Service FinderSince its foundation in 1964, ECH has established itself as a highly respected and trusted provider of ageing care services in South Australia.
Today, ECH is one of the largest not-for-profit providers of integrated retirement living accommodation and ageing care services that enable people to continue to live independently at home as they age.
ECH is a registered Australian charity established for the benefit of its clients and as such there are no shareholders. Any profits are reinvested to increase and improve services provided.
ECH has been trusted by generations and year after year it has proven to be financially sound with a strong balance sheet. You can be assured that ECH will continue to provide support when you need it most.
ECH Annual Report 2022 – 23
Archived
2021/2022 Annual Report
What sets ECH apart?
ECH embraces diversity
ECH is highly committed to being inclusive of clients and staff with differing backgrounds. ECH is constantly tailoring its services to reach diverse social groups, such as culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people living with a disability. ECH both celebrates and embraces diversity. ECH is also non-faith based and welcomes people from all religious backgrounds.
ECH are proud to partner with Purple Orange and through their Road to Employment program we have been able to offer employment to people living with a disability. We also support the direct employment of people living with a disability because societal barriers and attitudes can make it harder for people living with a disability to get and keep a job.
To read more about the ECH commitment to diversity, visit the Diversity page.
ECH is proud to be an inclusive organisation and is committed to the continued reconciliation, capacity building and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. In 2020, a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) – Reflect was developed to guide the work ECH is undertaking with the many Aboriginal communities the organisation works with. To access the RAP – Reflect, please click here.
In further support of our commitment to continued reconciliation, we have recently launched the second stage of our RAP – Innovate. The RAP- Innovate outlines our actions and the work which goes towards achieving our unique vision for reconciliation. To access the RAP – Innovate, please click here.
ECH is dementia friendly
Dementia Australia has recognised ECH for its ongoing efforts to develop and use dementia-friendly approaches to its services, physical environments and staff training. ECH is committed to meeting the specific needs of people living with dementia or memory loss as well as their carers.
ECH embraces standards
ECH is proud to have been the first South Australian independent village operator to attain Quality Innovation Performance (QIP) accreditation; meeting the standards set by the International Retirement Community Accreditation Scheme. These standards include high levels of safety and quality, good governance, environmental sustainability and a genuine commitment to continuous quality improvement across all retirement villages.
ECH retirement villages Warradale Estate, Penneys Hill Estate and Encore Apartments are the only independent retirement villages in South Australia to be awarded the Livable Housing Design Australia (LHA) Gold Accreditation. LHA awards builders and designers that provide truly liveable homes that respond to the changing needs of people now and into the future. It is testament to the in-house expertise ECH has within its team for defining new benchmarks in retirement living design.
ECH Board and Staff
ECH has a Board of Directors made up of experienced professionals from a wide range of business and community sectors. The Board is responsible for setting overall strategic direction and policies in line with its constitution and for ensuring ECH complies with all regulatory requirements, including the Aged Care Act, Retirement Villages Act and the Residential Tenancies Act.
The Board’s direction is implemented by an extensive team of qualified and experienced ECH staff, including a Chief Executive and General Managers. All ECH staff are committed to providing high quality and individually tailored services to clients to ensure they have a voice in their service planning and the delivery of services.
A Good Governance Framework has been developed in line with the ECH Board Charter to ensure there is an agreed approach to achieving quality services for our members, click here to read the full document.
Following the passing of the Treasury Laws Amendments (Enhancing Whistleblower protections) Bill 2018 ECH has a clearly defined policy and procedure relating to the management and investigation of whistleblower reports received from an individual (a director, employee, contractor, supplier, volunteer or member of the public). Here are links to our whistleblower management policy and procedure.
With a stringent staff recruitment process, you can be assured ECH only employ the best candidates. Staff are required to undertake ongoing training to keep up-to-date with best practice standards and continue their professional development. Staff are also fully insured so in the unlikely event that something should go wrong, they are fully covered.
Click here to see the ECH Executive Team.
Click here to see the Board Members.
Supporting more than 15,000 South Australians, ECH is one of the largest integrated providers of retirement village accommodation and ageing care services in South Australia.