In recognition of the valuable and essential services direct aged care workers provide to older people and the wider community, Juniper has committed to the ‘Every Dollar Pledge’ initiative.

The Aged & Community Care Providers Association’s (ACCPA) pledge encourages aged care providers to ensure the Federal Government’s 15 percent pay increase for direct care staff is used to pay for the increase in wages and associated on-costs as of July 1, 2023.

Juniper Chief Executive Officer Russell Bricknell said: “Investing in staff is critical to providing quality aged care services and it’s essential that we do everything we can to ensure our staff feel valued and receive the pay and conditions they deserve.”

The pay increase is a result of the work value case put before the Fair Work Commission in response to ongoing concerns about the low wages facing aged care workers across the country.

The Fair Work Commission’s decision to increase the minimum wage will apply to direct care employees working in home care, as well as residential aged care, under the Aged Care Award, Nurses Award and the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Industry Award.

“By the Federal Government committing to fund this pay increase it will make a big difference to 1270 of our direct care staff who support our customers across the state,” Mr Bricknell said.

The increase in wages also highlights the workforce shortages the sector has faced since the start of the pandemic, as demand for aged care services increases with an ageing population.

“It is our hope that the increase in the award wage will also help address the ongoing challenges that aged care providers face in recruiting and retaining staff. It also acknowledges that aged care workers have been undervalued for some time. Our staff who deliver these crucial services to our customers are very caring, professional and dedicated individuals,” Mr Bricknell added.

Juniper, with other ACCPA members, have made the pledge and will continue to work towards providing the highest quality aged care services in Australia.

“It is not only the right thing to do but it is also an investment in the future of our industry. As leaders in aged care, we are committed to driving positive change and supporting our staff to deliver compassionate and person-centred care,” Mr Bricknell said.