In December last year Christadelphian Homes was very pleased to welcome Alison Bolton back to the organisation to take up the new Chief Operations Officer role.
Alison is well known to Christadelphian Homes, as she was our General Manager – Employment Relations for more than 11 years until leaving in 2021 to diversify her experience.
Here she reflects on her return and vision for the organisation one year on.
Tell us about your role, and why it was created?
My role was created to strengthen the leadership and culture of the organisation, and it’s built upon my experience as a people leader. The foundation of success at Christadelphian Homes lies in leading a team that is both engaged and deeply committed to our purpose. Our nursing staff perform such a difficult job, and in the business of care, you need to be vigilant. Since we can’t be everywhere at all times, it’s essential that our teams are just as dedicated to providing exceptional care as those in leadership roles.
We strive to foster a culture where staff are eager to learn and grow from every experience, ensuring our residents receive the best possible care. While we don’t always get it right, this is a challenge faced across the aged care sector. Under my leadership, I envision a culture of continuous improvement where residents, relatives, and staff feel empowered to offer feedback, helping us refine our services and enhance the care we provide.
What has your experience been like since returning to the organisation?
It felt like coming home. I had been gone for two years, and many of the people I worked with and the residents we cared for had changed, but the connection I felt to the organisation and our purpose was as strong as ever.
The organisation has undergone significant transformation, particularly through downsizing, and I sensed some change ‘fatigue’ in the early days of my return. However, it has been incredibly rewarding to support the broader team on our journey to enhance systems and processes, all aimed at improving the care we provide and the services that support both residents and staff.
This year has been both busy and fulfilling. The small, considered changes we are implementing are already making a noticeable impact. I’ve encouraged the staff to challenge the status quo and think outside the box. What’s been most inspiring is discovering that the staff on the floor often have the best ideas for improvements, and their insights are paying dividends.
Having worked in both aged care and disability sectors, what key lessons have you learned?
The not-for-profit sector comes with its own set of challenges, but one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned over the past 14 years is this: we are not for profit, but we are most certainly for purpose. As a leader in this sector, it’s essential to stay resilient, remain hands-on, and never lose sight of why we do what we do.
Our roles give us the opportunity to make a real difference in the daily lives of the people we care for, their families, and the staff who dedicate themselves to our residents. Leadership in this space is about staying connected to that purpose and always striving to create positive impact.
How do you envision the organisation evolving under your leadership?
We are just at the beginning of what I believe is an exciting journey to improve our technology and systems in support of care and services. Currently, we’re working on several projects aimed at streamlining our systems to ensure staff have the right tools to perform their roles more efficiently.
We’ve also implemented a new clinical governance structure, with dedicated onsite quality officers to strengthen governance at each location. In addition, we’ve recently reintroduced a dedicated NSW Spiritual Care role, providing essential spiritual and emotional support to our residents, their families, and carers.
Being present is so crucial to being successful. I have an open door policy (which sometimes is very hard!) and I get out on the floor as much as I can.
We warmly welcome Alison back into the organisation in the important new COO role, and as part of the Executive team again.
