Juniper Aged Care experiences positive growth, Annual Report reveals

Western Australian aged care provider Juniper has released its 2022-23 Annual Report and it has been a strong year for the organisation with the implementation of aged care reforms, a reduction in COVID-19 outbreaks and reaccreditation for all eligible homes. 

Key points

• Juniper welcomed a new Chief Executive Officer, Russell Bricknell, following the retirement of Chris Hall in December 2022
• With services located from WA’s far north at Wyndham in the Kimberly region to Albany at the southernmost tip, they achieved significant workforce growth with the support of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme and East Kimberley Designated Area Migration Agreement (EK DAMA)
• They implemented the Safe & Found program to support people living with dementia, autism or cognitive impairment who may be at risk of being lost or reported missing, giving police immediate access to critical information needed during a search operation
• A net surplus of $2.37 million was reported with employee expenses, depreciation, administration and occupancy expenses as the leading expenditures

Juniper Board Chair, Maree Arnason, said the provider has taken significant strides after regulatory and financial uncertainties, plus the COVID-19 pandemic, impacted the sector.

“This year Juniper’s financial results have been positively influenced by changes in funding models and receipt of COVID-19-related grant payments. We successfully implemented the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) funding model, have increased our staffing levels to meet Care Minute and Registered Nurse (RN) 24/7 requirements ahead of schedule, and have stabilised our workforce and operations, particularly in regional centres,” explained Ms Arnason.

“Furthermore, working with the Commonwealth, we have stabilised our multiple services in the Kimberley assuring the continued provision of quality and culturally appropriate care in remote communities.”

Leadership changes

Juniper experienced two major leadership changes, with Russell Bricknell replacing Chris Hall as CEO and Ben Edwards joining their Board after long-serving independent director Mary-Ellen King departed.

Mr Hall’s four-year helm as CEO saw him guide the organisation through an incredibly challenging COVID-19 period that was also coupled with the start of the current reform process.

Mr Bricknell joined at a time when stability was returning, enabling them to focus on continued improvement and strategic growth. Key achievements include home and community care service expansion, the successful implementation of AN-ACC funding, and securing full-term re-accreditation for all eligible residential aged care homes. 

“Aligned with Government policy and funding priorities, Juniper set ambitious growth targets for Home and Community Care, surpassing these thanks to the exceptional leadership and dedication of our staff,” said Mr Bricknell.

“This year, seven of our Residential Aged Care homes underwent re-accreditation, with all homes receiving the maximum three-year re-accreditation. This remarkable achievement stands as a testament to the quality of care provided by our dedicated teams each and every day.”

Workforce initiatives

Western Australia is one of the most challenging States to provide aged care services in given its size. With consistent growth in its consumer base for both residential and home and community care services, Juniper responded by investing in several new workforce initiatives.

• The PALM Scheme brought 24 Fijian employees sponsored to work at regional homes in Derby, Fitzroy Crossing and Albany. Their arrival complements a diverse workforce where almost three-quarters of employees were born overseas
• In total, Juniper’s workforce increased by 16% with just over 1,000 new employees joining the organisation
• A staff survey reported a 6% increase in engagement rates (75%) and a 4% increase in job satisfaction (83%) 

Meanwhile, a Transition To Practice Program was launched last February to help eight graduates and nurses new to the sector develop specialised aged care skills. This included Bandhana ‘Bandy’ Prasad who worked with Juniper for 15 years as a multi-skilled carer before completing her Registered Nurse qualification two years ago.

“Now I can understand [aged care] more because I not only have the work experience, but it’s a very practical way of learning,” said Ms Prasad.

“And it’s fantastic to meet other nurses, we share our experiences with one another, and sometimes that’s how we learn new techniques and new ideas.” 

Looking to the future

The future is clear for Juniper as it looks to strengthen its core focus as a customer-centric aged care provider. Five strategic pillars support this evolution: Customer, People, Mission, Quality and Finance. Individually they address key areas, but together, they form a platform for continuous improvement.

“Looking ahead to 2027, we have adopted a ‘three horizons’ approach. This year we prioritised our Basecamp, the core foundation for our three horizons as we addressed our model of care, customer service and engagement framework; workforce model, and we are establishing what is required for our system and process requirements,” the Annual Report stated.