General News
28 September, 2022
MP tables petition
MEMBER for Western Victoria Bev McArthur tabled a petition in Parliament last Wednesday, calling for the removal of the Lyndoch Living board and the appointment of an administrator.
MEMBER for Western Victoria Bev McArthur tabled a petition in Parliament last Wednesday, calling for the removal of the Lyndoch Living board and the appointment of an administrator.
The petition had accumulated 2234 signatures at the time of submission, calling on the Legislative Council and Federal Government to “take all possible steps to have the board of Lyndoch Living removed and to appoint an administrator until a new board can be appointed through a public call for nominations”.
Mrs McArthur said the petition highlighted a simple point.
“The board has lost the confidence of the community,” she said.
“I asked a question (in Parliament) on October 28, 2021 alerting the minister to some of the concerns held around the governance and operations of this organisation.
“On March 30 this year I was assured by the minister that the department was ‘engaging regularly’.
“Unfortunately the plight of Lyndoch has worsened.”
Mrs McArthur said among her concerns was the Lyndoch Living board consistently rejecting applications from the community seeking membership.
“The board has a history of rejecting applications for membership, even from eminently qualified and motivated individuals,” she said.
“The rejection pile numbers over 200.
“There have been no general members outside of board members and executive staff.
“On September 17 this year, some weeks after the petition closed, the Lyndoch Living board announced what they term as a transparent nomination process. This is a case of too little too late.”
Mrs McArthur said although Lyndoch Living had announced its annual general meeting for October and called for applications for three board positions, she held concerns the existing members of the board would “remain the gatekeepers”.
“Under the new system announced by the board recently, an independent panel will assess nominations from the public and make recommendations to the board to fill three newly created positions,” she said.
“This still leaves the existing board in place and in control of who is and is not chosento join.
“This is not acceptable to the community, as evidenced by the more than 2200 signatures on the petition.
“There has been significant senior staff upheaval at Lyndoch but accountability starts and stops with the board, and this is where the community feels that change is most needed.”
Mrs McArthur said the current proposal, in which the board retains final say on applications, was “unacceptable to the community”.
“In order to avoid chaos, the petitioners request the appointment of an administrator to oversee a transition to a new way of implementing the existing constitution,”she said.
“Lyndoch deserves a board which is seen to be acting for and on behalf of the community, striving for excellence not only in the provision of care but of restoring trust and confidence in the governance of this cherished community asset.”
Mrs McArthur noted Lyndoch Living had failed numerous safety standards in three consecutive Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission audits in Warrnambool.
In addition, Lyndoch Living is currently under Notice to Agree at the May Noonan Centre in Terang after the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission identified “an immediate and severe risk to the safety, health or well-being of care recipients to whom the approved provider is providing care.”
Lyndoch Living had acquired the May Noonan Centre in December 2018.
“The board must immediately open up general community memberships as permitted under its constitution and let these general members vote at the AGM for the new board members,” Mrs McArthur said.
“This is clearly the desire of those who signed the petition.
“Further, the community seeks direct input and consultation with residents, staff, families and interested community members.”