Our Governing Body
I have had a request through our Carepage system to provide information on our Board and also on how our Board engages with our Residents and Clients. I am delighted to see that Residents are using this online platform to provide all sorts of feedback that they otherwise may not have taken the time to request on a paper form.
The Directors of Baptist Village Baxter Ltd, (trading as The Village Baxter) are our Board Members. Baptist Village Baxter Ltd, is an Australian company limited by guarantee. This is a type of company structure that is commonly used by non-profit organizations, charities, and other similar organizations who exist to provide a service rather than to create profits and income for shareholders. The members (Directors) cannot receive benefit, dividends, or profits from the Company. Residents cannot be members. It is important to note that we are still required to follow the same regulations and laws as other types of companies. The Government-appointed regulating body for Charities is not ASIC, but it is the Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission (ACNC). Village Baxter has a profile on their website that includes our constitution, financial and annual reports, and responsible people.
We have 6 Directors. Stuart Shaw is our Chairperson. Stuart is a CPA and Justice of the Peace and for 35 years was Village Baxter’s General Manager. Betty Haworth, retired Director of Nursing, and business owner. Betty worked at Village Baxter for over 25 years. Bryan Quinn, an Accountant, and qualified HR Manager who was Village Baxter’s HR and Community Services Manager for 10 years. Margaret Williams, our former Village Baxter Chaplain who has also worked in Chaplaincy roles in local hospitals and churches. Ron Crosling, a business owner with extensive Management and Quality Improvement experience who assisted the Village to introduce the Business Excellence principles in the early 2000’s. Eileen Prudden, Retired CEO from Andrew Kerr in Mornington who has extensive Aged Care management experience. We are truly fortunate to have a Board with such diverse skills, equal gender mix and direct knowledge of how we operate as a business.
The nomination and appointment of Directors is governed by the Company Constitution. The Board meets every second month during the year and is present at the Village Baxter Annual General Meeting of Residents to interact directly with Residents and present a report on the previous financial year. Minutes of Board Meetings are confidential although they are read as part of the Annual Financial Audit.
The Board approves the overall operational and capital expenditure budget, re-development strategy and receives reports on our various operational departments and programs that include feedback and results to enable them to review how we are meeting the various governance requirements of each area. The Board also sets the Mission, Vision, and Values of the Company to ensure we are meeting our Charitable purposes. The Board’s focus is on governance and ensuring frameworks and structures are in place; the Board does not get involved in the day-to-day operations of the Company.
The Board employs me as CEO and I in turn employ the Senior Team of Managers who are then responsible for the staff within their departments. The Village Baxter embraces a servant leader approach whereby the key role of a Manager is to provide their team with the support, leadership, and resources they need to enable their team to provide the care and services to our Clients and Residents.
Residents and Clients have opportunity to engage with the Board at the Annual General Meeting held in September each year. During the year, the Board receives detailed reports about each Department; these include information about complaints and incidents and how they were managed and resolved. In 2023 I will be required to provide additional reports from some Manor and Home Care Package meetings directly to the Board to meet the improved Aged Care Provider governance requirements.
Next month I will share more information about each segment of the business, our Senior Managers and the care and services provided by their Departments.
Cheers,
Kim Jackson, Chief Executive Officer