Another significant milestone has been achieved under the Liberal National Government’s comprehensive aged care reform agenda, with the formation of Australia’s first Aged Care Workforce Industry Council.
The new Council will lead the implementation of Australia’s once-in-a-generation Aged Care Workforce Strategy, to rapidly grow the professional care workforce and have the right skills, training and experience in place.
Ensuring the aged care sector can attract and retain a skilled workforce to meet the growing demand for services is a top priority.
Australians are living longer than ever before, meaning we will need to grow the aged care workforce from around 360,000 now to almost one million within 30 years.
Released and actioned by our Government in September 2018, the Strategy is a blueprint for the future. It was developed by an independent Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce, led by Professor John Pollaers OAM, and represents the most comprehensive examination of the key issues facing Australia’s aged care workforce.
Peak bodies the Aged Care Guild, Aged and Community Services Australia and Leading Age Services Australia, have thrown their support behind the Aged Care Workforce Industry Council which will drive the work needed to rapidly grow the workforce for the benefit of all Australians.
The Productivity Commission projects the number of Australians receiving aged care will almost triple by 2050, with 3.5 million Australians expected to access services every year.
This investment in workforce capability complements the landmark More Choices for a Longer Life initiative announced in the 2018–19 Budget, which includes a $5 billion boost to aged care funding over four years.
More Choices for a Longer Life includes measures will support the aged care workforce to manage care for people with complex care needs. This includes $102.5 million over four years to deliver mental health care services to aged care recipients and $32.8 million over four years for a trial to improve palliative care in residential aged care.
This builds on the commitment of $33 million in the 2017–18 Budget for the Boosting the Local Care Workforce Program, designed to support disability and aged care service providers to meet their workforce needs.
The Aged Care Workforce Industry Council will meet for the first time in February.
