Friday will be operators’ last chance to submit a response to KPMG’s survey on whether the sector needs a single unified peak body, which was sent out only last week.
As we reported on 7 October, the Australian Aged Care Collaboration (AACC) and the Aged Care Reform Network (ACRN) have formed a Steering Committee, which has engaged the professional services firm to assist with the development of options for a model of sector representation.
The survey – which takes around 10 to 15 minutes to complete – was dispatched last week with respondents asked to answer the questions no later than 27 October 2021.
The survey poses the question ‘Is your organisation a member of an aged care body?’ and if so, ‘Do you currently see your organisation’s needs being met through existing aged care bodies representing the aged care sector?’
If respondents mark ‘no’ or unsure’, they are asked ‘Why?’ and ‘Would you like to see the aged care sector represented by a unified representative body?’
Participants are also asked what roles and functions they would look for in a representative body, and to rank seven issues by importance that they would like an aged care peak body to respond to:
- Aged care workforce capacity, capability and sustainability
- Improving public perceptions, trust and value
- Marketability, profitability and competition
- Thought leadership (policy and practice) and the promotion of research and innovation to create a better aged care sector
- Delivering quality services to older Australians
- Aged care sector development and sustainability
With the sector facing five years of rolling reforms, successfully advocating to both Government and the wider community will be critical – and a united voice could help to cut through the noise.
Currently, the sector has a number of peak bodies, including Aged Care Community Services Australia (ACSA), Leading Aged Care Services Australia (LASA), several faith-based peak body boards (Catholic Health Australia, UnitingCare Australia, BaptistCare Australia and Anglicare Australia) and the Aged Care Reform Network (ACRN), which was formed earlier this year with a mix of large private and Not For Profit operators – Allity, Bolton Clarke, Estia, HammondCare, Opal, Regis and Uniting NSW/ACT.
But should ACSA and LASA (and the other peaks) choose to amalgamate, it would be a huge logistical task to bring together membership bases, boards, staff and assets.
We will find out soon if the sector supports the move.
KPMG is due to present its report in mid-November, with the Steering Committee to report back their findings to their respective boards by the end of the year.
