With recent wage increases of 15% having been implemented for workers in both the aged care and childcare sectors, leading disability advocates are calling for more support within the disability sector to ensure workers aren’t forced to leave the industry.
Australians living with disabilities continue to face significant challenges, with higher health risks and barriers to accessing health services. Nearly one-third (32%), or about 1.4 million Australians, have a severe or profound disability, requiring assistance with daily activities such as self-care, mobility, and communication1.
Despite the wage boosts in aged care and childcare, disability support workers remain underpaid by comparison, exacerbating existing workforce shortages in disability services. This disparity has raised concerns that these sectors may draw more workers away from the already strained disability support workforce.
With 57% of childcare workers employed by for-profit childcare services2, over half of the increases in salaries are being provided to staff working for organisations making money for their shareholders and owners. A significant portion of these profits may leave the industry, or even the country, especially if owned by large investment or superannuation funds.
Mark Townend, CEO of leading disability not-for-profit, Spinal Life Australia, says there needs to be measures introduced to support and incentivise disability workers to join and stay in the industry.
“It is clear the Government is seeking to rely on the generosity of not-for-profits in trying to ensure the delivery of care and supports for people with disability in Australia.
“Not-for-profit agencies are already struggling to meet the requirements of people with disability to live independent lives because of the challenges in attracting enough suitably qualified, experienced and passionate people to the disability sector.
“The fact that other comparable workforces have been supported with significant wage increases in recent times, will make it even more difficult to attract enough workers to the disability sector, relying on not-for-profit organisations to invest directly back into improving or expanding services for Australians with a disability and the federal Government is taking advantage of the good nature of organisations like ours.
“We aren’t militant and try to work collaboratively but are now getting sick and tired of the Minister and Treasurer continually taking advantage of the sector’s cooperative approach. They are showing low morals and taking advantage of the hardworking frontline staff. If they were real leaders, they would have treated the aged, disability and childcare sectors equally and fairly.
“The Government should immediately take action to reconsider its position on salary levels for workers in the disability sector and ensure that further staff shortages are not caused by their lack of consistency between important sectors of the Australian economy.
“We will have less and less staff coming to and staying in the industry, and this will lead to poorer and poorer outcomes for people with disability and the closure of or exit from the industry of long-established not-for-profit agencies – making the Government’s job even more difficult in the long-term.”
Spinal Life Australia will continue to advocate for those living with disability to ensure that every Australian is able to live comfortably and receive the support they require.
About the Citations
- https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/disability/people-with-disability-in-australia/contents/people-with-disability/prevalence-of-disability
- https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/resources/2021-early-childhood-education-and-care-national-workforce-census-report