The aged care sector is evolving towards a consumer-centred system where individuals select the services and service providers to support them and their quality of life.
The ageing Australian population is already increasing demands on the sector, the Productivity Commission predicts there will be 3.5 million Australians accessing aged care service every year by 2050. Alongside changes to government policy settings that signal a clear shift from residential to home-based care, these factors point to significant workforce transformation over the coming years.
In response to these challenges, the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) is establishing a specific-purpose Aged Care Industry Reference Committee (IRC) to strengthen the aged care sector’s leadership of reforms arising from the work of the Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce.
As a consumer-centred approach demands services tailored to diverse needs, service providers and employees will need to strengthen their workforce with access to a broader range of skills and competencies, delivered through more flexible training options. The Aged Care IRC will be responsible for:
- reforming national training package qualifications and skill sets needed by the aged care industry
- examining new approaches to career structuring and progression in the sector, and the education pathways needed to support these
- scoping of opportunities for collaboration across VET, higher education and a range of industry sectors to tackle the challenges of an ageing society.
Feedback on the proposed structure closed on Wednesday 4 April 2018.
A call for nominations will be made following assessment and approval of the final committee structure.
Please let us know if you would like advice to be sent to you directly about the call for nominations by emailing: AISCSecretariat@education.gov.au
Proposed structure and broad membership of the Aged Care IRC
| Representative type | Number of positions | Organisations | Comments and rationale |
| Skills and competencies / profession based organisations | 1 | Australian Association of Gerontology | The peak national body linking researchers, educators, policy-makers, practitioners and other experts engaged in ageing issues. |
| 1 | Australian College of Nursing | The leading professional organisation for nurses in Australia. | |
| 1 | Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) | The RACGP is the professional body for general practitioners | |
| 2 | Functional health professions | The peak national organisation for allied health professionals, including representatives covering physiotherapy and occupational therapy and other skill areas such as social workers, dietitians and speech therapists. | |
| 1 | Palliative Care Australia | Palliative Care Australia is the national peak body for palliative care. | |
| 1 |
Dementia Australia
|
National advocate body representing people living with dementia, families and carers, and provider of support services, education and information. | |
| 1 |
Industry Expert -
Assistive Technologies |
Open for nomination – candidates include Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council member or university medical device researcher. | |
| 1 | Mental Health | Open for nomination – candidates could include Royal Australia College of Psychiatrists or the other mental health professional groups | |
| 1 | COTA/National Seniors | Consumer advocacy and representative group | |
| 1 | Carers Australia | Consumer advocacy and membership network | |
| Employee representatives | 1 | Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) | The ANMF is the union for registered nurses, enrolled nurses, midwives, and assistants in nursing doing nursing work. |
| 1 | United Voice | United Voice is the largest union representing health & aged care members workers. | |
| Linkages with Higher Education | 1 | Universities Australia | The national peak body for universities. |
|
Peak / advisory / association
|
3 | Employer representative and peak bodies | Key employer representatives and national peak bodies representing providers of aged care services across residential care, home care and retirement living. Will include Leading Aged Services Australia, Aged and Community Services Australia and the Aged Care Guild |
| Total | 17 |
The IRC will work with existing IRCs that are responsible for training packages with relevant qualifications and will identify components which may need updating to ensure consistency with overall directions. It is expected a number of Technical Advisory Committees will be established covering specific issues such as rural and remote issues, diversity and linkages with higher education.