We are committed to a merger
ACSA members now have a new president and a reinvigorated committment that the body will follow through with plans to merge with ACAA at a national level.
By Yasmin Noone
The national peak body representing not-for-profit aged care providers, Aged and Community Services Australia, has a new president and now, a reaffirmed commitment to merge with the for-profit peak body, Aged Care Association Australia, by the first half of 2012.
Only appointed at the end of last week, ACSA’s new president is Rob Hankins – the current CEO of South Australian aged care provider, ECH.
Mr Hankins, who replaces Klaus Zimmerman at the end of his presidential term, released a media statement about the merger on his first official day in the new position.
The statement follows on from a recent AAA article about ACSA’s decision to postpone plans for a state association vote on the merger, due to be held during its annual general meeting last week (see AAA article).
According to Mr Hankins however, ACSA delayed voting on the issue because several key people were travelling at the time and unable to make the meeting.
The ACSA and ACAA taskforces, which had been created to drive the merger, had also not “made as much progress made on the issue as had been hoped”, he said.
“It felt better to do it properly rather than rushed.”
Mr Hankins said the main issues currently being sorted out by the two taskforces, are to do with the governance of a proposed new national body (the structure of the governance arrangements and membership details) and its new constitution.
Yet, despite the protracted timeline, Mr Hankins has promised ACSA members that it remains committed to a national ACAA/ACSA merger and that the matter will be finalised by “the first half of next year”.
Outgoing vice president, Ross Smith, has confirmed that a draft constitution can be expected within the next few weeks and an explanatory memorandum will be distributed to ACSA Board members in due course.
A revised taskforce comprising three ACSA directors namely, Rob Hankins (convener), Chris Rigby (NSW & ACT) and Valerie Lyons (VIC) will oversee the ongoing consultations and will meet as required with the working party of the ACAA board.
“Once the [two taskforces] come to a consensus about the way forward, [the plan] will be to put it to each of the boards, ACSA and ACAA, respectfully,” Mr Hankins said.
“Once the boards have agreed, it will then go back to the members and state organisations.
“We will probably then distribute some documentation which will outline the proposed new entity that will come out of the merger.
“The constitution of the entity will have an explanatory memorandum and any other document that the board believes is pertinent.
“We will send [that documentation] to state member boards and give them time to consider it, and time to consult with their members if they want to do that.”
In the meantime, Mr Hankins asks ACSA members to be patient and to continue their support for merger process and the body’s aged care reform campaign.
“The national body is here to advocate on behalf of service providers and older Australians, particularly those who are less well off or special needs groups.
“A national body, in whatever form it will finally come to fruition, will [continue] to take that [mission] on, on behalf of its members, and seek to have a longer-term, sustainable sector which offers a good range of services for older Australians.
“The ACSA board is working through a process… We heard feedback about members wanting to merge through a [previous] national survey and [we are seeking to put those [requests for change] in place.
“We ask that you keep working with us and supporting us in that process.”
Positive prospects ahead
News of Mr Hankins’s new presidential appointment first circulated late last Friday.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge but also daunted by the prospects,” Mr Hankins said today.
“I’ve got big shoes to fill of previous presidents. The sector is also in a state of change following the recent Productivity Commission report and the [pending] federal government response.
“But, I am looking forward to challenge of providing leadership to national [body] and meeting the needs of services providers older Australians.”
Mr Hankins has a Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Business Administration.
He was born and raised in South Africa, immigrating to Australia via the USA in 1979. He has been involved in acute care hospital management in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and South Africa, and in the early 1990s spent several years managing a charitable organization providing acute care, independent living units and high care on the same campus.
He is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has served on several state industry association boards and committees. He is currently the chairman of ACS SA&NT.
