Spokeswoman for Opal Aged Care Opal Aged Care commissioned an independent report into its practices in 2017, which sought to identify any areas of improvement. That report was delivered to Opal management in February 2018 and an abridged version posted publicly on the company’s website for two years from the following month. It has also been made available to the ABC. While the report found Opal’s services and practices were generally of a high standard, it also identified some areas that could be improved. By February 2020 the major matters within the report had been fixed by subsequent leadership and a number of improvements to Opal’s processes and outcomes delivered. These improvements help explain why Opal now has an extraordinarily high 93.02% customer satisfaction rating. The improvements included: ▪ Established and appointed a Director of Clinical Services ▪ Established and appointed a Director of Customer Experience & Innovation ▪ Established and appointed a Head of Dementia Care ▪ Implemented a customer experience management system, including capturing customer feedback and managing any complaints ▪ Funded 250 scholarships to date in aged care related fields to relevant Opal staff to improve their skills (the scholarship program is an ongoing annual opportunity for all staff) ▪ Established the Opal Graduate Nurse Program with 75 participants to date ▪ Introduced the Opal Safe system for improved Workplace Health and Safety incident management ▪ Implemented an electronic medication management system. ▪ Introduced technology that enhances quality of life for residents, including ePets for residents who are living with dementia, Virtual Reality experiences that support reminiscence, Augmented Reality for sensory stimulation ▪ Improved communication channels, including iPads in every care home and direct mail to residents via our website to support family connections. Opal has a number of further improvements underway, including a family communication portal and the introduction of in-house wellness centres offering individual rehabilitation programs in 24 homes, and continues to develop and enhance its services. Follow up questions and responses to/from Opal Aged Care Q: What findings did the full report make regarding former managing director Gary Barnier and/or any actions and/or decisions he personally undertook? A: None Q: In the full report, were any adverse findings made against Mr Barnier and/or any actions and/or decisions he personally undertook? A: No Q: Can Opal confirm a staff member from the Opal Lakeview facility was sacked after striking June Johnston, as Mr Barnier suggested in this 2017 story when he said their employment was not continued. Or was engagement with the worker ended in another way (as opposed to being sacked), for example a casual employee who stopped receiving shifts? A: Based upon our records available from this incident in 2013 we can confirm that the carer’s employment was terminated.