Dr Antoinette Mertins: “Flying the plane while building it”
5 minute read
We spoke with Dr Antoinette Mertins about how her team is navigating the shift to the new Aged Care Act and what’s made the difference along the way. Antoinette is a member of the SSD Connect Alliance and the Service Planning Coordinator at the City of Whittlesea.
Q: What steps is your organisation taking to prepare for the new Aged Care Act on 1 November?
As with any major change, we’ve taken a multi-pronged approach. We followed 4 phases: initiate, plan, deliver and complete.
The initial phase was about understanding the reason for change and what that meant for our organisation and our clients.
In planning, we did a needs analysis and developed an Aged Care Reform Roadmap that outlined the strategic and operational outcomes we wanted to achieve. We also created a Project Control Group that brought together our Leadership Team and key corporate colleagues – including Finance, People and Culture, Communications and Information Management. That group became a key way to make sure support services were engaged and helped us solve problems along the way.
We developed a Communications Plan to guide how we shared key messages with aged care workers, clients, and our internal stakeholders. And we’ve had project staff to monitor, track and adjust as needed – including a dedicated project lead and resourcing to replace our client information system.
We’ve stayed closely connected to our peak bodies – like the Municipal Association of Victoria and Ageing Australia – and to our SSD Connect Alliance partners. That’s helped us stay across the reforms and share what we’re seeing locally too.
Q: What’s been the biggest challenge?
The juggle! Supporting and engaging staff while also delivering services and implementing reform has been a major challenge. At times, it’s felt like we’re “flying the plane while building it” – the details are still unfolding, and we’re trying to create certainty in an uncertain environment.
Q: What positive changes do you expect to see from the new Act?
Over time, I think the biggest positive will be for clients. We’ll see more care that’s person-centred and culturally appropriate, rather than services driven by what’s operationally easiest for organisations.
Q: How has collaboration with sector colleagues helped you prepare?
It’s been a cornerstone of our approach. Being able to check in with trusted colleagues, compare stories, share tools and problem-solve together – it gives us confidence that we’re on the right track.
Q: How are you and your team feeling about the upcoming changes?
There’s a mix of trepidation and uncertainty, partly because we’re still waiting on key documents like the Aged Care Rules 2025 and the CHSP Manual. But overall, we feel like we’ve done as much as we reasonably could to prepare. We’ve got plans in place that focus on continuous improvement, and we’ll use the next 6 months to consolidate.
Q: Can you share a specific piece of work you’ve done to get ready?
One big piece of work has been replacing our Client Information Management system. It’s part of our digital readiness strategy and will help reduce admin so our workers can focus more on care.
Q: How has the SSD Connect Alliance helped in your preparation?
The SSD Connect Alliance has been invaluable. We’re both an active partner and a beneficiary.
As a recipient, our staff access targeted training and tools that support learning and reform readiness. They’ve also taken part in projects that help drive improvements.
As a partner, we see our contribution as an investment in the broader CHSP sector – helping build capacity, consistency and ultimately improving the quality and safety of care for older people.
Thank you Antoinette for sharing your experiences and insights.
This interview is part of our series: Preparing for the Reforms: Challenges, Wins & What’s Next featuring aged care leaders sharing how they’re navigating change, what they’ve learned, and what’s next. Stay tuned for new interviews.