the Aged Care Today magazine featured articles

The new Aged Care Act promotes inclusion in the delivery of person-centered care, adjusting care to meet personal preferences, self-expression and identified needs. It challenges us to confront our own biases and connect with the shared state of being human, because everyone deserves respect, kindness and support – especially as we age and become more vulnerable.

In the salient words of Walt Whitman, often quoted from the TV show Ted Lasso, ‘be curious, not judgemental’. Employers of choice cultivate environments that nurture people and stimulate the mindset of curiosity, which helps us navigate the uncertainty that change brings. Adopting a growth mindset focuses our attention on finding solutions and improving practices, which often results in innovation and meeting aspirational goals.

Workplaces are multifaceted, complex environments, with employees undertaking individual actions to meet collective strategic goals. Organisational size and unit structures can unwittingly foster silo behaviours. The more opportunities for open interactions that are provided, the greater the understanding and appreciation of the complex and intertwined work of the whole organisation.

Leaders that embrace inclusion by bringing employees together for professional development encourage dynamic interaction and the sharing of experiences, promoting collaborative behaviours within teams and across the organisation. It is within these environments that employees feel psychologically safe to speak up, creatively contribute, and share their ideas.

While it is essential to recognise that different leadership roles require unique competencies, there is a shared toolbox of skills that leaders need, regardless of hierarchy. These core human skills require a continuous learning approach to refresh and build upon existing skill levels. Although we communicate every day, sometimes we can neglect to apply a curious approach, opting for judgement before explanation.

Core human skills include emotional intelligence, communication, adaptability, conflict resolution, and the effective giving and receiving of feedback. The more we understand ourselves and others, the more we connect and create cultures of inclusion. In most cases, these workplace cultures don’t just happen organically, they need to be built through specific training.

Ageing Australia’s popular Leadership Accelerator Program can be co-designed with an organisation, to focus on specific areas of skill growth required and to address existing barriers to performance and productivity, as well as enhance organisational culture. This exclusive training solution provides the opportunity to move away from ‘hierarchical thinking’ by blending leaders across levels, creating opportunities for cross-functional and cross-level communication that spark purposeful activity. Inclusion is about creating a culture where everyone feels valued and respected, regardless of their background or identity.

The new Aged Care Act promotes inclusion in the delivery of person-centered care, adjusting care to mee

“This cross-pollination of leadership supports networking and opens the door to mentorship for new leaders. For experienced leaders, it offers reality testing of assumptions, ideas and approaches, supporting a greater understanding of the interplay between strategy and operational delivery,” said Tegan Roberts, Ageing Australia Senior Manager, Learning Quality & Delivery.

“A foundation of trust requires respect for all, collective understanding, the adoption of an agreed language and parameters for communication, feedback and the commitment to resolve issues with equity and natural justice – and this is what we seek to achieve through our training program.”

For Laura Gay, Head of Learning and Development at Suncare Community Services, the three co-designed Leadership Accelerator Programs have played an important role in developing an inclusive culture. “Blending cohorts of leaders creates opportunities to maximise productivity while reinforcing our commitment to growth at every stage of the employee journey,” said Laura.

“Through Suncare’s Stay and Grow strategy, we signal to current and prospective employees that we invest in leadership development across all levels. This not only strengthens our internal capability but also fosters an inclusive, psychologically safe environment where people feel valued, supported and inspired to thrive.”