ITAC Awards
Congratulations to the ITAC Award Winners
The ITAC Awards celebrate the groundbreaking contributions of individuals, organisations, and teams driving excellence and innovation within the aged care sector. These awards recognise initiatives that transform the delivery of aged care, community care and retirement living services, enhance the quality of life for older Australians, and pave the way for an impactful, sustainable sector in the future.
With a focus on innovation, collaboration, and measurable outcomes, the awards aim to inspire others in the sector to think creatively and embrace transformative approaches to aged care challenges.
This year, we received 59 nominations across four new categories being Data Insights, Capacity Building, Technology Transformation, and Research and Development.
Capacity Building Award
This award acknowledges programs that enhance the skills, knowledge, and capabilities of the aged and community care workforce or empower older Australians to live fuller lives. This category celebrates initiatives that build sustainable capacity within the sector.
2025 finalists
Helping Hand- The RCSTA Project
Merri Health – The Stepped Care for Older Adults Team
BaptistCare – Innovation capability strategies
Helping Hand -The RCSTA Project
Helping Hand is a not-for-profit aged care provider established in 1953 that supports over 4,000 South Australians through residential care, retirement living, and home care services. With more than 2,200 staff, the organisation is dedicated to empowering independence and delivering high-quality, compassionate care. The Real Care the Second Time Around (RCSTA) project enhances aged care providers’ understanding of Forgotten Australians and care leavers, equipping them to deliver person-centred, trauma-aware, healing-informed, and culturally safe care. Designed for scalability, the project includes the Real Care Toolkit, an online six-month step-by-step guide to embedding trauma-aware practices and preparing providers for specialisation verification. Co-designed with people with lived experience, the project offers multi-modal training through online resources, virtual sessions, interactive toolkits, and face-to-face workshops, engaging over 3,000 aged care staff across Australia and fostering a national shift in trauma-informed care.
Significant changes have been reported within organisations, with staff transforming their approaches to care, as demonstrated by a Stolen Generations survivor whose distress was alleviated by simple, trauma-informed adjustments. Staff have reported that, as a result of the training, they are able to keep residents in care who would otherwise have been relocated. Helping Hand leads a national community of practice within the UnitingCare Australia network, ensuring sector-wide collaboration, while ongoing evaluation continuously leads to refining resources. Aligned with the Aged Care Act 2024 and Strengthened Aged Care Standards, RCSTA promotes excellence in aged care service delivery, enhances workforce satisfaction and retention, and supports providers in exceeding compliance. The project has also facilitated two residential aged care homes in applying for Specialisation Verification, potentially achieving a groundbreaking first in Australia. The project team collaborated with Find and Connect services and residential aged care providers, to strengthen relationships and ensure sustainability.
Merri Health – The Stepped Care for Older Adults Team
The Stepped Care for Older Adults (SCOA) program provides community-based support for older adults experiencing mild to moderate mental illness, social isolation, and loneliness. Using a biopsychosocial approach and a transdisciplinary model, mental health clinicians and community connectors deliver home visits and group programs. SCOA’s model allows multiple Allied Health professions to participate, reduces workforce challenges and facilitates collaboration with local organisations such as neighbourhood houses, libraries, and community health services. The program expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic to meet rising demand by introducing clinical and psychosocial group programs, benefiting 234 older adults since 2021. Evaluation of these programs has demonstrated significant improvements, including better sleep quality (measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale), reduced anxiety and depression (Kessler-10), and decreased loneliness (UCLA-3 scale).
SCOA has also developed several partnerships, including Brunswick Baths Leisure Centre, where 38% of participants transitioned to independent exercise programs. More recently, a co-designed evaluation led to the introduction of three new groups—Creative Space (Art Therapy), Active Body Healthy Mind (Exercise), and Mood Foods (Nutrition). The program maintains strong governance through bi-monthly stakeholder meetings and fortnightly case conferences to manage complex cases. Additionally, the Community Connector role supports older adults in transitioning to local non-clinical services, with over 100 community options identified. Operating in northern and western metro Melbourne, SCOA serves a diverse population from 17 different countries, using interpreters where needed. Recognising the stigma surrounding mental health, SCOA’s accessible approach—home visits, goal-directed care, and varied support options—ensures strong engagement with a vulnerable cohort that might otherwise fall through gaps in the aged mental health system. The transdisciplinary model, which allows professionals from up to six different Allied Health disciplines to participate, reduces recruitment challenges and enhances workforce flexibility.
2025 Innovation Award Winner
BaptistCare – Innovation capability strategies
In March 2025, BaptistCare (NSW, ACT, WA) merged with Baptcare (VIC, TAS, SA) and Baptist Care SA, forming a single national provider employing over 12,000 staff and supporting more than 38,000 customers across multiple states. The organisation operates 49 aged care homes, 32 retirement villages, and serves 15,000 home care clients, with a strategic approach ensuring seamless integration of new sites and employees.
BaptistCare fosters innovation through capability-building initiatives such as AI Tuesday and Tacothon, combining skills development in human-centred design, emerging technologies, and operational excellence. Notable projects include AI-driven solutions like the Nova AI Chatbot and Copilot for MS365, as well as robotics initiatives for cleaning, linen transport, and resident engagement.
Collaboration with institutions such as Microsoft, ACU, and Macquarie University has led to advancements in AI translation, workforce optimisation, and social inclusion tools. By sharing expertise through forums, white papers, and media features, BaptistCare contributes to sector-wide innovation, ensuring that aged care challenges are met with cutting-edge solutions.
Data Insights Award
This award recognises initiatives that leverage data analytics, predictive modelling, or insights to improve decision-making, enhance outcomes for the older person or streamline operations in aged and community care. This category celebrates the power of data in driving evidence-based innovation.
2025 finalists
Clinical Governance Team, Bethanie Group Inc.
ACH Group – Business Intelligence App for Residential Workforce and Customer Management
Baptcare Data & Analytics Team
Clinical Governance Team, Bethanie Group Inc.
Bethanie’s Clinical Governance (CG) Team, comprising a Quality Assurance Lead and five Clinical Quality Specialists, leverages data insights to guide facility management in prioritising clinical care and driving continuous improvement. The team’s commentary process enhances data interpretation by providing narrative and discussion, ensuring a whole-organisation approach to practice change. Audit data helps distinguish site-specific issues from organisation-wide trends, enabling targeted resource allocation. Bethanie has implemented a comprehensive maturity plan aligned with the Three Lines Model, enhancing risk and incident management while fostering a compliance-driven culture. Key innovations include dashboards for restrictive practices, weight management, skin integrity, and wound care, which have contributed to measurable improvements.
A commentary page linked to the dashboards allows clinical staff to update preventative actions, creating a shared knowledge base across facilities. Data-driven discussions at the clinical governance committee, alongside the introduction of “Pulse” meetings, facilitate multi-departmental problem-solving. Significant advancements in incident investigations have been achieved, with investigation initiation rates improving from 43.4% in January 2024 to 91% by December 2024, and corrective action identification increasing from 48.8% to 92.8% over the same period. Quality Measures have also seen notable improvements, with reductions in falls, polypharmacy, unplanned weight loss, pressure injuries, physical restraint, and antipsychotic use—most now below the state average, except for falls, which align with it. A quarterly Quality Assurance Newsletter provides insights into governance, root cause analyses, and lessons learned, while clinical data, including NQIP data, is shared with teams, residents, and families via digital screens for transparency. Bethanie’s continuous improvement process is well established, integrating multiple data inputs to assess resident risk factors, such as skin integrity indicators that track changes in Braden scores and overdue assessments, ensuring proactive care management.
ACH Group – Business Intelligence App for Residential Workforce and Customer Management
ACH Group, a not-for-profit organisation since 1952, is dedicated to supporting older people in living fulfilling lives by providing accommodation, health, wellbeing, respite, home help, and social services. With a workforce of 1,900, ACH Group prioritises respect, community connection, and personal autonomy. To enhance operational efficiency and customer outcomes, ACH Group developed a Business Intelligence (BI) App in Power BI for Residential Workforce and Customer Management. This innovation transformed data reporting from scheduled intervals to real-time insights, shifting decision-making from reactive to proactive and evidence-based.
The app enables agile rostering, workforce supply forecasting, and improved risk management while ensuring compliance with care minute requirements. Real-time data correlation across multiple systems has streamlined operations, improved care planning, optimised workforce utilisation, and enhanced customer experience. The BI App has led to increased collaboration, reduced administrative burdens for managers, and improved frontline staff engagement, resulting in higher job satisfaction and better continuity of care. It also supports early interventions, trend identification, and informed recruitment strategies, contributing to service quality improvements. By consolidating diverse data sources and enabling self-service BI, ACH Group has fostered a culture of evidence-based decision-making, improving responsiveness to customer feedback, enhancing care management, and supporting the transition to a person-directed care model in small home living environments.
2025 Innovation Award Winner
Baptcare Data and Analytics Team
Baptcare’s Data & Analytics team leverages data engineering, data science, and reporting to drive insights that enhance efficiency, care quality, and strategic decision-making. The team applies a structured, evidence-based approach to technology adoption, exemplified by an IoT-enabled bed experiment designed to assess its impact on pressure injury reduction with statistical confidence.
Similarly, the Rapid Insights through ML program develops scalable machine learning models to identify actionable trends, such as improving Home Care Package utilisation. By embedding data-driven research methods and fostering collaboration with care staff and technology vendors, Baptcare ensures that insights translate into real-world improvements.
Regular stakeholder engagement facilitates cross-site learning and refinement of implementation strategies, reinforcing a culture of continuous improvement. These initiatives support sector-wide transformation by integrating data-led decision-making into aged care operations, optimising resource allocation, and enhancing service delivery.
Research and Development Award
This award focuses on projects and studies that advance knowledge in aged and community care, foster new approaches to service delivery, or address critical challenges. This category highlights the role of research in shaping the future of the sector.
2025 finalists
Pingelly Community Resource Centre Inc, Pingelly Staying in Place Team
Silverchain, The EMBED team
Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT)
Pingelly Community Resource Centre Inc, Pingelly Staying in Place Team
Pingelly Community Resource Centre (CRC) has been a cornerstone of support for its rural remote community for over 20 years, providing innovative solutions to help seniors age in place. The Staying in Place (SIP) team, comprised of passionate volunteers and staff, developed a sustainable, adaptable model that has been successfully replicated across 40+ rural, remote, and regional (RRR) communities in Western Australia, with more set to follow. The SIP model enhances access to essential services, home modifications, and social connections, addressing the common challenge of seniors being forced to leave their communities for care.
Through partnerships with Linkwest, Pingelly Somerset Alliance, local governments, and service providers, SIP fosters collaboration and stakeholder engagement, ensuring tailored, community-led solutions. The initiative has collaborated closely with older adults to ensure services cater to local needs, enabling more seniors to stay in their communities. By identifying key priorities for clients, workforce, and community benefit, SIP has transformed service delivery in previously underserved areas. Evaluation of the model has strengthened local workforce opportunities, improved aged care access, and delivered measurable social, economic, and health benefits. With a strong evidence base demonstrating increased community connectedness, reduced isolation, and enhanced quality of life for seniors, SIP stands as a scalable and impactful solution for rural aging in place, setting a new standard for care in remote communities.
Silverchain, The EMBED team
Silverchain, a not-for-profit provider of in-home health and aged care services, has developed the EMBED program to address the growing prevalence of mental health conditions in home care, which are often undiagnosed and undertreated. The program, co-designed by researchers, clinicians, and digital health experts in collaboration with frontline care workers, clients, and university partners, enhances workforce capabilities to detect and support mental health issues early. EMBED includes mental health training for all home care workers, routine screening tools, and a pioneering digital portal enabling home-based psychological treatment.
Following a successful pilot, the training has been implemented across Silverchain’s workforce, with over 1,000 staff completing it to date, and a clinical trial is underway to assess its long-term impact. The program’s scalable, micromodule approach allows for broader sector adoption, and plans are in place to expand its use, including in palliative care. Strong stakeholder collaboration has been integral to EMBED’s success, with ongoing input from clinical governance leaders, frontline staff, and consumers. Aligning with aged care sector priorities and reforms, EMBED ensures person-centred care while supporting workforce development. As the first digitally enabled mental health treatment for home care, EMBED represents a transformative shift in aged care, promoting early intervention and improved mental health outcomes for older Australians.
2025 Innovation Award Winner
Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT)
Southern Cross Care NSW & ACT (SCC) provides person-centred care across retirement villages, home care services, and residential care homes in over 40 locations, including regional communities. To enhance nursing assessment and improve resident outcomes, SCC has partnered with the University of Sydney and Western Sydney Local Health District to adapt the evidence-based HIRAID® emergency nursing framework for residential aged care.
This structured assessment tool addresses the sector’s lack of a standardised nursing framework, particularly benefiting internationally trained nurses with limited emergency experience. Launched in April 2024 across 23 aged care homes, the pilot trial aims to reduce preventable deterioration events and emergency department transfers by up to 20%, while improving resident satisfaction and documentation quality. Early results indicate strong staff engagement, with SCC nurses reporting increased confidence, improved decision-making, and enhanced clinical communication.
SCC has played a pivotal role in developing the framework and training materials, ensuring its real-world applicability. By integrating HIRAID® Aged Care into daily practice, SCC is advancing care consistency, upskilling the workforce, and supporting broader sector reforms to meet the growing demands of an ageing population.
Technology Transformation Award
This award celebrates the development or implementation of cutting-edge technologies that revolutionise aged and community care service delivery, improve operational efficiency, or enrich the lives of older Australians. This category showcases the pivotal role of technology in creating meaningful change.
2025 finalists
RangeCare – Technical support services
Australian Unity Home Health / Biarri Optimisation – optimised rostering for a team based care approach
Anglicare Southern Queensland & Umps Health – The Anglicare Home Hub
RangeCare – Technical support services
RangeCare, a not-for-profit aged care provider serving the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Gympie region, has pioneered the Technical Support Service to enhance digital literacy, safety, and connectivity for older Australians. This initiative includes three scalable programs: the Virtual Reality Travel Program, which enriches emotional well-being through immersive experiences; the Apple Watch Fall Prevention Program, developed in partnership with Apple, which enhances safety with real-time fall detection and emergency alerts; and the Cyber Security Awareness & Digital Support Program, which equips seniors with essential skills to navigate the digital world securely.
By integrating technology-driven solutions into aged care, RangeCare has set a benchmark for innovation and digital inclusion. The initiative has demonstrated measurable outcomes, including increased social engagement, confidence, and independence among participants, with strong stakeholder collaboration involving technology companies, government agencies, and aged care providers. Aligning with sector priorities, RangeCare’s model is highly replicable and supports aged care reforms by fostering digital literacy, reducing isolation, and ensuring seniors remain connected, safe, and empowered in an evolving digital landscape.
Australian Unity Home Health / Biarri Optimisation – optimised rostering for a team-based care approach
Australian Unity Home Health, Australia’s largest home care provider, partnered with Biarri Optimisation to develop an innovative rostering and scheduling software that enhances efficiency in home care service delivery. This technology-driven approach optimises care worker scheduling, reducing travel time, improving roster quality, and lowering service costs while ensuring clients receive consistent, high-quality care. The successful rollout has demonstrated measurable improvements, including a 20% reduction in service costs and a 15% decrease in travel time per visit.
By integrating logistics-based optimisation with a compassionate healthcare model, this initiative aligns with sector priorities, addressing workforce shortages, enhancing safety, and increasing care accessibility. Scalable across providers managing 50 or more care workers, the solution is now being implemented across Australian Unity’s national footprint, with Biarri engaging the broader sector to drive industry-wide transformation. This collaboration exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to aged care, ensuring better outcomes for clients, care workers, and providers.
2025 Innovation Award Winner
Anglicare Southern Queensland and Umps Health – The Anglicare Home Hub
The partnership between Anglicare Southern Queensland and Umps Health has led to the development of the Anglicare Home Hub, a digital communication platform designed to enhance client-care team interactions. Built on Umps Health’s personal alarm technology, the Hub integrates seamlessly with Anglicare’s Clinical Management System and Procura, enabling service reminders, voice-request transcription, and multilingual translation for CALD communities. Co-designed with older adults, including those with cognitive, hearing, and vision impairments, the Hub ensures accessibility while streamlining operations.
Its implementation has resulted in a 97% adoption rate, a Net Promoter Score of 69, and significant efficiency gains, with care staff saving up to two hours per client request. The initiative directly addresses workforce shortages and communication barriers in aged care, improving client autonomy and service delivery. Originating from ITAC 2022, the collaboration has been shaped by extensive stakeholder input, ensuring a scalable and impactful solution that aligns with sector-wide reform priorities.