A new strategic partnership between Sunnyside House in Camperdown and Abbeyfield Mortlake will see both aged care providers share a chief executive officer.
Abbeyfield Mortlake CEO Deb Rantall will formally fill the vacancy at Sunnyside House at the end of this month and split her time between the two organisations.
Mrs Rantall said both aged care providers offered 40 beds and there were a number of synergies that could strengthen both Sunnyside House and Abbeyfield Mortlake.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity because I think it is such a positive thing for residential aged care in our region,” she said.
“By standing together, we strengthen our positions as two much-loved and critical organisations in the community. I’m looking forward to working closely with both boards to ensure not-for-profit, community-owned residential aged care remains in our community.
“It is a great thing that two of the region’s valued aged care facilities are working together in what is a challenging period for the sector nationally.”
Mrs Rantall said she was working closely with Sunnyside chair Jill Anderson, Abbeyfield Mortlake chair Mick Murphy and their boards. She said she had also met with both senior management teams to outline her vision for the new shared role.
“First and foremost, there will be no reduction in resident services or care, there will be no staff cutbacks and both boards will continue to make their own decisions,” she said.
“Excellence in service provision at both facilities remains paramount and in addition to the administration efficiencies and savings achieved, there are other benefits we’ll enjoy through our combined buying power and things like shared training.”
Mrs Rantall said both organisation were cherished in their communities and it was important to her that they maintained their own identities and independence.
“All the money raised by the volunteers in Camperdown will stay in Camperdown, just as all the money raised in Timboon stays in Timboon, where we operate independent living units, and all the money raised in Mortlake stays in Mortlake,” she said.
“We are all committed to maintaining the independence of each facility and will be setting up a special joint committee that will be chaired independently and made up of three board members from Camperdown and three from Mortlake to oversee that commitment.”
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