The CEO of Gladstone Community Linking Agency (GCLA) Jenni Marsh, recently presented to the Senate Select Committee on the Work and Care’s Public Hearing.
Jenni Marsh, recently presented to the Senate Select Committee on the Work and Care’s Public Hearing.
The recent public hearing investigation was in regard to finding more sustainable work arrangements to allows the needs of employers, the workforce and customers to be met. GCLA operates in the Gladstone Region, providing disability and aged care services, as well as a social enterprise providing full employment to people with a disability. NDIS and the aged care service sector is a 24/7 operation, with peak times usually centering around a client’s morning, lunch, and evening. These same peak periods occur in most households.
This directly impacts the ability to access a potential workforce for the care sector.
“Due to the changing nature, needs and requests from NDIS participants and Aged Care recipients, rosters are dynamic, and change occurs at extremely short notice. The current employment instrument does not meet all the needs for this required flexibility, and may negatively impact the ability to meet the ‘continuity of care’ obligations,” said Ms. Marsh.
The current awards used across the Social Community, Home Care and Disability sectors are complex and inflexible. Allowances and penalty rates do not adequately address the requirement for flexibility in work practices that supports sustainability for employees, while also meeting the needs of customers. Rates of pay penalties and shift allowance make it extremely difficult for employers to offer permanent full-time or part-time employment, which has a direct impact on the predominantly female workforce to gain financial sustainability and independence.
“One of the tangible effects of the award is the resultant emphasis on casual employment… we need to move to a system that more adequately enables permanent employment, which reflects both the operational realities of businesses and attracts a sector workforce.”
The work conducted by Support Workers is both challenging and rewarding, in addition to being clinical. This requires the workforce to be skilled enough with training & knowledge to identify a change in a person’s condition and provide immediate first-response support to an emergency or medical event.
Ms. Marsh has suggested better remuneration and more sustainable work conditions which should contribute to ensuring those who care for others, are themselves adequately cared for. This should have a direct and positive impact on the quality of care provided to our community.
