become vaccinated as quickly as they can, including during working hours. Employees will advise their manager of when they will be absent for the purposes of vaccination.
  2. Any time taken away from work to receive the vaccine is on company time. Employees do not need to use their personal / carer’s leave or unpaid leave to attend a vaccination appointment.
  3. Employees and Volunteers who have questions about the Covid-19 vaccination are encouraged to review the advice from the Australian Government, Department of Health website for resources or speak with their general practitioner.
  4. Any reasonable expenses (eg. parking or transportation costs) incurred for the purposes of receiving the Covid-19 vaccine will be reimbursed up to the value of $25 upon the provision of relevant receipts and with manager approval.

Vaccination challenges, support and risk mitigation

  1. Employees or Volunteers having difficulties receiving the vaccine, due to supply in their region, may wish to seek Camp Quality’s support (through the provision of a letter from the People & Culture team) to accelerate the process, where possible.
  2. In the event a front-line employee or volunteer has only been able to receive one dose of the vaccine by either 1 December 2021 for all Employees or 1 January 2022 for all Volunteers, prior written approval to continue in their role should be sought from the team’s General Manager, who will consult with the Risk, Safety & Compliance officer and CEO.
  3. Employees with concerns about being vaccinated should initially speak to their general practitioner, line manager or a member of the People & Culture team.
  4. In the case of a vaccination contraindication claim, the employee should obtain documentary evidence from their medical practitioner to support their claim. This may be revisited with the employee, upon the introduction of any alternative vaccines.
  5. Where an employee is deemed unable to receive a Covid-19 vaccine for a genuine reason, Camp Quality will consider suitable alternative employment options, having regard to any risk assessments, the role performed and any medical advice provided.

Record keeping and maintenance

  1. Camp Quality acknowledges that vaccination records and information are private.
  2. Employees and Volunteers recognise that it is reasonably necessary for Camp Quality to collect this information because they are working with vulnerable children and families, and/or it is otherwise consistent with the current legal requirements.
  3. All Employees and Volunteers consent to the vaccination status to be retained by the People & Culture team in a secure and confidential database of Camp Quality.
  4. Employees and Volunteers who join the organisation will be asked about their current Covid-19 vaccination status and required to provide a copy of their Covid-19 digital vaccination certificate to be held on their file.
  5. If proof of vaccination or information regarding an employee or volunteer’s vaccination status is required by an external or third party, permission to disclose this information will be sought from the relevant employee/s and volunteer/s.

Consultation

  1. As the Covid-19 virus pandemic continues to develop, Camp Quality will continue to consult with all workers so far as is reasonably practicable regarding Covid-19 related health and safety matters.
  2. Any Camp Quality personnel, who have concerns or questions at any time regarding CovidSafe matters should contact their line manager in the first instance, an appropriate member of the People & Culture team (for Employees) or for Volunteers their Camp Quality contact, Services & Programs contact or the National Volunteer Advisor.

Updated October 2021