At Vacenti, we are committed to caring for residents exceptionally well, just like we would care for our own families.
We want our residents to feel safe, valued and at home in our communities. We give them plenty of choice about how they wish to live their life, including the food they feel like eating and how involved they would like to be in the many activities that take place around them. Equally important is ensuring our residents receive the clinical care they need. Many factors contribute towards delivering excellent care. High up the list is staff selection and training. We spoke to our HR Manager, Grant, and Clinical Development Coordinator, Hannah, to learn more about the recruitment process for new staff and the Vacenti commitment to ongoing training.
A person focused selection criteria
We aim to employ staff who align with Vacenti’s “PERSON” values:
Personalise: we are passionate about delivering personalised services and care – to make it just right for each resident.
Empathise: we take time to understand and ensure a valued relationship based on honesty, empathy and trust.
Respond: we respond to each person’s needs and preferences and are committed to providing a wide range of choice.
Strive: we are genuine about innovation and strive to be outstanding at everything we undertake.
Own it: we welcome feedback and take responsibility from beginning to end.
Never stop: we never stop being a champion for what is right for each person.
A thorough recruitment process
After applying for a job, shortlisted applicants attend a three-hour assessment, which includes behavioural testing, a literacy test, group and individual role plays, and one-on-one interviews. During this process, our HR team assess candidates against our PERSON values. Our HR manager, Grant, says “We are trying to find out if the applicant is a good person, with a high level of commitment to work with an older clientele. We only want genuine staff working here at Vacenti”.
A high level of training
All new staff go through an extensive four-day orientation program. We then provide ongoing training throughout the year, to ensure they remain up-to-date and can provide residents with the highest standard of care. Vacenti also employs two Clinical Educators, who are qualified nurses with significant experience in aged care. Their job is to work with our staff to constantly improve skill levels. One of their recent initiatives was the establishment of the Vacenti
Learning Hub.
Mastering the best way to move a resident safely
Profiling our new training facility.
The new Vacenti Learning Hub takes the training of our staff to a new level, through an interactive and practical day of learning. During Nurse Educator run sessions, participants practise new skills across four different ‘zones’: the dining room, bedroom, ensuite and utility room. Through these practical sessions, participants gain a greater understanding of the needs and concerns of our “virtual ” resident, ‘Mr. Jack Hub’. They also explore in more detail what it means to be truly resident focussed.
We welcome feedback
Although we are extremely committed to providing residents with excellent care, our organisation, like all others, is not perfect. If you have any feedback (good or bad) about our staff or the quality of our care, as always, we’d love to hear from you. You can find feedback forms at any of our reception areas.
