Catholic Health Australia has joined forces with a coalition of Not For Profit, faith-based aged care providers and the Health Services Union (HSU) to ask the Government for funding sustainability for aged care providers, higher pay and better conditions for aged care workers, and assistance attracting skilled temporary workers to Australia.
CHA joined providers Uniting NSW & ACT, BaptistCare NSW & ACT, Anglicare Sydney, and the Royal Freemasons’ Benevolent Institution (RFBI) to brief MPs and advisors. The HSU was also included in the discussions.
CHA is the peak body for Catholic health and aged care providers, including more than 36,000 home care customers, 25,000 residential aged care consumers and 10,000 hospital patients. Last year, UnitingCare Queensland became the first non-Catholic aged care provider to join CHA – requiring an amendment of CHA’s constitution.
This new coalition raises a question – the Aged and Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) is supposed to be presenting a united voice to Government representing the aged care sector. Should these organisations instead be getting behind ACCPA? Last year, ACCPA was not invited to the Government jobs summit, despite the sector’s staffing challenges.
The group discussed:
- Indexation rates for wages, including for the outcomes of enterprise bargaining
- Consumer contributions
- Support developing and sourcing local aged care workers
- Making Australian aged care jobs more desirable to foreign workers
- A joint commitment to ensure the next stage of the Work Value case is delivered as soon as possible, and funding is secured
L-R Rear: Jason Kara, CHA; Senator David Pocock; Charles Moore, BaptistCare NSW & ACT; Louanne Riboldi, RFBI; Frank Price; RFBI; Simon Miller, Anglicare L-R Front: Chris Friend, HSU; Lauren Hutchins, HSU; Emma Maiden, Uniting NSW.ACT