Alcheringa Hostel is a community governed not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to providing excellence in care and lifestyle options for people aged 55 and over. The facility provides both permanent and respite care accommodation to clientele with Aged Care Assessment.
Challenge
Three rural and regional aged care providers, Coates Aged Care (St Arnaud), Pyramid Hill Aged Care and Alcheringa and Swan Hill Village, were each facing the pressures common to small rural services: tight ACFI and CPI funding, intensifying competition, and the cumulative weight of aged care, hospital and health care reform. Each had a strong community standing and committed staff, but on its own each lacked the scale to invest in the systems, specialist roles and service models the new operating environment was going to require.
Approach
Australian Strategic Services worked alongside the boards and chief executive officers to scope, structure and implement an amalgamation that brought the three organisations together as the Alcheringa Group. The work covered governance design for the combined entity, strategic planning for the new group, alignment of vision and values across the partner organisations, and practical decisions about service model, leadership structure and integration sequencing. Throughout, the focus was on building a leadership team, board, CEO and senior managers, capable of running an integrated multi-site operation.
Outcome
The Alcheringa Group has continued to evolve as an integrated rural aged care, allied health and community services provider. New specialist roles operate across the group, including Regional Care Manager, Regional OHS Coordinator and Regional Food Safety Coordinator. A fully integrated video and communications system links the sites, and the Pyramid Hill service has expanded into an aged care, allied health and medical model that also serves the surrounding district. The board has continued to consider further partnership and merger opportunities consistent with the group’s strategy.
Read the full Alcheringa Group case study article to find out more about how the amalgamation has played out over time.
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