Helping Hand has become the first aged care provider in South Australia – and the third in Australia – to receive official Specialisation Verification for care leavers.
The Not For Profit, founded in 1953 and now employing more than 2,400 staff who support over 7,000 older people across South Australia, achieved verification for three of its residential aged care homes: Copperhouse Court and Yeltana in Whyalla, and Parafield Gardens in Adelaide.
Helping Hand is the first in the state to receive this accreditation and the third nationwide. in Victoria was Australia’s first, followed by .
Victoria’s Wintringham was the first provider in Australia to receive this recognition, followed by Uniting NSW.ACT.
To achieve verification, organisations must meet four of eight criteria set by the Australian Government under its specialisation verification framework.
Helping Hand’s success follows several years of dedicated cultural change to embed trauma-aware care throughout the organisation. This included comprehensive training, education, awareness campaigns, and events – all guided by lived experience input from the Helping Hand Forgotten Australians and Care Leavers Advisory Group, which also developed a physical environment guideline to support best practice.
Executive Manager Strategy and Engagement, Samantha Giorgatzis, said the milestone reflects a deep organisational commitment.
“We are incredibly proud to be the first aged care provider in South Australia to achieve verification for care leavers,” she said.
“This work is transformational for staff and for the way people deliver truly individualised and trauma-aware care. It ensures Forgotten Australians and care leavers have increasing choice when it comes to accessing aged care services.”
Helping Hand also leads a Community of Practice with aged care providers nationwide to support others in embedding trauma-aware care principles.
Since 2019, its Real Care the Second Time Around – Forgotten Australians Project, funded by the Commonwealth Government, has trained more than 6,000 people across the aged care sector through face-to-face and online sessions, with thousands more accessing resources via Helping Hand’s website.
