Employer of choice and building awards

Winners have been announced for this year’s Leading Age Services Australia awards in the employer of choice and building categories.

L to R: Hesta CEO Anne-Marie Corboy, Florence Padman of Padman Health Care accepting the employer-nominated employer of choice prize, and LASA CEO Gerard Mansour

Flexible rostering and policies that allow children of staff to play an active role at the facility are among reasons a South Australian provider has taken out this year’s employer of choice award from Leading Age Services Australia (LASA).

Springfields Residential Care, which is a part of Padman Health Care, won in the employer-nominated category and was one of eight employer choice and building awards announced at LASA’s national congress in Perth today.

LASA CEO Gerard Mansour said it was nice to have a good news story when much of the focus in aged care was on meeting the challenges.

Springfields demonstrated that with a changing population profile, it needed to adapt its workplace culture to reflect the needs of its local community to ensure an attractive and engaging place for current and future staff,” the LASA judgement said.

Strategies incorporated at Springfields include staff are able to choose shifts to suit individual and family needs; children of staff are welcome at the facility after school and can do volunteer work during school holiday; and a range of staff social activities including a social club, footy tipping, and theme days.

Nationwide Health & Aged Care Service won the runner up award in the same category for a “comprehensive employee engagement strategy with a strong focus on building staff excellence and morale”.

L to R: Hesta CEO Anne-Marie Corboy, Rob Jack, national sales manager at Nationwide Health & Aged Care, accepting the employer-nominated employer of choice runner up award, and LASA CEO Gerard Mansour

In the employee-nominated category the employer of choice award went to Bethanie Kingsley in WA in recognition of their culture demonstrating open communication.

The runner up award in that same category went to Hall & Prior as the result of a nomination initiated by employee Mr Kraig Hoogland, who began as an executive chef in 2001 and was recently appointed to the role of operations manager.

Mr Kraig has received much support from his employer including a university scholarship to undertake an MBA.

“The judges were impressed with the preparedness of the employer to support the growth and development of staff internally as well as reward the staff member through internal promotion,” it said in a LASA statement.

On the same occasion, LASA also presented four building awards with UnitingCare Elanora, NSW, taking out the new standard building prize.

LASA CEO Gerard Mansour and Lara Calder of Calder Flower Architects accepting the award for best new standard building

Regents Garden Aubin Grove, WA, won in the extra service category, which judges said was a difficult decision because of the high caliber of nominations.

The expansive use of roofing material that allowed diffuse lighting into many of the internal precincts was given high recognition and the internal courtyard/village feel of the main atrium area was considered particularly attractive,” the judgement said.

Mercy Place Shepparton, Victoria, won in the renovated standard category with Kew Gardens Aged Care, also in Victoria and part of the Australian Aged Care Group, took out the prize in the Renovated Extra Service category.  

Mercy Place

Shepparton approached the design of an “Ageing in Place” 30-room addition with emphasis placed on the integration and connections with the existing home. The building incorporates new design concepts and elements such as the resident kitchen being the central hub of the home,” the judgement said.

Tags: awards-for-excellence, employer-of-choice, lasa, leading-age-services-australia, mansour,

2 thoughts on “Employer of choice and building awards

  1. Congratulations and best wishes to all the award winners and runners up. Well done .

  2. Congratulations and best wishes on winning the LASA Award

    Kind Regards

    Lee Turner
    Home Instead Senior Care

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