Jewish Care’s Mary McHugh wins SACS 2015 NFP Leadership Award

The Leadership Awards were conducted by SACS Consulting, who acknowledge examples of leadership behaviours that affect the experiences of colleagues and stakeholders, and inspire people to innovate and make improvements themselves.

Mary was awarded the honour for her transformational five-year journey at Jewish Care. As a dedicated, hardworking Facility Manager, Mary has achieved significant leadership outcomes, where she received the Jewish Care President’s Award for Excellence in 2014 and her team won the Jewish Care Team of the Year Excellence Award in 2013.

Although Mary began her career at Jewish Care during challenging times, she has proven to be a successful team leader and mentor. Whilst striving to build the next generation of aged care staff, Mary has implemented inspiring activities such as regular team brainstorms and ‘Dining Together- Meal Buddy System’- a project where volunteers engage with residents around meals.

“I believe that a good leader is someone who is able to follow just as much as they lead. Mary listens to what [the staff] have to say. She continues to improve the quality of care for the residents while encouraging staff. She is a true mentor, manager and leader. We are lucky to have a manager like Mary leading our team to be the best,” Jewish Care Enrolled Nurse, Natasha Katz said.

Grateful for her award, Mary explained that she had observed how other leaders at Jewish Care presented themselves in the face of adversity, which inspired her to be the best she can be and never lose sight of what she wants to achieve as a leader.

“The highlight for me has been the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our residents,” Mary said.

For the future, Mary endeavours to “have the ongoing opportunity to assist in developing how we, as an organisation, deliver care and services to our aged care residents- with Jewish Care being a leader in the aged care industry. Most importantly, I strive to continue my passion for the job I love in an organisation I love working for.”

Mary was awarded $7,500 from SACS Consulting to contribute towards fostering leadership development.