Linda James, Catering Services Manager, Alwyndor Aged Care

Over the past 12 months Linda has grown into a strong, confident leader who has made an incredible difference to the catering department and the lives of the residents at Alwyndor Aged Care. Linda is dedicated to customer service, and her passion and energy have led to a great improvement in kitchen operations, with a recent resident survey showing 100 per cent satisfaction in meals being served.

One of Linda’s favourite tasks is catering for special occasions. She embraces theme days where she works closely with the wellbeing team to ensure the catering component is perfect and the days are a great success.

Linda has also helped her team members grow personally and professionally through constantly reinforcing their positive attributes. She recognises the importance of ongoing learning and encourages staff to further their knowledge and improve skills through internal and external training. She is continually seeking to implement best practice to enhance operations and improve the staff and resident experience.

“I only found out from someone at work that I’d been nominated for the Award three weeks prior to the presentation,” Linda tells us, “and of course it was wonderful to win – it’s a recognition that I’m doing a good job.

Linda has been at Alwyndor for the past two years. Prior to her appointment the kitchen had been run by contractors – moving to inhouse staff when she came on board. “I had to do a lot of work on the functionality side – I revised the menus extensively and the residents are now very happy with the results.”

Linda adds that working at Alwyndor has always been a rewarding experience.  “With my team in the kitchen, I have a fantastic support network behind me and I also have great management above me, so I’m very lucky.”

Julie Dundon, Nutrition Professionals Australia

Nutrition Professionals Australia (NPA) is a national team of dietitians who provide a range of services to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes of older Australians, including clinical and nutritional advice, education and training to staff, as well as menu and mealtime assessments to meet the new Standard 6. The group also provides advice and training around menu development.

NPA is highly regarded for its responsiveness, reliability and dedication to customer service. Its menu assessment service is designed to provide aged care providers with the information they need to identify areas for improvement in nutritional care of their residents and enhance their dining experience. This information can be used to better manage staff training and education on nutritional-related topics, resulting in staff being better equipped to manage residents’ dietary requirements.

NPA’s Director Julie Dundon, pictured above R with guest Award presenter, RSL Care SA’s CEO Nathan Klinge, said, “We’re absolutely thrilled to win – I’ve been working in residential aged care for over 30 years, and I’ve had a number of advocacy roles in the area of aged care nutrition, so it’s great for NPA have this recognition for our work.

“We are a committed team who understand that if to get aged care nutrition right, you need to get aged care foodservice right. We work very closely with foodservice staff because we take a ‘food first’ approach – once we get that right, then we have residents who enjoy their meals and have their nutritional needs met.”

Julie adds that NPA works not just with retirement homes and aged care facilities but also the broader food industry, conducting new product development for people and organisations who need menus or products that meet nutritional targets. “As well as working with leading retirement groups around the country and reviewing their onsite menus, we are now working with home delivered meal companies,” she says.

Remar Cipriano, Head Chef, RSL Care SA

Remar came to aged care from cooking in a pub restaurant, and during the past year has not only tackled the challenges of learning aged care cooking but also those of setting up a new facility and catering team. His efforts have laid the foundation for a thriving catering operation.

Remar’s success is due in part to possessing a distinctive blend of culinary skills, empathy and understanding of the nutritional needs and preference of residents. He has learnt how to create delicious, nutritious meals that cater to their dietary requirements, spending many hours designing menus that are balanced, varied and appealing. He has expanded his repertoire of recipes and cooking methods, with particular regard to texture modified food, allowing him to offer a more diverse range.

Remar’s journey over the past 12 months can be characterised by his commitment to not only learning but being innovative and showing compassion, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for residents through delicious, nutritious meals served with warmth and respect.

“It was a great pleasure to win this Award for RSL Care and South Australia,” Remar says. “I’m sure there are many more deserving people out there, but I was so stoked to be picked by the judges! It was really unexpected and I think the Award will help fuel my passion for what I do for the residents and will give me the drive to keep going in this industry.

“I’m now in my second year in aged care, and for the first time I’m Head Chef in a kitchen as well, so it was a big leap for me from cooking in a restaurant – but it’s also very rewarding to know the residents love my food. I feel like every day I’m coming to work to help make their everyday lives a bit easier.”

Amelia Lemmy, Café Manager, Westminster Café, Uniting SA 

Sadly, our Leadership Award winner passed away before she could be presented with her Award, which was accepted in her memory by her successor to the role of Café Manager at Uniting SA’s Westminster Café.

Amelia exemplified exceptional leadership in her management of the Westminster Café project through her visionary planning, effective communication, empowerment of others, relationship building, leading by example and adaptability.

Despite nearing retirement and facing health challenges, she demonstrated unwavering determination and passion. Throughout the project Amelia maintained open lines of communication with stakeholders, providing regular updates and soliciting feedback. She personally engaged with residents and staff, ensuring their voices were heard in shaping the café’s design, name and offerings.

Simon Mills of Uniting SA says: “Amelia put her heart and soul into the task of turning what was basically a hole in the wall into a café – she worked day and night to make sure it was furnished correctly with the right equipment, suppliers and exceptional food quality.

“When she found out she was unwell, she immediately turned her attention to who was going to take her place, and her focus shifted to finding the right person to take on the role – she wanted to ensure it was someone who put the residents at the centre of everything.

“Rebecca, who took over from her, was able to accept the Award on her behalf, which was lovely.

“Despite a wide age difference between them, Amelia adopted Rebecca immediately. All those positive attributes we look for in health and aged care are embedded in what Amelia passed on to Rebecca, and she’s left a powerful leadership legacy which Rebecca is now striving to emulate.”

Ann Elphink, Kitchen Manager, Serene Residential Care Services

Following consultation with residents, stakeholders and key personnel in late 2023, executive management at Serene Residential Care Services began a review of meal service delivery along with the overall dining experience, which led to some positive changes.

“We’ve introduced a bain marie servery in the dining room so we can serve direct to the residents,” Ann tells us. “We used to just have a trolley service to the dining room, and the new servery setup has been very well received.

“We’re offering two hot meals and residents can also have a salad or sandwich if they don’t want something hot. So they now have more flexibility and more choice.

“The residents have definitely responded well – having the food right in front of them makes it seem more appetising and it’s easier for them to choose what they would like to eat, because as well as seeing it, they have the aroma of the meal to help guide their choice.

“It’s also encouraging some residents to seek second helpings and decide whether or not they want dessert.

“I think the new approach has also encouraged more social interaction among our residents because they’re more inclined to sit together in the dining room. We now have quite a few extra people coming in so we have set up more tables and brought in new crockery and cutlery.”

Ann says of the Project of the Year win, “I was very surprised we were nominated because there are so many facilities out there, but I suppose it’s been a big achievement over the past 12 months for us to have done everything we have, so I’m very pleased.

“We’re only a small facility with 42 beds and it’s really just myself, the site manager and two cooks who help out, but we certainly strive to do our best for the residents.”