Looking after the needs of older Australians, who are some of the most vulnerable people in our community, is a hands-on, labour intensive system of work that relies on capable, empathetic and competent staff and well managed delivery of care and services.
In an environment that focuses on the front-line delivery of care, governance and risk can often be overlooked, fading into the background as the focus of staff and management turns to the practicalities of providing day to day care, dealing with families, and tending to administrative duties.
Fundamentally, effective governance and risk management in aged care is critical for the provision of safe, effective, appropriate and quality care. Governance sets the organisational leadership’s “tone from the top” through formal policy and codes of conduct. Risk management provides the transparency needed to proactively identify exposures to how well frontline staff deliver care in accordance with the policy and codes of conduct set and expected. Together, governance and risk form crucial elements of organisational governance by connecting the Board and Executive oversight roles to the performance of frontline workers and the rest of the organisation.
