McLean Care’s Acting CEO Jill Davidson has moved to reassure the Inverell community the organisation has a plan in place to stabilise operations, address compliance issues and ensure residents remain safe during a period of significant uncertainty.
Significant concerns have been raised about the Inverell facilities in particular, with the town having a long affinity to the facilities that were donated to the people of Inverell in H N McLean’s will. The announcement of the plan to sell the business, and confirmation that includes selling the bequeathed Killean property, has alarmed many including former board chair Phil Girle. The lack of transparency and poor communication, including failing to inform Inverell Shire Council prior to public announcement, has angered and frustrated many in the community.
Ms Davidson said the organisation was giving “determined attention” to both its financial challenges and care standards as it works through a transition to a new provider.
“Our strategy includes the review of all non-clinical services and our quality and safety practices to ensure high-quality care to our residents and clients,” she said.
The reassurance comes amid growing concern following the announcement in February that McLean Care would seek to transition ownership due to financial pressures, workforce shortages and rising costs.
The organisation employs more than 700 staff and operates residential aged care facilities in Inverell, Guyra and Gunnedah in northern New South Wales, as well as Oakey and Millmerran in southern Queensland. Its footprint also includes independent living units, rental properties and a broad suite of home and community care services supporting hundreds of clients.
Like many regional providers, McLean Care has been operating at a loss for several years – including an $11m – with COVID-19 impacts and ongoing workforce shortages forcing greater reliance on agency staff at significant cost.
Revealed: Killean failed 2025 audit
The move by Davidson followed details about the original McLean facility, Killean in Inverell, failing an audit by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in 2025, being provided to New England Times by the loved one of a former resident.
An unannounced audit of the Killean facility in Inverell in July 2025 identified non-compliance across five key aged care quality standards, including dignity and choice, care planning, clinical care, staffing and governance.
The findings were not publicly communicated to the broader Inverell community, but they were discussed during a meeting with families and resident representatives in August last year, where management acknowledged the seriousness of the issues and said the organisation had “fallen short”.
Specifics of the shortfalls noted in the meeting included issues with documentation, poor interactions between residents and staff, and significant dissatisfaction with the food and dining room experience.
Minutes from that meeting show the issues were described as systemic and structural, rather than isolated failures, with particular pressure attributed to workforce shortages and reliance on agency staff.
Despite the non-compliance notice, both McLean Care and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission made clear there was no immediate or severe risk to residents.
The audit findings have not been published on the Commission’s website, and the regulator did not respond to questions from New England Times regarding the audit or its outcomes.
In response to the findings, Killean implemented a comprehensive remediation plan, with progress monitored fortnightly by the Commission until early January this year. The regulator has since indicated it is satisfied the facility has the capability to maintain required standards.
Ms Davidson said work to strengthen systems and processes is ongoing, including appointing a specialist Nurse Advisor to assess practices against updated standards and recruiting an additional Care Manager to support clinical oversight.
“Our strategy also includes the review of all non-clinical services and our quality and safety practices to ensure high-quality care to our residents and clients.
“This includes the recent introduction of a Clinical Governance Committee to oversee all continuous quality improvement,” she said.
The organisation has also introduced a suite of internal measures including daily monitoring, strengthened auditing, enhanced training and a review of policies and procedures.
Staffing remains a key pressure point. At the time of the non-compliance notice laste year, there were 17 vacancies across nursing, care and support roles.
Business as usual but better communication
Despite these challenges, Ms Davidson said there would be no reduction in clinical care during the transition.
“During transition we want to ensure that our residents, representatives and our staff all understand that we are not reducing clinical services, this is business as usual,” she said.
“Our residents remain safe and are our highest priority.”
Attention is now turning to how McLean Care engages with a concerned community.
Mclean Care Board Chair Manuel Meszaros and Ms Davidson are expected to meet with Inverell Shire Council to discuss communication options. A public meeting, called for by a number of senior figures in the region, is unlikely, with the organisation saying such meetings are usually not well attended and their preference is for written updates.
That position comes as council continues to push for transparency after confirming it was not aware of the planned transition until it was publicly announced.
“McLean Care has been part of the fabric of Inverell for generations,” Mayor Kate Dight said.
“Our community deserves clarity and confidence during this transition.”
Ms Davidson said the organisation understood the weight of community concern but remained focused on continuity of care.
“Our residents remain safe and are our highest priority.”
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