Service delivery capacity restraints
With only the one room to run meetings and workshops it means only one thing can happen at a time. With other organisations also using our rooms it is very difficult to accommodate everything. Programmes such as’ Look Good Feel Better’ are only able to cater for a maximum of 7 participants, as each person has a volunteer, make up stand, mirror etc and it is very hard to fit more than 7 people + volunteers around the table. The demand for this programme is such that there is a waiting list. Ideally the programme should be run for 14 participants at a time but this is currently impossible. The same goes for the other workshops, support groups and training sessions run at the centre
Cramped & overcrowded working conditions
While it is has always been a friendly and homely environment, it is also cluttered and at times chaotic which is not conducive to delivering the professional, responsive, and comprehensive services we aim to provide. The office spaces are old bedrooms (one was actually a bathroom) and so are cramped and not ideal for people trying work effectively. There is so much crammed into such a small space that there is a constant risk of injury from tripping over things.
Health & safety concerns
As many of our documents are stored up high in the outside shed where there is inadequate lighting it can be dangerous to retrieve things. We have had 2 incidences over the past year of staff falling off ladders or having boxes land on them. There are also safety concerns associated with the fact that the back storage room is on a different level to the rest of the house, which creates steps up and down to trip on.
Staff & visitor wellbeing
Built in the 1950’s the current house is not insulated and extremely cold in the winter as well as being too hot in the summer. It is also very damp which is not good for anyone with respiratory conditions
Storage
There is a serious lack of it, and what is available is poorly designed.
Accessibility
Despite providing services to people with often serious health issues we do not have an accessible toilet, and people in wheel chairs can only really access the one room. Although the reality is they would struggle to do even this with the lack of clear space available to turn and manoeuvre.
Service delivery capacity restraints
With only the one room to run meetings and workshops it means only one thing can happen at a time. With other organisations also using our rooms it is very difficult to accommodate everything. Programmes such as’ Look Good Feel Better’ are only able to cater for a maximum of 7 participants, as each person has a volunteer, make up stand, mirror etc and it is very hard to fit more than 7 people + volunteers around the table. The demand for this programme is such that there is a waiting list. Ideally the programme should be run for 14 participants at a time but this is currently impossible. The same goes for the other workshops, support groups and training sessions run at the centre.
Disruption to daily business
Because of the noise issues mentioned above, whenever something is happening in the main room, it makes it difficult for any of the other staff in the centre to do any work. Aside from the noise, one staff member is unable to access her desk during this time and another if not involved in the event or programme, either has to stay in or out of her office as the access is through the main room.
Security issues
Being an old house it does not incorporate any security features. Apart from probably being very easy to break in, the front office which often holds a lot of cash is very accessible to anyone coming in the entrance
Inadequate kitchen
The kitchen is small and old, and inadequate in terms of being able to host morning teas, and for preparing food for training sessions and workshops. It means we usually have to bring in food from caterers which increase our programme delivery costs.
Energy use
Due to the lack of insulation and the age of the house it requires a lot of energy to heat. The gas heaters pretty much go 24/7 during the winter otherwise you when you come in each morning the inside temperature is likely to be lower than the outside air temperature. – well below the 16 °C minimum WHO standard – the ideal room temperature for optimum health is 21°C. It takes so long to warm up that to leave the heater off overnight would create a serious health issue working in the building.
Volunteer involvement
We have many volunteers willing and able to assist in day to day admin, fundraising, support and health promotion activities, however they are under utilised at present because we have nowhere for them to work. When they do come in they too end up in the one room that is used for all our other programmes, they can only do things when something else is not happening-which is getting less and less often. It is also not a good use of time to be constantly setting things up on the table in there only to have to pack up shortly after and then set up again after whatever has been happening in that room finishes. The new building plan incorporates spaces where equipment & resources can be left and worked on at times to suit volunteers.
Lack of visibility
The current centre is a house, and while it is near the hospital is also a predominantly residential area. People often do not realise we are even here, or find it hard to find us. We don’t know how many people who could benefit from our services are missing out as a result.