First Nations Aged Care Commissioner

The ANMF advocates for the attraction and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and care workforces, with fair and equal wages, decent working conditions, and funding for education and training. [...] The ANMF shares the views of other sector stakeholders that training and developing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander direct care workforce will not only attract and retain more First Nations people to work in the sector, but it will also benefit the sustainability of, and therefore accessibility to, First Nations providers and services. [...] While there are data gaps for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care workforce, general census data shows the largest number of Indigenous employees are nurses and midwives, followed by nursing support and personal care workers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers.3 The ANMF supports the recommendation of the Royal Commission for the First Nations Commissioner to. [...] For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the transition to aged care can also be beset by a deep distrust of government and institutions, caused by experiences of marginalisation, discrimination, disadvantage and racism.6 The ANMF supports the recommendations of NAGATSIAC and the Royal Commission to establish and fund Indigenous-specific assessment pathways, delivered wherever possible by. [...] The scheme’s design and implementation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers must be done in the terms recommended by IUHI and with ongoing co-design and collaboration with representatives from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care workforce, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, aged care and government advisory groups and individuals.