Southcare’s commitment to Infection Prevention and Control

Southcare is committed to preventing and reducing infection risks for participants, workers, volunteers, contractors, visitors and the broader community.

Our approach to infection prevention and control is ongoing and applies across home care, community services, transport, group activities, Southcare premises and other service settings.

What is infection prevention and control?

Infection prevention and control means the practical steps Southcare takes to prevent, identify, manage and reduce the spread of infections. This includes everyday hygienic practices, hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, cleaning, safe waste handling, appropriate use of personal protective equipment, vaccination information, risk-based screening and additional precautions when infection risks increase.

How Southcare manages infection risks

Southcare has systems in place to help prevent and manage infection risks across the services we provide. We monitor current public health advice, review infection-related incidents and trends, maintain outbreak preparedness, and use reporting and continuous improvement processes to strengthen safe practice.

Our infection prevention and control approach supports participant rights, safety, dignity, choice, independence, cultural safety and wellbeing while ensuring infection risks are identified, escalated, controlled and reviewed.

Everyday infection prevention practices

Southcare workers, volunteers and contractors are expected to apply standard precautions in their day-to-day work.

Depending on the activity, setting and assessed risk, this may include:

  • regular hand hygiene and safe hygienic practices
  • respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
  • appropriate use of personal protective equipment when required
  • cleaning and safe handling of equipment, surfaces and shared items
  • safe waste handling, including used PPE where relevant
  • risk-based screening when participants, workers, visitors or household members are unwell
  • additional precautions for suspected or confirmed infectious diseases or outbreak situations

When extra precautions may be needed

Extra precautions may be introduced when there is a suspected or confirmed infection, an outbreak, an increase in community transmission, a public health alert, or a higher-risk care activity.

This may include support with personal care, wound care, transport, group activities, food handling, or services in a household where someone is unwell.

Precautions may include changes to service arrangements, increased PPE use, additional cleaning, communication with participants and supporters, documentation in care or incident systems, and escalation where required.

What participants and supporters can do

Participants, families, carers and supporters play an important role in helping Southcare manage infection risks.

Please let us know before a visit or service if you, someone in your household, or someone attending a group activity is unwell, has symptoms of an infectious illness, has recently been exposed to an infectious disease, or has received public health advice that may affect service delivery.

Early notification helps us plan services safely, discuss options with you, and agree on practical steps that protect your health, wellbeing, privacy, dignity and choice.

Vaccination and immunisation information

Southcare supports access to vaccination and immunisation information, including annual vaccination opportunities where available and appropriate.

Vaccination is encouraged as one way to help reduce the risk of vaccine-preventable illness, but requirements may vary depending on public health advice, role risk assessment, service setting, contract requirements or legal obligations.

If you receive a vaccination, we encourage you to let Southcare know so we can record this in your participant information.

Keeping this information up to date helps us plan services safely and provide accurate information if it is needed during an outbreak or when reporting to the relevant government department.

Read out blog for more ways to stay safe and healthy at home