What criteria do Anglicare apply in regard to the hiring of staff for their Aged Care and Dementia Units?

To which the President replied -

I am advised the answers are as follows -

About 650 people are employed in Anglicare's Aged Services Division to provide care to an average 600 frail aged people on an average day in 8 Nursing Homes and 12 Community Based Services in 5 locations. The staff employed require an extensive range of professional and technical qualifications. All are employed with the Division's Philosophy of Care and Anglicare's Mission Statement in mind.

Aged Services' Philosophy of Care includes the following:

• We believe that every person is created in God's image and is worthy of our respect and compassion. It is in the context of the love of Christ that we serve those in our care. 

• We believe that the care of elderly people should take account of the interdependence of their physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs, and therefore must aim to provide for their total well-being.

• We believe that all aspects of care must be of the highest standard.

Anglicare has a clearly defined recruitment policy and practice which is managed so as to comply with state and federal legal requirements - for example, the Aged Care Act 1997 and the Nursing Homes Act must be met. These Acts stipulate, among other things, the qualifications required for a Director of Nursing and that there must be 24 hour Registered Nurse coverage.

Each position in Aged Services has a Position Description that details the roles and responsibilities of that position. This will include formal qualifications required and the expectations of each position in relation to:

• resident contact 

• teamwork 

• Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) 

• Continuous Quality Improvement.

All positions are advertised in the church and secular press and senior positions are circulated to parishes, as well. All Directors of Nursing and Senior Managers are committed Christians with an active church involvement. Many of the other staff are also committed Christians.

In the Dementia Units Anglicare seeks staff who, as well as having the necessary qualifications and expertise in caring for the aged, also have a personality that is responsive to caring for the special and often demanding needs of those we seek to serve.