Whiddon Group selected as one of 50 Most Innovative Companies

Of the 50 selected applicants, The Whiddon Group is the only organisation representing the aged care sector.

The Top 50 list, currently in its sixth year running, is judged and compiled by the innovation consultancy group Inventium.

The judging panel involves a variety of esteemed leaders ranging in sectors from finance to media. The nominees are assessed on their level of innovation, with the term innovation being defined by the AFR as “change that adds value”.

Chief Executive Officer of The Whiddon Group Chris Mamarelis is extremely pleased with this achievement, commending his team highly.

“We are incredibly honoured to receive this coveted accolade. There were over 1,000 entries from Australia and New Zealand, all of which were subject to a rigorous assessment process,” he says.

“To be among the Top 50 truly is a testament to our innovative approach to caring for older Australians, and underpins our position as an aged care provider that it serious about making a difference.”

The Whiddon Group was selected based on the extensive work implemented – most notably the integration of the ASCOT (Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit) research tool. The tool aims to measure resident wellbeing and the impact of care services.

“By integrating the ASCOT tool, developed by the University of Kent in the UK, we are pioneering best practice care planning in Australia and want to see the industry follow. Care services should support holistic wellbeing, yet there were no consistent methods of measuring and evaluating the impact of care services on resident’s quality of life,” Mr Mamarelis says.

To be considered for the annual list, entrants are required to describe two innovations they have implemented in the past 12 months and how elements of innovation have been integrated into their organisation. The Inventium’s Innovation Maturity Index (an online survey) must also be completed by a representative sample of employees to assess the performance on a range of innovation drivers.

This achievement follows The Whiddon Group’s recent award for being recognised as Employer Choice in 2017 Employer Business Awards earlier this month.