ARIIA First Nations Aged Care Workforce Capability Building Program

Workforce Capability Building Program

Through funding from the J.O. & J.R. Wicking Trust, ARIIA delivered the Workforce Capability Building Program to support collaboration, leadership and knowledge sharing across the First Nations aged care sector.

The program was co-designed with First Nations aged care leaders, providers and stakeholders to ensure its activities reflected the priorities, knowledge and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 

The co-design process began with the First Nations Aged Care Workforce Needs and Opportunities Roundtable, held in Tarndanya (Adelaide) in October 2024, where more than 20 First Nations aged care experts and community stakeholders identified workforce needs, opportunities and priorities for culturally safe service delivery. These insights informed the design of the program and continue to guide its activities through ARIIA's First Nations Governance Group.

Working alongside First Nations organisations and sector leaders, ARIIA delivered three key activities:

• The First Nations Hub - a collection of themed case studies, resources and examples of practice that showcase workforce capability initiatives and culturally safe models of care. The case studies were developed through interviews and online research with First Nations organisations delivering aged care services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, capturing real-world experiences, approaches and lessons from across Australia. The Hub also includes a curated collection of resources from organisations across the aged care and First Nations sectors.
• The Knowledge Exchange Pilot - supporting First Nations leaders from geographically diverse organisations to connect face-to-face, share knowledge and learn from successful approaches to workforce capability building and culturally safe care. By enabling providers from rural, regional and remote communities to visit peer organisations and exchange practical experiences, the pilot helps strengthen relationships, reduce isolation and support cross-sector learning across the First Nations aged care sector.
• The Knowledge Sharing Event - bringing First Nations providers together to strengthen relationships, share experiences and discuss common workforce challenges and opportunities. The event provided an opportunity for ARIIA to share key learning's from the Workforce Capability Building Program and demonstrate how these learning's had been translated into practical resources and initiatives. It also created space for networking and relationship building among organisations from across Australia, helping strengthen connections and trust between ARIIA and the First Nations aged care sector. Importantly, the event enabled providers to identify future priorities and provide direct advice on how ARIIA can continue to support workforce capability building, culturally safe care and sector-led collaboration.

Together, these activities created opportunities to share knowledge, strengthen networks and elevate First Nations-led approaches to building and sustaining a culturally safe aged care workforce.