News
A message to Clients: resumption of face to face, in-person services
At Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, the health and wellbeing of our Clients, staff, volunteers, donors and dogs is our number one priority. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, we have been keeping ourselves updated and following Government advice daily in order to keep the Guide Dogs NSW/ACT community safe and well.
Like many of you, we have been looking forward to the day when we can ‘open up’.
We are pleased to advise you that Guide Dogs NSW/ACT has now been identified as an organisation that provides authorised, essential services.
The decision to reclassify Guide Dogs NSW/ACT as an essential Services Provider has been based on advice from NSW Health, and means that we are able to resume face to face, in-person services under strict protocols that aim to ensure the safety of Clients like yourself, and staff.
This means we are now able to better meet your needs.
Consistent with our approach to resuming services following last year’s lockdown, we will use a phased approach to roll out this return to in- person service.
In the first phase we will provide services in the community, not in the home – to manage higher risks for Covid transmission in the home for both yourself and staff. It’s likely that these services in the community will be our Orientation and Mobility services, including Guide Dog Mobility. The services we provide will meet the government requirements related to reasons that people can leave their home – including exercise, shopping and to seek medical care.
In the second phase, as double vaccinations in the community reach required levels, we will look at options for in-home and centre based services, in line with government advice.
Your needs will be assessed on an individual basis, to determine the best way to deliver a service to you.
We will continue to offer services to you via telepractice wherever applicable.
For more information and to speak to one of our Customer Service staff, please phone 1800 436 364.
