Ararat disability service Pinnacle has felt the impacts of COVID-19, with reduced services and support.
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Pinnacle chief executive Kathryn Clayton said limiting the support has caused additional stress for staff and clients.
"We have had to reduce a lot of our community access and in-home support, which are only deemed by definition as essential services," she said.
"We had to redeploy all of our day services, to provide support for people in the residential units.
"WorkSafe gave directions for staff to be reduced to 1-2 locations, which has put more pressure on staff."
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Mrs Clayton said staff were unable to access personal protective equipment in March.
"A lot of it was still being held for hospitals and the aged care sector," Mrs Clayton said.
"It has certainly improved, thankfully. In March we contacted all different places - we were getting eye protection wear from Western Australia.
"We were in contact with compound pharmacies and distilleries to make up sanitiser and all sorts of things ... it was quite time-consuming."
In Ararat and Stawell, Pinnacle operates several Australian Disability Enterprises which employ people with disabilities.
These businesses include laundry services, garden maintenance and embroidery services.
Mrs Clayton said COVID-19 had severely impacted their Australian Disability Enterprises.
"Our lawns and gardens service has actually had to cease running since March. It is still not able to start again, because we are considered a restricted sector because of the vulnerability," she said.
"The laundry in Ararat provides essential services to the hospital and aged care facilities, so they have had to continue to operate.
"But for all of our businesses it has had a significant impact because they either reduced patronage, customers or demand for that work.
"We certainly have some areas of concern and vulnerability about what that will look like post Covid.
Mrs Clayton said disability services were still quite restricted, despite most of the state being able to open up.
"Those who are living in support of accommodation, for example, have not been able to attend activities or work activities since this started - so it is quite restricted for them," she said.
"We have worked so long and so hard to get everyone involved and part of their community, and then all of a sudden they are withdrawn from it.
"The way in which we operate I think will be different from here on in, because of the risk, numbers and the vulnerability of those that we provide support to."
Pinnacle staff have used various resources to help people with a disability understand COVID-19 and the regulations.
"There have been a lot of government developed easy-to-read documents ... and we have learnt along the way," Mrs Clayton said.
"We certainly saw the impact of media. Particularly people who have been at home and were restricted, watching the constant news reports."
Mrs Clayton said while the pandemic presented many challenges, there had also been some "great outcomes".
"We have been able to review our service ... people have also developed a much more closer relationship with the people working at Pinnacle," she said.
"Hopefully, by the end of the year, we will see some changes and be able to get out and about more."
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