Workforce capability building

About this theme

These case studies show how workforce capability can be built and developed through systems that prepare, support and retain staff in Aboriginal health, First Nations and remote aged care contexts.

The case studies focus on three approaches:

• NACCHO’s employer-led Aboriginal health workforce training model, based on the First Nations Health Worker Traineeship Program.
• Southern Cross Care and Selectability’s supported FIFO workforce model across remote Lower Gulf and Cape York aged care services.
• Yaandina Community Services’ culturally informed recruitment and onboarding approach in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Across the case studies, workforce capability was supported through employer leadership, structured supervision, culturally safe support, direct employment, realistic recruitment, onboarding, site visits and staff wellbeing systems.

Methods

This themed case study is based on three interview-informed case studies about building workforce capability in First Nations aged care settings.

The case studies focused on:

1. National Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (NACCHO)
2. Yaandina Community Health Services
3. Southern Cross Care and Selectability

See the individual case studies for more detail in the links below.

Why this is important

Building workforce capability is important because training, recruitment and staffing models need to match the realities of practice.

The case studies identify several shared workforce challenges:

• Traditional traineeships have struggled with low completion rates, poor role alignment, weak supervision and high attrition.
• Remote aged care services face limited local labour pools, geographic isolation and difficulty attracting and retaining skilled staff.
• Reliance on short-term or agency staffing can lead to high turnover, inconsistent practice and reduced continuity for older people.
• Frequent workforce turnover can disrupt relationships, undermine trust and limit staff understanding of local community context.
• Candidates relocating to remote areas may lack understanding of isolation, climate, service complexity and cultural context.

Together, the case studies show that capability is not only about skills or qualifications. It also depends on whether staff are recruited, trained and supported in ways that fit the service, community and cultural context.

How building capability in the workforce worked

NACCHO

The NACCHO case study examined a national Aboriginal health workforce training program supported through the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector.

The program:

• Positioned employers as leaders and co-owners of workforce development.
• Enabled ACCHOs to nominate trainees based on organisational need, role fit and commitment.
• Embedded training within real employment, with employers accountable for supervision, role design and supporting trainees to completion.
• Strengthened pathways from training to practice through meaningful post-qualification roles.
• Used partnerships with Registered Training Organisations to support flexible delivery, mentoring and wraparound learner support grounded in cultural safety.

Southern Cross Care and Selectability

The Southern Cross Care and Selectability case study examined workforce capability following the transition of aged care services across Doomadgee, Mornington Island, Normanton and Aurukun.

Selectability:

• Designed the staffing model before recruiting, aligning workforce structure with resident acuity, service intent and community context.
• Implemented a regional management model, with clinically qualified Regional Managers providing leadership and continuity across sites.
• Supported each home with Registered Nurses, Enrolled Nurses, Personal Care Workers and facility support staff, with local employment prioritised where possible.
• Introduced a direct-employment FIFO model, with staff paid above award and working a six-weeks-on, two-weeks-off roster.
• Provided accommodation, meals, transport, comprehensive onboarding, paid pre-deployment training, on-site buddying and ongoing supervision.

Yaandina Community Services

Yaandina Community Services is a long-standing, community-based organisation operating in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Yaandina redesigned recruitment and onboarding so candidates could gain a realistic and culturally informed understanding of the role and environment before commencing.

The approach included:

• A video showcasing life and work in the Pilbara, including distance, climate and community context.
• In-depth interviews, follow-up conversations and targeted psychometric assessment designed for the care sector.
• On-site visits before final appointment so candidates could tour facilities, meet colleagues, view accommodation and experience the local environment.
• Active involvement from leaders and managers to reinforce relational connection, cultural expectations and organisational values.

Implementation supports

The case studies show that workforce capability building was supported through practical systems, not stand-alone activities.

Key implementation supports included:

• Structured supervision tools that translated training requirements into clear clinical language and aligned supervision with everyday workflows.
• Culturally safe delivery, wraparound mentoring and strong organisational commitment to support trainees through completion and into ongoing employment.
• Accommodation, transport, meals and purpose-built housing solutions that helped staff live and work in remote communities.
• Wellbeing supports such as reliable internet access, social connection activities, gym equipment, team events, an Employee Assistance Program and internal mental health expertise.
• Realistic recruitment processes, including site visits, organisational housing and upfront investment to reduce poor recruitment decisions.

Practice implications

Workforce capability building can strengthen aged care and community-based services when organisations:

• Embed learning within employment and support staff through structured, culturally safe supervision.
• Align staffing models with cultural context, service philosophy and workforce wellbeing.
• Improve continuity of care through stable employment models, leadership continuity and relational support.
• Prepare staff before they start by giving them realistic information about role demands, community context and living conditions.
• Treat workforce capability as a connected pathway from recruitment to retention, rather than a single training intervention.

Key implementation considerations for building the capability of the workforce

• Training succeeds when employers are co-owners, not bystanders.

• Supervision must be intentionally designed, resourced and supported.

• Stable staffing models support cultural safety through continuity and relationship-building.

• Staff wellbeing, accommodation and connection are critical to workforce sustainability.

• Realistic previews and cultural context are critical to informed recruitment.

• Recruitment should assess resilience, adaptability and role fit.

• Workforce capability is built through systems that connect people, roles, supervision, culture and place.

Relevant case studies