Category: staff

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Six Attributes of “Leadership”

This is likely a longer piece than usual, but I think important as we all consider the place of leadership mid-way through the term of appointment of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

I have been asked many times over the years I have served as a CEO, to define leadership.  There are of course quotes such as “It is an art, rather than a science”.  Or “You can tell if you are a leader when there is someone following behind you”.  What seems to be true is that you are not born to be a leader, and leadership is not achieved from a one day development training session.  However, we can grow as leaders every day – and indeed we must.  And leadership is about people, whilst management is about tasks and things.

But even those small truisms above do not do justice to this thing called leadership.  Most of us can likely recall our own examples of where we have experienced poor, or ineffective leadership.  We may even now be wincing as we read, recognising our own lack of skills in a leadership role at some time in the past.  We can also likely recall and acknowledge some fine experience of leadership that was such a joy to be party to.

Good leadership is a thing of beauty to experience.  Much like a diamond.  A diamond has so many qualities and when cut well, is a thing of beauty to behold.  It is hardly surprising that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend”.  As the following picture shows, even a so called six sided diamond has much more to offer than the “simple” six sided cuts.

So it is with leadership.

I provide below just six sides, or attributes, of leadership that I believe if practiced (well) every day will not only assist us to be better performing leaders but will drive better performance in our organisations.  I am certain we can all accept that leadership is more complex than these six, but these are a sound foundation.  The attributes are provided in alphabetical order only for convenience:

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Transparency Matters

Hi folks,

A former Australian of the Year recently said, “The standard you walk by is the standard you accept”. In aged care, we are entrusted to care for and support some of the most vulnerable in our community. It is my belief that in this industry, we must only accept the highest standard.

While I am proud of the quality of care we deliver at Braemar, I am a strong believer in creating an environment that encourages constant improvement. We want to be open and accountable in all we do.

To ensure that everyone associated with our organisation is able to have their voice heard; about any issues that cause them concern; we have introduced a new service called Your Call.

Your Call is an independent, third-party reporting service which allows residents, family members and staff to report any matters of concern in relation to the care and services we provide.

Sometimes, for various reasons, we might feel uncertain or uncomfortable about directly raising an issue or reporting something we have seen.

It is my hope that this new service will provide those living in care, as well as their families, friends and staff, with an environment in which to raise any concern – no matter how big or small.

Reports to Your Call can be made anonymously. Those lodging a report can do so by phone or online – 24 hours a day. All reports are forwarded directly to me for immediate consideration and action.

Contact details for Your Call have been distributed throughout Braemar’s facilities. This has been done via the installation of large posters; while printed information and updates are being made available.

This service is available to all our staff, residents and family members and friends. It is essential that as aged care providers we ensure we are transparent in all we do.

I want to ensure we hear from you if you have any concerns. I am excited to see Braemar lead by example in this area.

Nice chatting,

Wayne.

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My 2018 Christmas Message

Christmas Time Thoughts

Many years ago, I spent one Christmas time away from family and stayed with friends in the Great Southern area of Western Australia. Their father had died when they were both quite young. 

View this greeting as a video.

As boys, these brothers became the men in the family and over time built up their farming property to be a successful enterprise.  They were both good, honest, hardworking men, who also were faithful in their Christian belief.

I could certainly talk with them about harvest time, how the wheat, barley,and oats grew, why back then one had to wait until a little later in the morning to start up the header and get out and cut into the crop.  But talking about personal things was difficult for them – they were just quiet guys who had some really good things to say, but just didn’t much like speaking it out.

There is this man talked about in the Bible who really had a huge impact about all we believe and practice at Christmas time, but of whom, from Scripture, we never hear a spoken word.  We hear from Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel.  Tradition has called Mary’s Song the Magnificat.  We hear from Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, and (eventually) from Zechariah, John’s father.

But we don’t ever read a recorded word that was spoken by Joseph.  Oh,we read of his at least three dream encounters with an angel, or God Himself –first with a message to take Mary as his wife and raise Jesus as his father;the second to flee from Israel and travel to Egypt – an historic refugee journey – and third; to return to Israel because it was now safe to doso.  Given the cultural and societal significance of all of the above,Joseph was a very courageous man.  The strong silent type if you will.  A lowly carpenter, from one of the lowliest places in the whole of Israel, at that time overrun by the Roman Empire, and “ruled” by a king who was a Roman puppet.  Joseph did not have to do this, but he felt so led by God that he could not avoid the challenge set before him.

Just a day or so ago I read this social media post: “Sometimes God will puta Goliath in your life, for you to find the David within you.”  I am sure that Joseph will have wondered something like “You want me to do what exactly?”,or “Why me?”, but he did.  We just don’t ever hear his thoughts and words expressed.

There are some significant challenges in the year ahead for our aged care work.  The looming Goliath is of course the Royal Commission into AgedCare Quality and Safety.  You may already feel quite uneasy about what that is likely to reveal and how we will get through this.  We will – no matter how much we are required to provide, and even to share with the Australian public – we will get through this.

My concern for each of you though is that even if your voice does not godown in any formal recorded historical moment, if you have any concerns about your wellbeing through this next twelve months, speak up.  We want to also care for you.  If you need at any time to share any concern about our behaviour that is both unbecoming, and contrary to our desire to provide a dignified life to our residents, then please share that with us too, so that we all be a “David” and improve how we provide our services.

Folks, I pray and hope that your 2018 Christmas brings you much joy, peace,and blessing, and that you have at least some time to reflect of the enormity of the coming of Jesus into the world – not to destroy the world, but to saveit!God bless you all – and Happy Christmas!

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Minimum – What Ratios?

I have never been a great advocate for regulated minimum staffing ratios, but prefer regulation of the things that are really important around provision of care services to the people, our care recipients.  If you like, having enough of the right people at the right time, and not just to fulfil a compliance requirement around the number of pairs of hands.

In completing this Review my own views around staffing, quality of care, industrial considerations and the like have changed – for the better.  It remains to be seen if those with the capacity to make an even more profound difference to improve care outcomes for frail, vulnerable, mainly elderly recipients of care – the Australian Government and Parliament – will actually choose to support those whom we serve.

Introduction

It seems that in Australia rarely a month goes by where the public is not informed of another aged care failing.  There is wide spread public perception of a lack of care and low quality of life for residents within the aged care system.  The call for greater regulation of minimum staffing standards and additional funds to meet them is prominent but seems to fall on deaf ears of the Australian Government.

Without residential aged care provision, residents would likely be inpatients in State based hospitals at several times the daily cost of care of a residential aged care facility.  However, the proportion of funds spent on care and service provision should be acquitted on what really matters – the care of people.

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