Wesley Mission Victoria and UnitingCare VIC & TAS announce merger
Aged care providers Wesley Mission Victoria and UnitingCare in VIC and TAS announce their merger
With consumer-directed care set to be introduced in just a few months, leading not-for-profit providers Wesley Mission Victoria and 21 UnitingCare services in VIC and TAS have joined forces.
To be known as Uniting, the merger will make the group one of the largest providers of aged care and other community services in Victoria and Tasmania. The new organisation will have a budget of around $250M and employ 3,500 staff with another 3,500 volunteers.
Operating across metropolitan, rural and remote areas, its services will include emergency relief, financial counselling, housing and homelessness services, employment services, early childhood services, child, youth and family services, disability services, mental health services, non-residential aged care, alcohol and other drugs services and Lifeline.
The group have already unified their boards into one board under former Victorian Health Minister Bronwyn Pike, while the CEO will be Paul Linossier, who was previously the CEO of Wesley Mission Victoria.
Mr Linossier has over three decades of experience in leading organisational change and systems reform and says both agencies have a strong history of commitment to care, support and community partnerships.
“Together we can do more,” he said. “We will have a stronger advocacy voice and we will have access to broader resources and skills to meet clients’ needs. This change provides the best opportunity for us to continue our important work in the community for many years to come.”
The merger should be finalised by mid-2017.
