Aged Care Insite Australia's number one aged care news source
Sean Rooney has announced he will step down as chief executive of Leading Aged Services Australia (LASA) after six years at the helm of the peak organisation.
In a statement, Rooney said it was a range of "personal and professional factors" which informed his decision to leave.
“It has been a privilege to lead the outstanding team at LASA, work with a terrific board, and do
my best in representing and supporting the passionate and professional organisations and staff
that provide care and support for older Australians," he said.
As I look to my future, I hope I can find other ways to contribute to the ageing and aged care agenda in Australia, whilst doing all I can to ensure that ACCPA realises its full potential.”
The announcement comes as LASA and ACSA begin the transition to form one major aged care peak body.
Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) will be established on 1 June and will reflect the "various needs and views of aged care providers", said ACSA CEO Paul Sadler.
“This is not just a lick of paint and a new logo, ACCPA will build on the combined strengths of both organisations with a single peak that will offer strong advocacy in a time of unprecedented change and will hold governments of all persuasions to account," Sadler told Aged Care Insite.
"The pressures on the aged care workforce and financial sustainability of the sector are common challenges for all providers and will form a focus for ACCPA."
Sadler will act as the interim CEO of LASA until the end of May.
The search for ACCPA’s CEO is underway, with an announcement expected in the coming months.
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While it’s common practice to pat ones back on their departure, and it’s normal to take credit for success but it’s less common to accept where one has failed and failed is what LASA and ACSA alike have done over the last ten years.
Instead of a strong advocate for residential care they have declined to a news letter and events organisers achieving zero in the one unanimous area being sustainability of the sector.
Both associations have failed miserably in regard to fixing the chronic underfunding of the sector. In fact they have failed in most everything that have impacted homes in recent years, an example is NDIS compliance forced upon homes. When facilities asked the association they were told .. oh no, you have to do what they say…
It was almost 18 months later when the media watch arrived that they seemed to look at the issue and by that time most like us had already dealt with it and aren’t involved with NDIS at all.
I’d like to think that forming one association would make it stronger but sadly I don’t think it will because they are too conflicted by representing residential and home etc care to put the facts to the government and the public in general.
If anything good comes out of 22 in residential care it will be the election and the establishment of ANACC rather than any success by our would be representatives…sadly.
I really can’t think of one good reason to rejoin, I’m not interested in attending their expensive webinars, pointless conferences or back patting competitions that appears to have been the focus for much too long.