Innovation Case Study: Caring Across Communities
Glen Eira and Bayside City Councils
Stronger Together: Bayside and Glen Eira Unite for Older Residents
Glen Eira and Bayside Councils partnered to deliver a seamless, sustainable transition of in-home and social support services. From 11 November 2024, Bayside began servicing Glen Eira residents, ensuring continuity of care, expanded offerings, and secure staff employment. All deliverables were met on time, with over 1,600 residents supported — 65 of whom now receive increased services to better meet needs.
2025 MAVlab Innovation Awards Finalist:
The Fin-novation Award for Financial Ingenuity, supported by FinPro.
Project statistics:
- 25 staff involved including project manager, steering committee and working groups
- Project duration: 8 months
- Milestone: Full implementation launched November 2024.
Project goals:
- Deliver a long-term, integrated, and financially sustainable aged care program
- Maintain the trusted, high-quality care Glen Eira residents expect
- Protect jobs for dedicated aged care staff
- Build a highly engaged, multi-disciplinary team across both councils
- Ensure excellent client satisfaction
- Meet current care needs and respond quickly to new referrals
- Provide continuity of care with familiar staff for Glen Eira clients
- Expand services for Glen Eira while maintaining quality for Bayside
- Leverage both councils’ strengths to support the most vulnerable.
Challenge and context:
Glen Eira and Bayside recognise that their communities place significant value on council-delivered in-home and social support services, particularly for the most vulnerable residents. Clients consistently express appreciation for the quality and continuity of care they receive.
Faced with the challenge of implementing aged care reforms in a financially sustainable way, Glen Eira identified the need for a new approach. In partnership with Bayside, a collaborative solution was developed that preserved community care under local government leadership.
Together, the councils committed to delivering continued high-quality care to over 5,000 clients across both municipalities, while safeguarding employment for 320 staff. This innovative service model now provides Glen Eira residents with access to an expanded range of services, including Home Care Packages and the Support at Home Program, to meet both current and emerging needs.
Importantly, the expansion was achieved at no additional cost to Bayside ratepayers, ensuring financial sustainability through economies of scale and operational efficiency.
Innovation and solution:
In a groundbreaking initiative for local government, Glen Eira and Bayside councils explored the viability of an innovative aged care service model through early collaborative discussions. Glen Eira also actively engaged with their community to understand residents’ aspirations. Both residents and staff recognised the challenges faced by local councils in an increasingly economically constrained environment and were encouraged by the opportunity to maintain the high-quality, council-led care that Glen Eira residents knew, loved, and trusted.
To bring this vision to life, a dedicated Project Manager was appointed and a joint Steering Committee established. This committee included representatives in like-for-like roles from both councils, all united by a shared commitment to maintaining trusted service delivery for vulnerable community members. Cross-council operational working groups were formed to oversee key project streams, including Workforce, People and Culture, IT/Systems, Corporate Data and Finance, Communications and Promotions, Legal, and Assets. Each group developed detailed deliverables and action plans, with outcomes and milestones integrated into an overarching project framework. Progress was closely monitored through weekly Steering Committee meetings, ensuring strong governance and cross-functional alignment.
This innovative service model demonstrates the power of cross-council collaboration to safeguard employment, ease financial pressures, and maintain service outcomes. Positive feedback from clients and staff confirms the model’s success, with team members now operating as a unified workforce, delivering consistent, high-quality care across both municipalities.
Impact and outcomes:
This groundbreaking partnership between Glen Eira and Bayside councils has delivered tangible, measurable outcomes for clients, staff, and both municipalities. Continuity of care was maintained for 100 per cent of Glen Eira’s existing in-home and social support clients, while over 90 per cent of Glen Eira staff were retained, ensuring workforce stability and preserving trusted relationships. Vulnerable residents benefited significantly from the transition, with many now receiving increased care while continuing to be supported by familiar carers. Service quality remained high from day one, with uninterrupted delivery for both Glen Eira and Bayside clients.
To ensure ongoing success, quarterly cross-council reviews monitor key performance indicators outlined in the formal agreement, with a strong focus on Glen Eira client outcomes. Early results are promising: 19 additional Support Workers have been recruited to serve Glen Eira clients, and 65 clients have transitioned to Home Care Packages with Bayside Care and Support, enabling access to more extensive services while preserving continuity of support staff.
Since launch, the initiative has met and exceeded several major outcomes: continued delivery of high-quality care to more than 5,000 clients across both communities; preservation of council-led in-home and social support services; secure employment for 320 staff across Glen Eira and Bayside; and expanded service offerings for Glen Eira residents, including access to Home Care Packages.
This pioneering collaboration, unique among Victorian councils, demonstrates a bold, united approach to community care. By working together, Glen Eira and Bayside have created a win-win model that protects service quality, strengthens workforce resilience, and expands support options for those who need it most.
Scalability:
Together, Glen Eira and Bayside councils have established a community-focused service model that is both sustainable and transferable, demonstrating a powerful pathway for local governments to collaborate, strengthen service delivery, and reduce financial strain while protecting employment.
This project shows how significant change can be achieved in a short timeframe when driven by a shared vision, trust and transparency between councils, staff, and the community, and a strong project and governance model that reinforces the value of committed, capable, and collaborative teams across councils.
Building on the strong foundation of established trust and partnership, the relationship between the councils has strengthened and remained truly collegiate. The project leverages the strengths and experiences inherent in local government to deliver tangible outcomes for both staff and the community.
Importantly, the initiative aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly:
- Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing – ensuring access to high-quality aged care services
- Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – supporting secure employment opportunities and workforce development
- Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – promoting inclusive, safe, and resilient service models for older residents.
Regular reporting, continued collaboration, and a client-first approach have ensured that the shared vision for inclusive, high-quality, and responsive services to older residents is sustained. As one family member recently shared, “It has enabled mum to stay living at home for a long time beyond what her immediate family could provide and made that time of her life very special.”
This project has not only delivered essential care but has also fostered independence, created deep connections, and given families peace of mind. The heartfelt words of loved ones are a reminder that behind every service is a story—and behind every story is a person whose life has been made brighter.