Entry Information

• Ensure that you have a good understanding of all the required information before starting your entry.
• Please try and keep your entry as concise as possible.
• To enter, submit a completed entry form that clearly describes the entry, with all entry boxes in relation to the assessment criteria complete, including name(s) and contact detail(s) for the nominated care facility.
• In addition to written entries, we request visual material (video or photo) to illustrate your entry and/or demonstrate how your entry meets the assessment criteria. Media may be shared on social media, and so consent is required from anybody featured in the media. Ensure your supporting material demonstrates how your entry meets the criteria for the category you have entered, and that all individuals featured in these materials has given consent.
• Additional materials such as PowerPoint presentations, photos, and videos can be supplied via email, Dropbox or WeTransfer.
• Remember, you must be a current financial ACA member for the 2023/24 year to be eligible for entry.
• For more information, download the Award Criteria Booklet 2024.

Entry Format

• Entries MUST be submitted via the official online application form. Entries not submitted on these forms will not be considered. All entries, including additional material, must be submitted electronically by 5pm Friday, 30 August 2024.
• Please note that all material sent in to support your entry will become the property of the ACA and may be used by the ACA to prepare case studies, which may in turn be used by the ACA at any time for publicity. By submitting your entry, you consent to release this material to the ACA.
• The ACA will provide appropriate safeguards for the storage, use and disclosure of this information by the Privacy Act. You may request your information or material at any time from the ACA.

How to enter

Entries must be submitted via the appropriate online form:

• Care Facility Application Form
• Individual Award Application Form

Any application received after 5pm Friday, 30 August 2024 will not be considered. Faxed or hard copies will not be accepted.

1. All entrants must complete the official entry form by Friday, 30 August 2024
2. Once all entries are received, they will be judged by one of three judging panels.
3. Two finalists will be agreed upon by the judges for each category.
4. All finalists will be notified of the outcome of their entry by Friday, 27 September 2024.
5. Finalists in the care facility categories will be asked to complete a second round of judging.
6. Following the completion of all judging, the judging panels will convene to decide on the winners of each category and the overall winner.
7. Category and the overall winner will be announced at the ACA conference gala dinner on Tuesday, 22 October 2024.

Finalists in the Gilmours Excellence in Food Award for Care Homes and Hospitals

The second round of judging for these finalists will be an onsite visit by the judging panel to observe the meal preparation. The judges will then dine with residents for a lunchtime meal, to judge the food service in action and gain feedback from residents.

The two judges will visit onsite one day in the week starting 2 September without prior arrangement.

In addition, the video submitted as part of the original entry will be shown to the conference delegation during the award finalist presentations at ACA’s annual conference.

Other care facility category award finalists

Finalists in the remaining categories will give a four-minute presentation to the judges and conference delegation at the conference.

Evaluation and Judging

Applications will be evaluated against the assessment criteria by the ACA/EBOS Healthcare award judging panels, to identify finalists. The panels may seek further information, or they may wish to interview/site-visit a person, care facility or organisation before deciding on finalists and/or winners.

Award Winners and Ceremony

All finalists and other entrants are invited to celebrate the success of the industry at the ACA/ASB gala dinner and awards ceremony on the evening of Tuesday, 22 October 2024. Tickets to the awards ceremony can be purchased as part of conference registration. If you have not purchased your Gala Dinner tickets, contact Urvi@nzaca.org.nz to enquire.

Winners of each category and the overall winner will be announced during the dinner, with trophies, certificates and prizes awarded on the night.

Highly commended entries will be awarded during the finalist presentations.

MAXIMUM of four minutes to give a brief outline of their entry. (Presentations are to outline their entry and meet the criteria outlined on the preceding pages.)

Time: 11:50am, Tuesday 22 October 2024 (TBC)

Venue: Plenary room, Viaduct Events Centre Tāmaki Makaurau (TBC)

• A three-minute warning bell will be given to presenters.
• Presentations will be cut short if they are longer than four minutes.
• Finalists will be marked on their ability to stay within a maximum of four minutes as part of the final judging process.
• Presentations may include a PowerPoint presentation if finalists wish to do so.
• Presentations or videos are to be handed in at the speaker preparation room, on the morning of the first day of the conference (Monday, 21 October 2024), in a bid to avoid technical issues.

I think my care facility is doing something that deserves recognition – should I enter?
Absolutely! We encourage all care facilities that are providing excellent care to their residents to take these awards as an opportunity to showcase them. We believe that many care facilities are providing outstanding aged care to thousands of New Zealanders every day. There are not many opportunities for care facilities to demonstrate this publicly, and these awards aim to change this.

Do we have to have spent a lot of money or have done something on a large scale to qualify?
Absolutely not. On the contrary, some of the best innovations may be using existing resources to improve the current service or taking small steps to make a big impact. We are interested in all examples — no matter how big or small — of providers being innovative in providing excellent care.

How do I know what category to enter?
Assessment criteria for each category are included in the Award Information Booklet. If you think your care facility has been doing things that apply to more than one category, you can make separate applications for as many categories as you wish.

Can I enter more than one category?
Yes. A care facility may enter all the categories, or it may enter a single category more than once if it has different material for each entry. Each separate entry will require a different entry form.

Do I need to submit a separate application for the overall award?
No. All entries will be eligible for the overall award and prize.

How do I enter?
Entries should be submitted via our online forms. Applications must be received no later than 5pm Friday, 30 August 2024. Your care facility must be registered as a current financial member of the ACA to be eligible.

What kind of material will I need to supply?
There are two parts required for all entries.

The first part of your entry will require you to describe in writing what your care facility is doing to provide excellent care and give as much detail as possible. In addition to written entries, we request visual material (video or photo) to illustrate entries and/or demonstrate how your entry meets the assessment criteria. Media may be shared on social media, and so consent is required from anybody featured in the media.

Who will be judging the awards?
A panel of independent industry experts will carry out the judging. The judges base their decision on the materials supplied by care facilities in their entries.

How will winners be notified?
There will be a shortlist of two finalists for each category. Finalists will be notified two weeks before the awards ceremony, and finalists in the care facility categories will be asked to give a short presentation on their entry at the ACA National Conference in Auckland.

The winners of all categories will be announced at the conference gala dinner/awards ceremony on Tuesday, 22 October 2024, at the Viaduct Event Centre, Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland).

Any further questions?
If you have further questions regarding the awards, please contact Urvi@nzaca.org.nz.