Juniper CEO Russell Bricknell has been appointed chair of The Aged Care Workforce Remote Accord leadership group.

The Remote Accord is made up of a group of employers and experts delivering aged care services in remote and very remote areas of Australia.

The role of the Remote Accord is to work collaboratively with services and communities across the nation to document the challenges facing the workforce and understand existing strategies aimed at combatting those challenges.

Russell has been a member of the leadership group since December 2022 and in his role will continue to lead important discussions, including those around addressing the shortage of appropriately trained aged care workers in remote regions of Australia.

“As someone who is passionate about ensuring every community has an equal right to accessible high-quality aged care services, it’s a great honour to chair the leadership group,” he said.

“I’ve been with the group for more than a year now and I’m really looking forward to continuing these important conversations and engaging with communities, key stakeholders and Government to ensure there is an effective and informed approach when it comes to provider-led solutions.”

The Remote Accord was established in 2018 on the back of a recommendation in the ‘A Matter of Care: Australia’s Aged Care Workforce Strategy’ report.

Its overall objective is to achieve an adequate, robust and appropriately skilled and supported workforce that meets the current and future needs of older people living in remote and very remote Australian communities.

The Remote Accord leadership team is made up of leaders from service providers operating in remote and very remote areas from across Australia and also includes Graham Aitken from Aboriginal Community Services, Tamra Bridges from SilverChain, Jenny Beath from Australian Unity, Mia Hampson from Pinangba, and Wendy Hubbard from Australian Regional and Remote Community Services, as well as remote aged care experts Mark Diamond, Phillip Luck, and Praveen Gopal.