14/10/2026
PEOPLE OF HELPING HAND
Meet Scott, Adelaide Crows supporter, avid motorbike rider and movie buff who enjoys classics like Star Wars and Back to the Future, along with a good crime thriller or two.
As the Hotel Services Site Manager at Helping Hand’s Mawson Lakes Care Home, Scott's passion for food has seen him lead a successful culinary career across the United Kingdom and Australia, after discovering his love for cooking at just four years old during a family holiday to Spain.
"I remember being mesmerised by a chef cooking a barbecue. I even had my photo taken with him and knew from that moment I wanted to be a chef," Scott said.
Since then, Scott has worked in hotels across the United Kingdom, as Head Chef at Volkswagen UK's headquarters and in mining camps across Australia before moving into aged care.
"The best advice I ever received came from my very first Head Chef," Scott said.
"When you make something, you should be able to taste every ingredient. Lasagne should taste like herbs, garlic and tomatoes. Only lazy chefs make lumpy mince”
"I've carried that lesson with me throughout my career and apply it to everything I do, doing it well and doing it properly."
While his role looks different today, Scott's focus on people remains the same.
“When it comes to the daily experience of the residents in our care, great service is about personalising things wherever we can and providing choice,” he said.
At Helping Hand, supporting one another, sharing knowledge and stepping in when help is needed are all part of delivering exceptional care and service, and our commitment to Caring for Our Trusted Team, a key priority in our 2025-2030 Strategic Plan.
Scott recently brought this priority to life when he travelled to Whyalla to support the local Hotel Services team during a period of staff shortages, stepping in to help the team to continue to deliver high quality care.
"It was rewarding to be able to support the team when they needed an extra pair of hands," Scott said.
"Every Helping Hand home is different, and our two in Whyalla have their own unique challenges and strengths. Being there gave me a greater appreciation for the work our regional teams do every day and how they band together to get the job done."
"Helping Hand has a culture where people genuinely want to help each other and it’s the support we receive from our leaders that helps us do this.”
When it comes to the values that underpin Helping Hand, Scott believes the value of Excellence most closely with his approach to work.
"To me, excellence is about going the extra mile. Sometimes it's simply finding a better way to do something or doing something small that makes a real difference to someone's day."
Scott's story is just one example of how our organisational values and commitment to Caring for Our Trusted Team come to life every day. Learn more about our values https://ow.ly/m3oY50ZX0Ir and Strategic Plan https://ow.ly/f1pz50ZX0I1.
