Dear valued supplier
UnitingCare Queensland is a mission-led organisation whose core purpose is improving the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities. UnitingCare encompasses Blue Care, The Wesley Hospital, St Andrews War Memorial Hospital, Buderim Private Hospital, St Stephens Hospital, UnitingCare’s community, family and disability programs and services, Lifeline services and Lifeline retail shops in Queensland.
With the impending opening of state borders, UnitingCare must now prepare its services to operate in an environment in which there will be greater exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
UnitingCare’s primary focus is to continue providing and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for workers, patients, residents and clients across our facilities.
Utilising a risk-based approach, UnitingCare has undertaken risk assessments and consulted with our people regarding a requirement to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Following that process, the decision has been made that it will be a requirement for anyone who carries out work or provides services for UnitingCare Queensland and/or in UnitingCare Queensland premises to have received an approved COVID-19 vaccine by Friday 10 December 2021.
Provided with this letter is a copy of the UnitingCare COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements Policy (located here). All people engaged by UnitingCare suppliers who attend our facilities and workplaces, including agency staff, consultants, sub-contractors, students, apprentices, trainees, secondees or persons doing work experience, are to have received all recommended doses (and boosters) of a COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Where the individual was vaccinated overseas, the COVID-19 vaccine received is required to be recognised by the TGA, unless its recognition is otherwise restricted by government public health orders or legislation.
This requirement applies in all UnitingCare Queensland workplaces including UnitingCare Queensland operated facilities and other places where UnitingCare Queensland services are provided, including while those services are being provided by a supplier and its personnel.
It is your responsibility as supplier to comply with, and to satisfy yourself and UnitingCare that your people comply with this policy and the vaccination requirement. UnitingCare may require those covered by the policy to record their vaccination status in accordance with UnitingCare’s procedures, or alternatively may conduct checks to ensure that you have evidence demonstrating your compliance with the policy.
Where UnitingCare collects vaccination status information from you or your personnel, it does so for the purposes of ensuring the safety of UnitingCare’s people, workplaces and the people we serve, and for the purposes of meeting our obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld), applicable Public Health Directions issued under the Public Health Act 2005 (Qld) and other relevant laws and regulations relating to COVID-19 vaccination. Personal information collected by UnitingCare will only be used to record vaccination status and policy compliance, and will only be used or disclosed for purposes related to recording vaccination status (including managing our services, HR requirements and notification or compliance requirements required by law/regulatory authority). Personal vaccination status will not be disclosed outside of UnitingCare without the consent of the person whose information it is, unless required by law. If suppliers or their personnel do not provide the personal information requested, UnitingCare may be unable to verify vaccination status. Aggregate vaccination rates may be reported internally and to regulatory/industry bodies as required.
Suppliers who collect personal information in the form of COVID-19 vaccination statuses for the purposes of compliance with UnitingCare’s policy are required to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) by issuing their people with the appropriate Privacy Collection Notice for the collection and use of personal information, including provision of that personal information to UnitingCare. Where evidence of vaccination is provided to Suppliers which includes an Individual Healthcare Identifier (such as in Immunisation History Statements) the Supplier is required to ensure that the Individual Healthcare Identifier is redacted.
More information for UnitingCare suppliers is available at https://www.ucqcovid19.com.au/
UnitingCare’s standard Supplier Terms and Conditions have been updated to ensure that this new WHS requirement is reflected.
Thank you for your ongoing support and for working with us to enable us to deliver vital community services in this ever-changing new environment.
Craig Barke
CEO
UnitingCare Queensland