Meet Chris Snepvangers, the New CEO of Just Better Care Mornington Group

Shortly after his appointment, Ryan McMahon, General Manager of Brand & Marketing at Just Better Care Australia, sat down with Chris to talk through his career to date, what he's prioritising in the new CEO role at the Mornington Group, and what the change means for customers, families and team members across Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula and Hobart.

A career built on continuity of care

Chris is a Registered Nurse with a career spanning some of the biggest names in Australian home care, including Silverchain, KinCare, Care Connect, Australian Unity and Enrich Living Services. His path into the sector started at the bedside.

“I was a nurse working in one of the big four hospitals in Melbourne,” Chris said. Working in that environment as he completed his Master of Nursing Practice, he realised acute care wasn’t the whole picture. “There’s more to it than just the treat and street model,” he said, and he was drawn to “the actual continuum of service or the continuity of care that we provide.”

That search led him into an assessment clinician role for aged and disability services, and from there into a career dedicated to helping people stay independent at home for longer.

Most recently, Chris held national responsibility at Silverchain across clinical governance, quality, compliance and the implementation of Support at Home for the East Coast of the business, including the integration of KinCare following its acquisition by Silverchain. Before that, he was part of the leadership team that helped turn KinCare around and prepare it for that sale.

“For me, it’s all about the people and how we get the people to understand roles, responsibilities and accountability, because we’re all part of the one team.” Chris Snepvangers, Chief Executive Officer

What a turnaround really looks like

Having been part of a genuine business turnaround at KinCare, Chris has clear views on where change needs to start.

“Identifying where your gaps are, where your inefficiencies are, and also understanding the key roles and responsibilities and making sure that there are fewer touch points” is the starting point, he said. 

One example already in motion locally is a focus on first-contact resolution. 

“What does first-call resolution or first-call service look like for our customers and our staff? If we can nail that with empowering our people, then it means that we’re able to do things much simpler but also more effectively.”

For Chris, that’s also about making sure knowledge isn’t locked with one person. If a query comes in and the right person is at lunch, a simple note on the system means “anybody can give the price of that service,” rather than a customer being bounced around.

Skin in the game

Chris also brings direct experience of business ownership, having co-founded and grown a Melbourne-based sporting business before it was sold. That experience, plus equity he held during his time at KinCare, shapes how he thinks about leadership today.

“If you’re attached to it with the values of what you’re providing, as well as understanding how you’re going to provide it and what you believe good service actually is within the framework that we’ve got to work within, it allows for us to know what we’re aiming for,” 

He points to small gestures that built loyalty in that sporting business, like handing out icy poles on hot days, as an example of a principle that applies just as much in home care: 

“No matter what industry I’ve worked in, taking care of people, both our employees and our clients, really meant that we had a lot more stickiness.”

Why Just Better Care Mornington Group, and why now?

Chris has known Duane and fellow Franchise Owner Callum for more than a decade, and has referred to Just Better Care Mornington Group as a trusted provider throughout his career.

“I loved the idea of stepping in to help grow a business where I believe it’s at a critical point to grow, but also might need a few things to be fine-tuned,” 

A genuine partnership with Duane and Callum

Duane will remain closely involved as Managing Director, and Chris was clear about how the two see the relationship working.

“Duane, I would always be referring back to for financial stewardship of the business as well, and also just learning from him,” Chris said. “I really feel it’s going to be a really good two-way partnership.”

First priorities: quick wins, then culture

Asked what he’s focused on in his first three to six months, Chris nominated two clear priorities. The first is service capacity, particularly in Support at Home, which he flagged as a fast-growing part of the business. 

“There are a few quick wins in and around systems and processes that I think we’re going to look at, to then make it easier for us to serve clients and serve more clients with more hours,” 

The second is staff engagement, starting with a local initiative to grow organic Google reviews from the team, before extending the same approach to customer reviews.

Clinical governance from someone who’s lived it

As a Registered Nurse himself, Chris brings a clinical lens to service delivery that goes beyond the boardroom.

“What are we actually doing at point of care for our clients? Are we doing it in a safe, effective, personal and connected way? And are we actually working within scope of practice for our people providing that care?” he said. Having previously held care governance responsibility for a large national organisation, he’s focused on making sure the business is “audit ready every day,” and on matching “the right person for the right client, with the right skills and the right type of care.”

That’s not something he plans to manage from a distance. Chris has already identified team members and nurses he’ll join on visits, in addition to his own field training, to understand first-hand what care delivery looks like day-to-day.

One team, no ivory tower

Chris was direct about the culture he wants to build across the aged care and disability support teams.

“If you ever need anything, that’s okay to call and have a chat or shoot through an email,” he said, of what he wants team members to know about him. “I do love feedback. All feedback is good feedback, negative and neutral.”

“We’re all in it together. We’re all part of one team. We’re all just different cogs in the machine, really, and the machine won’t work if one piece isn’t doing its role.” Chris on breaking down any divide between office and field

A message for the local community

For customers, families and the broader Mornington Peninsula community, Chris’s message is simple.

“If you do have current care with us, it’s okay, give us a call. We might be able to do more for you. Or if we don’t, we’ll find a way to do it,” he said.

“I’m very proud of the brand of Just Better Care. I’ve only started, but known them for such a long time. For me, it’s a matter of understanding how we can help you provide care in your home, as well as understanding how we can provide independent, supported care for people to remain at home for as long as possible.”