The Selwyn Foundation & Skills Group: Building Leadership Capability in Aged Care

Finding the right training to support a diverse workforce is one of the biggest challenges facing aged care providers today. For The Selwyn Foundation, partnering with Skills Group has opened up new pathways for leadership development that directly address the real-world demands of their teams.

Meeting a Critical Workforce Need

The Selwyn Foundation delivers residential and community-based aged care services across New Zealand, supported by a large and varied workforce. Clinical Operations Manager at Selwyn Village, Reet Sandhu, explains that ensuring staff have access to appropriate training at every career stage has been an ongoing priority.

"We have a very diverse group of staff, and one of our biggest challenges is finding appropriate training channels that support them at the right level," says Reet.

A Partnership Built on Understanding

The connection between The Selwyn Foundation and Skills Group began at an Aged Care Association workshop in early 2024. What stood out immediately was Skills Group's comprehensive training offering and their willingness to adapt programmes for the aged care context.

"We chose to work with Skills Group because of their positive attitude and commitment to understanding our needs," Reet says.

That commitment has translated into practical outcomes. The partnership has focused on leadership development, with nine team members currently enrolled in the Pike Āke programme facilitated by Skills Group. The response has been consistently positive, with strong engagement across all participants.

A key factor in the programme's success has been Skills Group's approach to customisation. Rather than delivering off-the-shelf content, the training has been shaped to reflect the specific challenges and operational realities of aged care environments.

"Skills Group has worked closely with us to ensure the content is relevant and supports our operational context," Reet explains.


Pictured: Reet Sandhu, Clinical Operations Manager at Selwyn Village

Early Results and Future Direction

While the training is still in progress, the early signs are promising. Participants are responding well, and the programme is already beginning to influence leadership approaches within the team.

For The Selwyn Foundation, this represents the start of a broader learning and development strategy focused on both staff wellbeing and building capability across the sector.

Looking ahead, Reet sees significant potential for the partnership to expand into other training areas that support workforce growth and development.

"We absolutely see this partnership growing," says Reet. "There's a strong foundation in place and we're excited about what comes next."


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