Our Facilitators & Presenters

Monique has been an enrolled nurse for 27 years. She has gained considerable experience and knowledge in Health Care, and has specialised in the care of our disabled and elderly in residential care and community sector.

Like most nurses, Monique is, above all, practical.  She always wants to focus on ensuring the best outcomes for her clients, and has had continued success supporting the Care Industry and their employees to develop and grow towards their full potential.

Monique’s dedicated service, provided to Registered Training Organisations, has seen hundreds of her students equipped with the knowledge, technical skills and professional attitude required of a Carer.  She is a transformational educator, an inspirational facilitator and a creative instructional design specialist.

Monique’s single focus has always been to see the quality of service and care for our most vulnerable in the community improved.  She understands that the best way to achieve this is to listen. To listen to employers, employees, students and most importantly, the people being supported.

Monique has worked in Health Care in the UK and Australia and has provided both personal and professional support and mentoring to hundreds of students through their learning pathways, to achieve the goals they set for themselves. Monique is especially proud of the positive impact that graduates she has supported have made in the lives of the people within the Aged and Disability services.

Monique has fostered strong relationships with both Health Care and Training Industries. Employers and Support Services within the Industries continue to collaborate with her and her associated teams to develop and build strong relationships and successful outcomes for both their clients and workforce. Her consultancy services are equally valued and sought after by leaders in Aged Care, Disability Services and the Education sector.

Apart from Monique’s professional passion she enjoys arts, crafts, music and the beauty of the world around us. She finds great pleasure in living and learning in our diverse communities and engaging with people from all around the world – particularly her grandmother who lives in South Africa.

Denielle has a career of 35 years, including owning and operating a small business/s and working in government organisations. These opportunities have provided extensive opportunities for working autonomously and collaboratively in teams with clients and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.

She is highly skilled in counselling practice, administration, project management, training, research capabilities and application of policies, procedures, and legislation.

Denielle’s passion and natural gift for helping others began with mentoring and training trainees whilst working for QLD Fire and Emergency Services (QFES). This evolved into becoming a trained Peer Support Officer, supporting the well-being of Firefighters and their families, and conducting Critical Incident Debriefings. A natural progression of this was to undertake Counselling as a career change, culminating in completing a Master of Counselling in 2020.

Denielle is a motivated, experienced professional Registered Counsellor with high-level communication skills who provides a client-centred approach with non-judgemental acceptance.

Enthusiastic about working collaboratively toward a shared vision of building stronger communities through empowering individuals to connect with their strengths, Denielle quickly develops confidence in her clients, and an appreciation of their capacity such that they are keen to overcome barriers to realise their potential.

Lastly, Denielle values contributing to a sustainable workplace, interpersonal relationships and promoting a safe and inclusive work environment and is extremely passionate about workplace well-being.

Whether in private enterprise or government, Denielle's positions speak to her ability to work within established guidelines whilst monitoring and evaluating the service through a self-reflective practice. As a reflection of her corporate and teamwork ethos whilst employed with QLD Fire and Emergency Service (QFES), Denielle was nominated for and awarded an Australia Day Medal and an Ethical and Diligent Service Medal.

Ruth would describe her working experience as a ‘mixed bag’. Upon leaving high school, she entered into Flinders University where she completed a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Biological Sciences as she had a great love of nature in general and wanted a deeper understanding of the complex relationships of living beings and scientific approach to gaining knowledge. During her time studying there, her father became suddenly ill and she took on some caring responsibilities for him. Only a few months later her father was to pass away at home from a cardiac arrest in front of her and at the age of 19 she was required to perform CPR on him without having any training. This was a pivotal moment of her life that saw her take a change in direction – both career wise and personally.

After her father died, Ruth joined the Port Elliot Surf Life Saving Club where she learned how to perform CPR and first aid and completed her bronze medallion to become a serving patrol volunteer for the next 5 years. She became the club First Aid officer for the last year of her service and this sparked an interest in her to join the South Australia Police as a police officer as she very much enjoyed the patrol work and taking care of the community. So, she applied and was accepted into the Police Academy where she then completed her cadet course for the next 12 months. Following her graduation, Ruth moved to various locations in the metropolitan area around and within Adelaide, SA and performed numerous, varied and complex roles in such areas as traffic, general patrols, station duties, special policing objectives, secondments to family violence unit, coronial incidents, follow-up enquiries and court orders services. During her time with SAPOL her mum was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer and she tried to balance full time work with being a carer for her mum taking her to appointments and being with her for the time she had left.

Ruth understands the impact and stresses that that can have on a carer’s life and how important a supportive environment and people are at that time. Her mum passed away at home as she had requested and Ruth feels forever grateful that she got to and chose to spend that time with her.

After serving SAPOL for over 11 years, Ruth decided to leave a few months after having her first child. Her daughter required intensive medical help that needed Ruth to be there and not having any outside family supports herself it made it too difficult to maintain a stable working role. Ruth then went on to enrol in the University of South Australia and subsequently completed a Bachelor of Nursing program.

She graduated and was entered onto the Dean’s Merit List and Chancellor’s Award List for academic excellence and became a registered nurse. She then went on to work in various metropolitan hospitals within Adelaide in areas such as medical, surgical, emergency, paediatric , palliative and telephone triage nursing.

Ruth’s daughter’s health needs continued to increase and finding it too difficult to meet all the complexity of needs of her daughter she withdrew from her professional commitments and became a her daughter’s full-time carer (an NDIS participant) for over 10 years. Ruth has had both positive and negative experiences as a carer and in acting as an advocate. She feels very passionately about protecting the rights of the individual, protecting the vulnerable and protecting against potential abuses. She recognises the importance of good self-care and strong support systems for those providing the caring to ensure they are looked after.

Ruth is excited and keen to be joining the Silver Service Care team, as a CPD presenter. She looks forward to meeting members of the community in this new role.

Dr Chris Alderman is a highly experienced and successful pharmacy clinician, health administrator, clinical teacher, researcher and consultant. With a demonstrated history of high-level contributions and achievements in the mental health and aged care sector, as well as hospital pharmacy, the higher education industry, medical writing and medicolegal consulting/expert witness services, his professional practice experience spans 35 years.

Highlights of his professional life include:

• Broad experience in a range of disciplines relevant to contemporary pharmacy practice, including key administrative and management posts, clinical pharmacy practice (psychiatry), aged care pharmacy, pharmacy education, medication review, medical writing, medico-legal representation and other specific disciplines.
• Extensive involvement in pharmacy, medical and nursing education, and areas of educational services including teaching for psychologists, physiotherapists and lawyers. Recognised by designation as Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice in the School of Pharmacy, University of South Australia, also previously awarded academic status of Lecturer in the School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Flinders University.
• Extensively involved in educational initiatives administered through private companies and professional organisations, he provides educational services for pharmacists, doctors, nurses, psychologists and other health professionals, in Australia, USA, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, India & Indonesia. Currently serving as a senior lecturer for the South Australian Postgraduate Psychiatry training programme (RANZCP)
• Consistent high-level involvement in professional organisations, including the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia, Dr Chris has served on the Federal Council of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA), and acted as chairman for several key committees and was Federal President, SHPA 1995 – 1996
• Recipient of several awards recognising his contributions to the hospital pharmacy profession, he was awarded the SHPA Medal of Merit (1993) for his outstanding contribution to Australian hospital pharmacy practice; recipient of the inaugural Medical Benefits Fund Health and Well-being Postgraduate Research Scholarship (1998); SHPA Australian Clinical Pharmacy Award in recognition of outstanding achievement as a clinical pharmacist 1998); and was designate and recipient of the CCGP Excellence in Geriatric Pharmacy Practice Award (2016).
• Dr Chris was the first Australian pharmacist to achieve certification as a psychiatric pharmacy specialist with the US Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (1997), and was the first Australian to attain certification as a geriatric pharmacy specialist with the US Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy (1997).

He is a highly regarded academic, having authored over 160 journal papers, several book chapters and a psychopharmacology text book (Oxford University Press), and he has served as the Editor in Chief for the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research (Wiley International) and The Senior Care Pharmacist (Ingenta).  Dr Chris is founding author and tutor for the SHPA Seminars in Clinical Pharmacy Practice and of the SHPA Pharmacology and Drug Information for Nurses seminars , delivering professional development for more than 800 nurses in rural locations around Australia.

His widely recognised skills and qualifications in diverse disciplines include:

• Working collaboratively with other clinicians to assist in addressing the needs of people living with mental health issues, including strategies to assist the families and carers involved in supporting those serious psychiatric illness and related issues
• Addressing and supporting needs of consumers, families and staff dealing with the challenges of serious disabilities of all types
• Specific high level, translatable skills in research and clinical disciplines relevant to psychiatry and gerontology, in particular including clinical pharmacology and pharmacy practice.
• An extensive background in health care education (medical, nursing, pharmacy, psychology & other disciplines), and extensive involvement in clinical research
• An extended body of experience and practical participation in addressing major change management as a part of a longstanding in background in health administration

Dr Chris’s considerable practice experience in hospital, aged care, disability and community pharmacy sectors and his experience in high-level clinical and administrative interdisciplinary team environments provide him with an exceptional depth of practical knowledge.

His specific knowledge of clinical therapeutics, with a focus in psychiatry and gerontology, coupled with his skills as an educator in clinical and didactic settings, set him apart as an excellent presenter.

Responsible for the management of large service departments in public teaching hospitals in South Australia, including the acclaimed pharmacy service at the Repatriation General Hospital, Dr Chris’s extensive clinical research focuses on psycho-pharmacology, and safe and effective medication treatment for older people.

Dr Chris is Adjunct Associate Professor (Pharmacy Practice), School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, providing clinical and discipline-specific teaching for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. He supervises higher degree research students including candidates for Doctoral, Masters and Honours programmes, including programmes conducted offshore, and is a member of the Clinical Faculty, JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysore and Ootacamund, India and Professor (Clinical Pharmacy), University Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia, and the Management and Science University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Dr Chris has been Editor in Chief of the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, and is currently leading editorial team of The Senior Care Pharmacist, official journal of The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, guiding its transformation to new online platform. He was appointed to Geriatric Pharmacy Specialty Council, US Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (2019) and to the Patient Safety and Quality Committee of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine (2019).

Consultancies

Dr Chris has successfully delivered a range of consulting work in areas such as medical, nursing and pharmacy education, medical writing, data analysis, research and health promotion. Clients include:

• The Australasian Cochrane Centre
• Royal District Nursing Service
• Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service
• Rural Health Training Unit of the SA Health Commission
• Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and Pharmacy Guild of Australia
• New Zealand Hospital Pharmacy Association
• Malaysian Ministry of Health
• Norwegian Ministry of Health
• Medicolegal Consultants of Australia (MLCOA)
• Healthcare Management Advisors (HMA) Melbourne and Adelaide
• Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
• Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
• Joanna Briggs Institute, University of Adelaide
• Flinders University of SA Medical School (Katherine campus)
• Research Reviews Ltd (Australia)
• National Prescribing Service
• Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacists
• Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore
• Ngaanyatjarra Aboriginal Health Service WA
• University Airlangga, Surabaya Indonesia
• HISFARSI (Indonesian Hospital Pharmacists Association)
• The Westmead Hospital, Sydney
• The Australasian College of Emergency Medicine
• Minda Inc. Brighton, SA

Silver Service Care has appointed Mr Quentin Bai as its lead consultant for strategic business development in the multicultural aged care sector, accredited employees, professional practitioners, and service providers in Australia.

Quentin has had a long and distinguished career, promoting export and inward investment, developing bilateral relationship between Australian businesses and businesses in the greater China market. He has extensive onshore and offshore working experience with excellent understanding of the cultural and business practices and extensive networks of established businesses.

Quentin focused on more than international business, trade and investment, he has a strong passion in international aged care sector with an expressed concern for the aging population in Australia and in China. Quentin is an experienced cross-cultural and bilingual professional consultant He has advised GEM College and our associates for nearly 20 years, and has proven himself a professional and valuable partner.

He has been recommended for the role of Consultant for Strategic Business Development and Partnership.

Malcolm is 52 years of age. He was born to a profoundly deaf father and a deaf/blind mother. He grew up without either of these disabilities. He grew up and was educated in Adelaide, South Australia.

Early in his formative years he became proficient in Sign Language and English. This enabled him to interpret and communicate everyday situations for his parents. From as young as he can remember this bilingual upbringing involved tasks such as providing general everyday guidance, from asking a retailer for assistance to questioning the meaning of an official government letter.

Today, Malcolm’s parents are both in their mid-to-late seventies. And, while raising his own family - he is still involved in their welfare. It involves spending time assisting them with insurance claims, maintaining their financial affairs, organising Wills and Power of Attorney’s and interpreting medical diagnoses and procedures with medical specialists. Fortunately, this responsibility and assistance is shared across other family members and professional carers.

The time pressures of our modernised world are not lost on his parents, yet Malcolm finds it humbling each time he does take time-out to connect and engage. Planning ahead, persisting, being tolerant, coming to terms with disappointment, not being afraid to make mistakes and always willing to learn new things are values instilled by his parents. So there are no grievances either way. And their misfortunes pale into insignificance compared to the physical fortunes and opportunities that he himself has experienced — just do your best without worrying about what other people think!

Of course, Malcolm is a proficient Auslan communicator. His presentations include:-

• “The Blind: Recommendations on using touch”
• “Consistency of Communication for the Deaf”
• “Establish Trust – the use of credit cards in a cashless world”

More About Malcolm:

Fascinated by Quantum Physics, Malcolm scored exceptionally well in his Year 12 Mathematics and Physics studies. However, he wanted to avoid the perception of “being a nerd” and so chose to follow a career of art and design.

Malcolm undertook five years of formal art training prior to entering University and graduated from UniSA School of Art, Architecture and Design in 1989 with a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication).

Shortly after graduation, Malcolm commenced business as a sole trader in the graphic design industry. Malcolm Koch design is well recognised as an excellent corporate designer. Today he calls himself an artist and designer.

Malcolm’s passion for Quantum Physics, coupled with his artistic creativity, and views of painting, have led him to coining the phrase, Membrane Art — a practice of allowing the surface geometry to play a role in creating distinctive expression and unfolding events. Malcolm is not an average artist, he has received repeated Commendations including:

2018 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize™ 2018 ‘Oxygen Captured’.
2016 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize: Finalist and Highly Commended
2014 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize: Finalist and Highly Commended
2011 South Australian Living Artist (SALA), Finalist

Two of his pieces Close To Water and Quantum Sunray selected to be were chosen to be part of the Brighton Jetty Sculptures, earlier this year (2020)

Malcolm’s interests include problem-solving, designing type characters, gardening, cycling and playing team sports. He has played football (aka soccer) for over 30 years, including several years in the South Australian 1st Division, and enjoys spending time with his young family.

Malcolm is an active member of Trees For Life.

You will get to know Brendan very well, as he is the Convenor for our Silver Service Seminars.

Brendan has been involved in Education and Training for 33 years, and is passionate about assisting and enabling people, and organisations, to be the best they can be.

His expertise in technology applications and the development of online systems has been a key part in the establishment of the Silver Service Care training platform.

As a Convener, Brendan is excited to be part of an amazing team that delivers incredible content to those who need it most, those on the frontline of the Health Care system.

Brendan loves to bring enthusiasm and drive to everything he is involved in and can’t wait to see the transformational benefits that the Silver Service Care program brings to every participant and organisation involved.