Over two days in May 2025, the entire Seniors Rights Service team came to Sydney for our annual all staff conference. This year’s theme was ‘Future Focused’. A core thread throughout the event was preparing for the introduction of the new Aged Care Act in July this year.
Day One: Setting the Scene
Michael West, Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, opened the conference with an entertaining and informative Welcome to Country before we met our MC, Nigel Collin.
Our first speaker was Natalie Siegel Brown, newly appointed Inspector General of Aged Care, Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care, who discussed the role of the Inspector General, the key issues and some of the challenges facing implementation of the New Aged Care Act.
Ann Wunsch returned from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to speak about the revised complaints process, a new rights based focus and improved processes and options for complaint resolution.
Bev Lange, Executive Officer of Elder Abuse Action Australia, covered the important topic of elder abuse, how Elder Abuse Action Australia raises awareness and seeks to improve the lives of older people.
Break out sessions from Craig Gear, Chief Executive Officer, Older Person Advocacy Network and James Malin, Director Disability Inclusion and Seniors, Department of Communities and Justice completed a packed morning of information and sector updates.
After lunch, Dr. Karen Menzies led a session on Resilience and Self Care, discussing the real ongoing physical and emotional impacts of trauma and coping strategies.
For a change of pace, Pinnacle Team Events challenged the team to solve a series of complex puzzles and work together to find the ultimate solution. The day ended with a session getting to know our Senior Leadership Team.
Day Two: Harnessing Our Collective Potential
Our CEO, Shannon Wright, began the day with a recap of the year that was and discussed some of the challenges, focus and opportunities for the organisation in the year ahead. The rest of the day involved a number of sessions led by Kelly Wacher, Managing Director, Corporate Magic, leading the team in an exploration of our individual and collective strengths and how to build on our unique combinations of talents using insights from our individual Clifton Strengths Reports.
A huge thanks to everyone who made this event possible. We look forward to next year!
The conference served as an opportunity to prepare for the introduction of the New Aged Care Act later this year and build on the strengths of our fantastic team.
