Paul Sadler, interim CEO of Aged & Community Care Providers Association, has responded to last week’s Jobs and Skills Summit with cautious optimism, but believes there is much more work to be done – and soon.
Greater skilled migration, more TAFE places, and faster visa processing to get workers into the country are all good outcomes for the aged care industry, he has said, as are the plans to introduce more flexible working options for women and pensioners.
But it is just the start of what needs to be done for the sector.
“Aged care providers are so short of staff many are forced to leave aged care beds empty or simply not take on new home and community care clients,” Paul said in ACCPA’s response.
“ACCPA members are working hard to make sure they can meet the government’s required additional minutes of care for people living in aged care homes, but the dire shortage of staff, particularly Registered Nurses, makes it especially challenging.
“We need to recruit more staff as quickly as possible as the number of people leaving aged care is increasing the pressure on those staff who remain.”
However, achieving better pay for aged care workers remains a key challenge to overcome.
“We have viewed with interest the discussion about wages, and the union push for sector-wide bargaining, as having some potential merit for the care economy,” Paul said.
“As the aged care sector’s peak representative body, ACCPA is yet to formulate a policy on sector-wide bargaining and nor have we been approached by government, but we would be happy to join a consultation on the matter. The details of a proposal of that nature will be crucial in how we evaluate that option.”
ACCPA was not invited to attend the summit, despite being regarded as the peak industry body representing the sector.
Meanwhile, a joint statement from Health Services Union, United Workers Union, the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation, Catholic Health Australia, Uniting NSW.ACT, the Benevolent Society, and Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia has called on the Government to address eight key areas of concern for the industry. The statement’s demands are to:
- Ensure quality care for all older Australians delivered by a valued aged care workforce in quality, secure jobs.
- Immediately implement any decision coming out of the Fair Work Commission’s Aged Care Work Value Case to introduce better remuneration for the aged care workforce.
- Secure a genuine long-term commitment from Government to link sector funding to pay decisions.
- Introduce a nationwide scheme to waive/reimburse fees (including HECS) for people who work in the health and aged care sectors, with additional incentives for people who choose to work in regional and remote areas.
- Identify and promote more attractive career pathways and incentives to specialise to encourage greater workforce retention.
- Commence discussions between the sector and all levels of government to ensure there are affordable housing options in communities for aged care workers, especially in regional and remote areas.
- Participate in consultation regarding sector wide bargaining that would include the Commonwealth’s participation.
- Invest in better ways to systematically link long term unemployed and other groups of marginalised job seekers with the opportunity for a career in aged care and provide better and longer-term wrap around support once placed.
