Aged care provider achieves business excellence during time of change

A Sydney-based aged care organisation have set a record for the sector, achieving their third consecutive award for outstanding performance in business.

The acknowledged provider, SummitCare, took away Gold at the 2014 Australian Organisational Excellence Awards last Thursday, following from their previous Gold in 2012 and Silver in 2009.

The national ceremony took place in Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, hosted by the Australian Organisational Excellence Foundation.

The award recognises any organisation committed to the principles of the Australian Business Excellence Framework (ABEF).

SummitCare CEO Cynthia Payne said she is proud to say her team have not only applied the requisite framework, but sustained excellence strategies during a time of unprecedented government reform in Australian aged care.

Ms Payne added that while adapting to the wider repositioning of the industry, the organisation was busy with their own internal changes, including a major re-brand and launch of their new in-home care service, SummitCare HomeCare.

“The fact that we have received such an accolade during a time of significant change demonstrates SummitCare’s strengths; that our team is highly skilled, capable and able to quickly adapt as required,” Ms Payne said.

“We would not have met the high standards they expected had it not been for the professionalism we have in all parts of our organisation, driven by our values of warmth, worth and wellbeing,” she said.

The ABEF forms part of a global community of 80 excellence awards programs, including the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence in the US, the EFQM Excellence Model in Europe and the Singapore Quality Award.

“Our award achievements put us in the company of some very prominent international organisations across many sectors,” Ms Payne said.

“We are proud to help put Australian aged care on the global stage. Our sector is set to be one of the most important in coming years, and SummitCare is well positioned to continue its leadership role.”

Image:  SummitCare CEO Cynthia Payne with Australian Organisational Excellence Foundation CEO Harry Xydas (to left) and former Telstra CEO Ziggy Switkowski (to right). CONTRIBUTED.