Retirement village operators Anglicare and Cardinia Waters are the first to have been awarded Australian Retirement Village Accreditation Scheme (ARVAS) accreditation.
ARVAS was launched in October 2019, meaning it has taken 21 months for the first villages to achieve the accreditation.
The ARVASS, co-owned by the Property Council of Australia and Leading Age Services Australia (LASA), said the accreditation scheme is aimed at giving confidence to residents and guaranteeing the supply of reliable and quality services.
The first villages receiving accreditation under ARVAS, which is operated by Quality Innovation Performance Limited (QIP), an experienced not-for-profit provider of independent accreditation services, are Cardinia Waters in Pakenham, Victoria, and Anglicare villages including Wollondilly Gardens in Goulburn, NSW, Brindabella Court in Downer, ACT, and St David’s Close in Red Hill, ACT.
“The skill set and sector experience that the QIP audit team brought with them added to the overall relevance, especially in their interactions with residents and staff and through what has been a supportive and educative process,” said John Vilskersts, General Manager of Seniors Living Anglicare NSW South, NSW West and ACT.
“Overall, this has been a long but worthwhile process to demonstrate and validate Anglicare’s commitment to our values and how we can best serve our residents with their interest foremost in our dealings with them.“
LASA’s Sean Rooney said “it is a value proposition and a competitive advantage having accreditation. ARVAS is about trust in villages, a lifestyle with self-confidence and passion for ensuring safety and quality in retirement communities.”
