Service NSW Nambucca Heads settles down to Quiet Hour every Tuesday

Taking it peacefully on Tuesdays, the Nambucca Heads Service Centre provides a Quiet Hour every Tuesday. Photo: DCS Media.

QUIET Hour will become a permanent offering at Nambucca Heads’ Service NSW Centre.

Having been introduced in March 2023, the trial period proved popular with centre users.

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The initiative is being rolled out state-wide to more than 110 Service Centres this month.

Essentially, Quiet Hour is a time when lighting and sounds are turned down for those who prefer a more peaceful and less stimulating, buzzy atmosphere.

“Our Service Centre teams liaised with local supermarkets to find out when they were conducting their Quiet Hour with the aim of providing Service NSW’s Quiet Hour during a similar part of the day on Tuesdays,” Service NSW Regional Manager, North Region, Jeremy Conlon, told News Of The Area,

“This was done to support people who might want to visit a few different places in the area on the same day when the environment was calmer and less stimulating.

“We have been working with disability support groups as well as schools to promote the initiative and continue to work with other stakeholders to ensure we can support those who would most benefit from the service,” said Jeremy.

The Service Centres try and ensure a staff member is there to greet customers at the door to advise of Quiet Hour and explain what small changes are made such as turning down the ticket announcements and informing people to look at the TV screens instead to know when they should attend the counter.

Staff also aim to lower their voices to reduce the amount of background noise.

The Nambucca Heads Service Centre’s Quiet Hour is on Tuesdays from 9:30am to 10:30am.

“Our Nambucca Heads staff noticed a woman feeling uncomfortable while visiting the Service Centre,” Jeremy said.

“She found the noise too loud in the centre and that there were too many other customers standing nearby.

“She mentioned she was autistic and the team informed her about Quiet Hour and the benefits of the service.

“In the next fortnight, this woman returned to conduct a Births Deaths and Marriages transaction with a big smile on her face and was glad to attend the Service Centre in an environment she was able to relax in and not be anxious about her autism.”

By Andrea FERRARI

Nambucca Heads Service Centre welcomes you quietly on Tuesdays during Quiet Hour, from 9:30am to 10:30am. Photo: DCS Media.

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