The Counsel Assisting have submitted to the Commissioners that leadership from providers – as well as the industry and the Government – is critical to workforce reform.
While Senior Counsel Assisting Peter Rozen QC dwelt heavily on the role of Government – and its failure to take the lead on reform – the Counsel Assisting’s submission also emphasises that providers must step up if the workforce is to be built and retained.
“Recent research in the early childhood sector evidences that strong leadership and good employee engagement promotes job satisfaction and staff retention even if remuneration levels are low,” it reads.
In particular, the submission singles out Opal Aged Care and its approach to leadership.
“Opal Aged Care said it focuses on ‘culture by design, not by default’,” the submission says. “To fulfil its stated purpose of ‘Bringing joy to those Opal cares for’, Opal Aged Care says it is committed to a ‘deliberate culture that grows future leaders who are capable and confident to lead’.”
So, how are they doing this?
You can read their submissions here and here.
The first 37-page submission details 10 Opal initiatives designed to increase the leadership capacity of their 8,500-plus staff, including:
- A weekly email from CEO Rachel Argaman (pictured above) which is distributed to the 2,000 team members who have an Opal email and via hard copy in team rooms to another 6,500 team members.
- Its own ‘language of respect and dignity’, for example: ‘Care home’ not facility; ‘Team’ not staff; ‘General Manager’ not Facility Manager etc. to increase the value of the role.
- A Graduate Registered Nurse Program, which had an intake of 34 in 2019.
- A program to identify and coach high-potential registered nurses (with 108 RNs now having a plan in place).
- A Leadership Transition Program for clinical nurse leaders (starting in 2020) who are being promoted into senior leadership positions.
- A scholarship program offering financial support for tertiary education for high-performing team members (in 2019, they gave out 55 scholarships).
- Leadership programs based on The Leadership Challenge framework (developed by Kouzes and Posner). 77% of their homes have now undergone leadership training with the rest due for this year.
- A new leadership awards section at their annual awards night, recognising team members who embody the model’s values, plus Team member of the Month awards and Service awards to acknowledge long-serving staff.
- A Future Leaders Program (also launching in 2020), a structured 12-month program to help high performers develop their leadership skills.
- Strategic partnerships with VET providers and universities to provide access to leadership and clinical training opportunities.
- ‘Sharing the Gold’, a program to identify best practices and share these with team members and consumers through digital and social media.
This is only a sample, but you get the picture – and can see why the Counsel Assisting would be impressed.
“Counsel Assisting are in no position to evaluate this submission,” they acknowledge. “However, we consider that it reveals some very interesting ideas. This sort of forward-thinking leadership needs to be fostered and encouraged.”
But we know that Opal are not alone in championing ‘new thinking’ – so it would seem the Royal Commission isn’t hearing from all those who are ‘raising the bar’ to quote Commissioner Lynelle Briggs.
The Royal Commission will be hosting a workshop on provider governance and leadership in the coming weeks.
With submissions still open until 30 April 2020, it is not too late to share your own thoughts on leadership with the Commissioners.
Opal’s CEO Rachel Argaman will be speaking at the LEADERS SUMMIT about Opal’s initiatives and how they are investing in innovative service and financial models. Join the discussion at the Hyatt Regency, 26-27 March in Sydney. Find out more here.
