BaptistCare unites with more counterparts
The primary focus in the first year is to ensure a smooth transition that maintains high standards of service, CEO-elect of the new entity Charles Moore tells Australian Ageing Agenda.
The boards and executives of BaptistCare, Baptcare and Baptist Care SA have decided to join forces, with the former’s chief – Charles Moore – announced chief executive officer-elect of the merged organisation.
Once united early next year, the organisation will have over 12,000 staff and provide aged care and retirement living services, community housing and family and community support to over 38,000 customers across New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia, making them one of the biggest integrated care and service providers in Australia.
The new deal follows former NSW & ACT provider BaptistCare’s acquisition of Presbyterian Aged Care’s home care services in the Sydney metro, Illawarra and New England regions earlier this year as well as the acquisition of three sites from Tulich Family Communities and merger with BaptistCare WA in 2023.
BaptistCare chief executive officer Charles Moore told Australian Ageing Agenda that the “transaction” is not about “getting big to just be big” and is more about creating a “sustainable organisation” that has the ability to invest with confidence to create better outcomes for the people we serve.
“I’d like to see us use our scale in the future to even better serve our customers and community, to provide great choice and flexibility and to influence and advocate for vulnerable customers and communities,” Mr Moore said.
“While we anticipate exploring opportunities to enhance and possibly expand our service offerings in the future, our primary focus in the first year is to ensure a smooth transition that maintains the high standards of service our communities expect from us.”
Tim Farren – chair of Baptcare, which provides services in Victoria, SA and Tasmania – will be chair of the merged entity while BaptistCare chair Robert Dunn will become vice chair.
As Baptist faith-based organisations, there is a “shared mission” to strengthen communities by “valuing people” and supporting them to have hope, dignity and a fullness of life, said Mr Farren. “Coming together will help us continue to deliver that mission, while staying true to our legacy,” he said.
“We know that the sectors we operate in are under increasing pressure with greater demand for care and services and often fewer resources. In coming together, we can unlock operational efficiencies, synergies and innovations that will help to navigate these challenges and deliver real value and benefits to our workforce and our customers.”
Transition arrangements
Baptist Care SA CEO Sue Raw will remain in her role leading South Australia and guiding its transition into the new organisation.
“I’m excited for this merger and the opportunities for our future, particularly for our clients in family, children and community services,” Ms Raw told AAA.
“There isn’t the funding available to support all the work we want and need to do in the community. Coming together … will help us unlock different funding opportunities, which means we can invest more into our programs, and we are already seeing opportunities for alignment. There is a lot of work to do as part of the planning and integration, but we are committed to the benefits of this merger.”
Baptcare’s chief people officer Leanne Beveridge has been appointed acting chief executive officer at that organisation with current CEO Geraldine Lannon heading off on annual leave until leaving the organisation on 1 March.
Ms Beveridge told AAA that she is “thrilled for the opportunities the merger will bring” and feels “buoyed by the spirit of collaboration and comradery” in which they have worked together to get to this point.
“The future looks bright.”
She added: “We come to work every day to support our customers to have greater choice, dignity and to empower them to live well, and the coming together of our organisations will only amplify the ability to achieve this outcome.”
A forthcoming consultation will inform the name for the new organisation. It will continue to provide a broad range of services, including residential aged care, home care, retirement living, community and affordable housing, family and community services, disability support, foster care, chaplaincy and spiritual care, and mental health services.
A period of integration will follow the completion of the merger, which is expected to be finalised in March 2025.
*This market position is calculated based on the combined revenue of the merging entities, compared against the largest care providers that offer services in more than one category across residential aged care, retirement living, home care, community housing and community services
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