13th May 2024

Our Feathers winner for April has demonstrated an incredible feat of customer service. Please join us in congratulating our talented Maintenance Officer, Scott Arkwright!

Scott went truly above and beyond in his work at SwanCare. Thank you to resident Margaret P. for sharing her story so that we could acknowledge and celebrate this amazing man!

 “I would like to recognise Scott Arkwright for his prompt assistance on the 5th of April, when I thought I had permanently damaged my Craftmatic bed (having found out that the firm no longer exists in Australia). Scott cheerfully assured me he was familiar with my bed and had repaired similar ones for over 20 years. I told him that in the middle of the night (with impaired sight) I had pressed the massage button by mistake and then jammed it with the up function of the bed base, resulting in a loud crunching noise.

I immediately disconnected the control attachment from the power supply and contacted Ronnie at reception for an electrician, not realising that they would not touch the bed. Scott quickly reconnected the control box, pressed the massage stop button, then the control for the bed head moving it up as far as it would go.

This bed was bought in 2008 and there was a huge build-up of dirt, dust and fluff on every metal cross bar and the motor. With a damp cloth Scott diligently and carefully wiped every part, and with a special spray, sprayed all moveable joins etc. This whole process was repeated, raising the bed base. He was meticulous and it must have been very uncomfortable for him lying on the floor, reaching every section of the steel frame in an unhurried and efficient way.

He then rechecked the head and base movements making sure they worked properly and took the time to rethread the electrical cord through the frame, making sure that I would not get tangled up in it and break the control attachment (which I had done to my bed some years previously). This current bed was the one Colin used. They came as a duo queen set in 2008. I am sorry for the lengthy explanation, but I want you to appreciate how meticulously Scott handled the situation. I am sure he missed out on his lunch break.”

Thank you, Scott, we are lucky to have you. We hope you managed to eat your lunch that day! Scott is one of many people who have demonstrated SwanCare values in their work. Join us in celebrating these incredible category winners!

 

Category Winners

COMPASSION

Belinda Mele, Activities Officer – SwanCare Ningana

“I find that Belinda puts so much compassion into her work. She thinks about the era that the residents come from and that helps guide her in choosing what music to put on, or what questions to ask when we do quizzes. Belinda sees each resident as an individual. She looks at the things each one likes and tries to involve them in those types of activities. She tries to make time for all the residents and reports back straight away when she feels that they are not their normal self, or if she notices something out of the ordinary. She is so involved with all the residents on Level 2, even if they don't always recognise her and the work that she does for them. She also has so many ideas for activities, or changes that could be made to the environment on the floor to help make it more relaxing and comfortable for all the residents. Please don't ever change Belinda, you are amazing.”

We couldn’t agree more, you are amazing Belinda, and we applaud you. Thank you!

 

IMPROVEMENTS, INNOVATION & CREATIVITY

Annie Kanaparthi, Integrations Developer – Administration

“Annie has used her expertise and ingenuity to create a report generator that simplifies the time-consuming and manual task of checking leave balances against leave applications. The former method, aside from taking a considerable amount of time, also had room for human error. This creation by Annie undoubtedly saves possible errors (and thus overspend) and it is very much appreciated! Thank you and great job Annie!”

Very clever, we’re impressed Annie! We appreciate your innovative thinking and drive to improve our systems for the better!

 

LEADERSHIP

Pauline Bremner, Care Services Manager – SwanCare Waminda

“I would like to nominate Pauline in recognition of her exceptional demonstration of true leadership. Recently, after completing her regular duties as Care Services Manager, Pauline received news that one of her ENs had fallen ill and her night RN was unable to work the same shift. In an exemplary display of leadership, Pauline stepped in to fill the gap, working the SwanCare Waminda RN night shift without hesitation. Her willingness to roll up her sleeves and lead by example is not only commendable, but also truly inspiring. Pauline consistently goes the extra mile offering additional support to staff and is always lending a helping hand wherever needed. Pauline your dedication and selflessness do not go unnoticed.”

You have demonstrated true leadership qualities Pauline, thank you for your acts of kindness and dedication to service.
 

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

Arnel Braulio, Clinical Nurse Manager – SwanCare, Ningana

“I would like to recognise Arnie for his willingness to share his knowledge with all staff and students that come through. In the 3.5 years I have been working at SwanCare Ningana, I have learnt a lot from Arnie and will take that knowledge with me. He will always share his knowledge no matter what type of staff member it is, he doesn’t see the EN as being below RNs, and shares all knowledge to the point of me having to ask ‘Am I allowed to do this as an EN?’ and he would stop and think and go ‘No, but now you know how to show the RN's how to do it’, encouraging me to pass the knowledge onto others. Thank you so much for your guidance and support through the years.”

Arnel, you are an inspiring manager, and we appreciate you taking the time to mentor and guide others to maximise their potential in the business. Great work, thank you.

 

TEAMWORK

Michael Bermejo, Enrolled Nurse – SwanCare Ningana

“I would like to recognise Michael. I have worked with him for 3 years, I have seen him working as an AIN and now as an EN. When he was an AIN, he was always reliable - you knew he would get the work done safely and efficiently. He was always loved by the residents - they would love when he was on. I would love when he was on as I knew the residents were getting the best care possible and I could ask him to do anything, and no job would be too big or small. Then he became one of our ENs and picked up on the role right away, and now I enjoy getting the handover from him. He has all the information, he knows what happened in the afternoon before and can tell me what time the residents on the floor have gotten up and started wandering, all while sitting on the other floor. When he manages overnight, he will communicate all issues he has, or the ones that PM nurses have mentioned in their handover so that we may get it resolved with the GP in the morning. He is an all-round team player and it's been a pleasure to work with him. He could have a busy shift but would still manage to laugh with us in the morning.”

Everyone needs a Michael in their life. Thanks for your continued efforts Michael, your hard work does not go unnoticed!

 

TEAM NOMINATION

Christine Harshaw, Laundry Assistant

Adam Froggatt, Laundry Assistant

Cathy Tomkinson, Laundry Supervisor

“I would like to recognise this team, because whenever I see these 3 they are always working - it's hard to believe that they ever stop. If it wasn't for someone telling me that they had one of their machines down, I wouldn't even know, it's hard to notice the difference. Whenever we bring something to the laundry that we need attended to quickly at the residents or families request, they get to it straight away - which we know is not aways easy for them as they get really busy down in the laundry, or it gets brought to our attention right before they are due to close up. Thank you guys for all the hard work that you do, it is very much appreciated.”

Fantastic work Team Laundry! Christine, Adam and Cathy you are a force to be reckoned with, thank you for everything you do!
 

About Feathers

The program was designed as a way to acknowledge and celebrate the work of our incredible people. Any member of our team can be nominated for their efforts, acts of kindness, or contributions to projects. Staff can collect Feathers reward points and then redeem them for prizes from our online catalogue.
 

Nominate someone!

Do you know someone who goes above and beyond, while displaying SwanCare’s values? If you would like to acknowledge a colleague, or someone you know who works at SwanCare, please fill out a Feathers nomination form, available at any SwanCare Reception area.