Mandating sector-wide aged care training requirements would make elderly Australians safer while bolstering workforce stability, according to a new analysis by the Australia Institute.
The Centre for Future Work warns that reforms due to come into effect from July – including screening requirements to exclude unsuitable workers and a mandatory code of conduct – do not go far enough to ensure the quality and safety or recognise workers’ skills.
Key findings:
- The report, Professionalising the Aged Care Workforce, calls for the mandated, sector-wide professional registration and minimum aged care worker qualifications that require all workers to have at least a Certificate III
- Costs would be minimal because two out of three personal care workers already have a Certificate III or higher qualification
- Mandating minimum training requirements would lead to higher quality and safer care as well as better career paths for workers
- Minimum aged care worker qualifications to Certificate III level and access to ongoing professional development were key recommendations of the 2021 Aged Care Royal Commission
“This is about long-term sustainability for the aged care workforce,” said Dr Fiona Macdonald, Policy Director, The Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute.