Your appointment
What to do before
After we receive your referral, an assessment and intake staff member will call you to discuss your referral and ask some further questions.
You will be sent an email with the start date of your Residential Program and more information about what to expect during your stay
You will be sent some forms in the post that you need to fill in and bring with you on your admission day.
Before you come in
Before you attend our Residential Program, it is important that all family members are well enough to participate in the program. Please notify us if your family are unwell in the seven days prior to admission. This helps us prevent the spread of infections at the centre. If you, or a member of your family, become unwell on the day of the program please let us know. If you are unable to attend, your booking will be rescheduled
Allergies
Please inform us if you or your child has an allergy to food or any other substance before you come to the WEPC. If you or your child needs an allergy management plan or an EpiPen, please bring it with you. WEPC has a nut minimisation policy. For the safety of everyone in our care, please do not bring any nut products to the O’Connell Family Centre.
Food at WEPC
- We provide all meals for you and your child during your stay, if your partner stays overnight they are welcome to use the self-serve breakfast items but unfortunately we can’t provide other meals.
- Please order your meals prior to admission. It is really important that you let us know what food you don’t eat. We ask you this question when we speak to you the week before your admission. For example, if you are a vegetarian or you don’t eat eggs we need to have this information so we can order the right food for you and your family.
- We will do all we can to meet your food needs/preferences. However, we are a public facility and are limited in our choices/options. If you have specific needs/preferences, please bring some food from home.
- Children under 12 months are offered fresh vegetables which can be microwaved. They will also be offered pre-packaged and frozen pureed baby food. If this does not suit your family, please think about bringing in some food from home. We have fridges, freezers and microwaves available. There are no cooking facilities at the centre.
WEPC also supplies these food / snack items:
- Milk (full cream milk, light milk, soy milk and lactose free milk)
- Bread (white bread, wholemeal bread, fruit toast and English muffins)
- Eggs, cheese slices, pikelets, microwave rice, tinned tuna, cereal, dry biscuits, baked beans and yoghurt are available in the client fridges and on the main kitchen bench
- Berries and an avocado will be placed in your allocated fridge box for you to use as you would like during your stay
Nepresso coffee machine
- The centre has a Nespresso coffee machine available for clients to use during their admission to WEPC
- We do not provide coffee pods, but you are very welcome to bring standard Nespresso or Nespresso compatible pods to use during your stay at OFC
- There is instant coffee available as well.
You may also wish to bring:
- A familiar meal for your child for the first night to help them settle in for the week
- Your child’s favourite snack/s
What to bring
What you will need to bring:
- Medicare card
- Your family’s medications in a zip lock bag
- A letter from your GP listing your prescription medications and your current dose of each medication
- Child health record book (Green Book)
- Cot sheets and linen for your child’s sleeping needs – what your baby normally sleeps with, for example wraps, blanket or sleeping bag (no weighted sleeping bags or blankets)
- Play mat for the floor
- Drink bottle for yourself
- Child’s sipper cup if required
- Your child’s favourite toys
- Crayons, pencils and textas if appropriate for your child
- Clothing and toiletries for you and your child, including appropriate night wear for all family members
- Disposable nappies, wipes and nappy bags (cloth nappies cannot be used at OFC)
- Sunscreen and hats for outdoor play (October-April)
- Warm and wet weather gear for outdoor play (May–September)
- Personal items to help comfort your child such as a dummy or special toy
- Breastmilk and breast pump if required
- Formula and bottles if required
- Pram or stroller
- A notebook, if you wish to record details of your stay.
What to expect on the day
The Residential Program runs for two-to-four nights.
We are a public service. The only cost is a nappy disposal service fee of $10 per day of admission, payable by cash or EFTPOS
More information
