The big picture
When we asked providers what challenges were impacting their organisation the most, unsurprisingly the top five challenges related to accessing and retaining quality workers, followed by workforce management and the related costs.
The disability care sector, alongside the broader care economy, is facing a workforce in crisis, with demand expected to potentially outstrip the supply of available workers in the not-too-distant future. To meet this demand, we, as a sector, must prepare to adapt how we manage and grow our workforce.
What's inside?
Our report delves into five fundamental themes that have surfaced:
- Juggling financial sustainability alongside the imperative to cultivate a high-quality workforce stands out as the primary obstacle to scaling.
- Providers perceive consistent staffing as vital for sustainability; however, challenges in recruitment and retention significantly disrupt workforce stability.
- A collaborative workforce presents an inventive solution for addressing workforce difficulties, yet perceived complexities create obstacles to its adoption.
- Solely considering costs doesn't hinder the adoption of a shared workforce in the disability care sector.
- The shared workforce model serves as a supplement rather than a replacement to your existing workforce strategy.
57%
of providers identified financial sustainability as their top business priority in the next six months.
71%
identified rising costs and an uneven regulatory playing field as the top barriers to growing their disability care business.
53%
of providers find it difficult to maintain consistent staffing levels due to the unpredictability of casual support workers.