News

DWGC Study update (July 2022)

The ARC- funded Decent Work Good Care study commenced in 2017 with the data collection phases completed in 2018 and 2019. We have communicated our findings throughout the study using a variety of formats and targeting different audiences. This has included submissions, presentations, promising policies and promising practices, tv and radio interviews, journal articles and blogs. Unfortunately, our international symposium organized for March 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19. Dissemination of our findings will continue, so please continue to check ‘Project Outputs’ for the updates. Sara Charlesworth (DWGC Project lead)

Fair Work Australia — Work Value Case in Aged Care

In 2021/2022 The Health Services (HSU) and Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) applied to vary the minimum wage rates in the Aged Care Award 2010, the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHCDS) Industry Award 2010 and the Aged Care and Nurses Award 2010.

Key submissions:

Aged care stakeholders’ Consensus Statement – Twelve Australian aged care stakeholders representing providers, unions, older people and carers have issued a Consensus Statement calling for improved wages and working conditions (Dec 2021)
Professor Gabrielle Meagher’s Submission on the SCHCDS Industry Award (AM2021/65)
Distinguished Professor Charlesworth’s Expert Witness Statement, Fair Work Commission (FWC), Matter No: AM2021/65 Application to Vary the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award, 22 October 2021.
Distinguished Professor Sara Charlesworth’s Expert Witness Statement, Fair Work Commission (FWC), Matter No: AM2020/99 Application to Vary or Revoke the Aged Care Award 2010, 31 March 2021.

Senate Committee on Job Security recommends improvements to jobs security and pay

The Senate’s Committee on Job Security’s Second Interim Report: Insecurity in publicly-funded jobs has made a raft of recommendations to improve job security for aged care workers. Among them the report recommends the Australian Government:

develops an aged care provider procurement policy that actively promotes job security in the sectors (Rec 12);
ensures that increasing remuneration to support attraction and retention of employees is an explicit objective of al pricing authorities in the care sector’ (Rec 14); and
directs pricing authorities to consider all genuine costs required to provide high quality care, including wages and conditions (Rec 19)

Royal Commission recommends major workforce changes to improve the quality care

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s Final Report has recommended a major overhaul of the aged care system including the Aged Care Act, pricing, funding, programs standards to improve the knowledge and skills of frontline staff, their pay and working conditions and the quality of care for older people.

Key recommendations include:

Rec 13: Embedding high quality aged care
Rec 14: A general duty to provide high quality and safe care
Rec 25: A new aged care program
Rec 41: Planning based on need, not rationed
Rec 75: Aged care workforce planning
Rec 76: Aged Care Workforce Industry Council Limited
Rec 77: A national registration scheme
Rec 78: Mandatory minimum qualifications for personal care workers
Rec 84: Increases in award wages
Rec 85: Improved remuneration for aged care workers
Rec 86: Minimum staff time standard for residential care
Rec 87: Employment status and related labour standards as enforceable standards

Media

Zacarias Szumer, argues Local governments are being pushed out of aged care, but at what cost?, Eureka Street, Vol 32, no.6 (accessed 20 July 2022)