The McLean Foundation - One man’s vision moulding an organisation’s future

One afternoon, when former Novocastrian Paul Cook walked into the McLeans Retirement Village in Inverell  to begin work as the Director of nursing, the first thing he asked himself was:  “where are all the residents?”

Thirty years later and most residents don’t lie in bed sleeping anymore, says Cook; instead, their actively engaged in not only physical, but also recreational  activities.

Much of this change has been due to Cook’s dogged determination and relentless passion, a burning desire to help ageing individuals get involved in life and more importantly, living.

“While many retirement villages consider physical activities important, they often ignore important emotional and diversional aspects to their activities,” he believes.

“Older people need to have access to a range of activities. It is our responsibility as carers to devise a tailored program that suits each and every individual.

“This means understanding their likes and dislikes when it comes to their everyday needs , their care, food, and capabilities. It requires an appreciation of their social background, their personal history. It’s realising whether they actually want to be involved in group activities, or not.“

Cook never expected to remain at the Retirement Village for three decades but one challenge was met with another and he threw himself into his job to the point where even his wife suggested, “he set up a bed for himself at work!”

His life whether at work or at home is indicative of the man meeting one challenge after the other. A keen cyclist he’s endured the crippling long distance Audax series of races mixing this pursuit with seven leisurely NSW Bike Rides. He’s slogged through 17 City to Surfs and sweated through 12 Gold Coast half marathons. Around the gruelling hills of the New England Tablelands he’s affectionately referred to as ‘grandad’ as he takes on and beats the young ‘guns’ cycling up the hills – “but they always get me on the flat!”

It’ s an unquenchable desire to get things done that saw him take head on, together with a receptionist, the formidable task of running a 44 bed Nursing Home and six self-care units. Eventually, he was appointed CEO in 1993.

Like so many business owners and managers he got to know his business implicitly from finances and  administration, to recruitment and training and so on.

When he began work at McLeans 30 staff were employed;  today 340 individuals work in a business that ranks as the number two employer in the Inverell region.

“We’ve always been members of various industry-related associations, however, it wasn’t until two years’ ago that we joined NSW Business Chamber,” said Cook.

“The Chamber’s technical and industrial advice has been excellent. Their IR expertise, particularly in challenging situations, has allowed us to resolve cases quickly and efficiently thereby reducing staff anxiety and creating a more stable and harmonious work environment.

“We were introduced to the Chamber’s HR Advance product and given the current changes with the introduction of the Fair Work Act, it’s been a useful tool for creating and customising legal documents including contracts of employment, ITEAs termination and redundancy letters.

“We’ve been able to achieve this in a very quick and efficient manner,” said Cook. “It’s saved us considerable time and legal costs. It’s also helped us achieve a good retention record compared to the rest of the industry.”

While Cook has always promoted McLeans Retirement Village within the local community (he has a regular spot on radio and advertises in the local newspapers), he’s had a niggling urge to improve its marketing, especially its branding.

“We needed to develop a more appropriate name that embraces the three arms of the business – that better reflects our work in residential and community care as well our work as a Registered Training Organisation.”

NSW Business Chamber offered their services once more in the form of Australian Business  Marketing Services to assist, not only with the organisation’s rebranding – but the search for a new name.

It was another one of many changes that Cook, the reformist, was keen to execute to steer the company into a more productive and profitable direction. 

“Our current name does not really encompass what we do.  We needed a more modern brand to reflect the changes we’ve been making over the years.

“Our relationship with Australian Business  Marketing Services over the past year presented us with five names after we engaged staff, residents, current and former members of the board, in surveys and focus groups,” he said. “Eventually, we chose the name, The McLean Foundation, and our next step is to change our marketing collateral as well as work closely with the Marketing Services team who are advising us on the design and strategy of our new look website.”

Almost 30 years later, Cook isn’t ready to ‘hang up his tools’, so to speak.

“I knew when I first walked into this place that my fate would be sealed. If I was going to make my mark on the world I would be doing it here, in Inverell.”

Cook has a list of achievements stretching as far and wide as the New England region which he services.  In the space of 30 years he’s created the first dementia specific facilities in North Western NSW. He also established educational programs to ensure that his staff are well trained and up to date with modern methods of care and service.  He’s also been instrumental in upgrading facilities ensuring they are the most modern in Australia.  The reward – the organisation has achieved top accreditation outcomes equal to the best in Australia.

“We have the vision to calculate risks and as we continue to expand, we’re offering more diverse care services including disability services.” 

And the impact of this?  “It’s allowing our ageing population to stay local,” he said.

It’s also enabling more individuals to remain independent for longer  - a way of thinking that is core to the company’s vision.

As for Cook’s philosophy- it’s always been to look outside the square, to get out of his comfort zone and to try something different.

As for his future – it’s secure in the knowledge that he will now have more time to travel, cycle and spend more time with his wife and five grandchildren.

All in a day’s work for Paul Cook.