Wintringham – Recreation Team
Finalist - Excellence within Aged Care Services
Wintringham is a not for profit, welfare organisation providing high quality services to elderly men and women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The organisation's mission is to provide dignified, affordable, high quality care and accommodation to those who are the most vulnerable in our society.
Wintringham has an organisational policy detailing how the cultural and spiritual needs of residents are met. A care, risk and leisure assessment takes place for all residents, and is a living document that is a collaborative tool between an individual and the support staff of each site. A cultural care kit is found at each site and is a primary resource tool for staff.
Interpreter services are well utilised and a specific line for this need is written into the budget every year which means a person’s individual care plan is not impacted in order to ensure understanding for all.
Wintringham Staff create opportunities with residents to provide access to community cultural groups and building or visitor schemes. Special events and anniversaries are celebrated and specific cultural nutrition requirements are considered. An area given particular attention is the planning around end of life choices, advanced care planning that is specific, and acknowledges a person’s cultural and spiritual preference.
A systematic culturally inclusive approach to service provision is demonstrated in residential and home based services is the Recreation Team. It is in this program where time is spent getting to know people, where they’re from, how they identify themselves and how it is they want to connect with their culture. They do this without judgement, with open mindedness and deliberate care. It is in this space where staff explore options, giving people their right to connect with their cultural identity as they chose in the most dignified manner.
All the staff at Wintringham work hard to ensure that the options, dignity and rights of all people are respected. This is of critical importance in building the trust of older people from all cultural backgrounds whose experience of homelessness and disadvantage have frequently eroded all hope. In particular, the Recreation staff do outstanding work in patiently working with individuals to identify the activity or experience which will most meaningfully reconnect them with the things that matter most to them.