DAY ONE
7:45
Registration Opens
8:45
Welcome to Country
9:00
Chairperson's Opening Address
Arianna Mason, General Manager of People, Culture & Strategy, Fresh Hope Communities
THE NEW AGED CARE ACT
9:10
What does the new Aged Care Act mean for the future of talent acquisition?
With residential aged care homes required to deliver an average of 215 care minutes per resident per day, how can providers attract and retain a stable workforce?
Examine changes in government policies to create sustainable staffing solutions that balance compliance with high-quality care.
Adam Priest, Head of People & Culture, Southern Cross Care
9:40
How Estia Health dramatically reduced compliance risk and hiring time-to-fill
In this joint session, Zipline and Estia Health will share how they have tackled one of aged care’s most pressing challenges: filling roles faster without compromising on quality or compliance. Against a backdrop of staff shortages, burnout, and increasing compliance demands, they will walk through the real-world steps they have taken to streamline candidate onboarding, slash manual admin, and keep facilities fully staffed to meet mandated care minutes.
Ann Marie Spicer, Delivery Partner, Workforce Solutions, Estia Health
Tanmay Bhola, Co-Founder, Chief Product & Tech Officer, Zipline
Nonny Evans, Director of Healthcare, Zipline
10:00
Protecting aged care workers: Addressing occupational violence
With 40% of aged workers having faced a form of workplace violence, how can we create a safer environment?
Discover best practices such as de-escalation training, stronger workplace policies, and legal protections to enhance safety and support for aged care staff.
Cara Williams, Head of Safety and Wellbeing, Bolton Clarke
10:30
Speed Networking
10:50
Morning Tea & Coffee
11:20
Interactive Roundtables
Join us for 5 small-group roundtables looking deep into the latest challenges and solutions. These small group sessions allow for more dynamic, engaging and discussion-based conversations and are always a highlight of the forum.
Roundtable A – presented by Riskonnect
Using integrated software to streamline risk and processes organisation wide
Matthew Meldrum, Senior Sales Engineer, Riskonnect
Roundtable B – presented by Indeed
Your Brand, Their Choice: The Secret to Winning Talent in Aged Care
Lauren Anderson, Senior Talent Strategy Advisor, Indeed
Roundtable C – presented by Zipline
Cut Time to Fill by 25%+
Nonny Evans, Director of Healthcare, Zipline
Roundtable D – presented by BESTMED
Enhancing Clinical Care: Improving Safety Through Innovation
Maximising resident and participant outcomes across the aged care continuum by applying past and current learnings through adopting medication management systems.
Amanda Fieldhouse, National Relationship Manager - Clinical, BESTMED
Marcus Holstein, Head of Product, BESTMED
Roundtable E – presented by Kath Horton
Cultural safety in aged care staffing
Kath Horton, Independent Business Owner, Aged Care Curriculum SME and NDIS Recipient Support Coordinator
WORKFORCE RETENTION
12:10
Panel: What is the impact of increased care minutes on staff retention?
With the increase in care minutes, how can providers ensure workforce stability and prevent staff turnover?
Explore strategies to improve career longevity and staff commitment through improved retention-focused initiatives
Moderator: Emma Newman, Senior Operations Manager - Residential Aged Care, Mercy Care
Rad Popowicz, Talent Acquisition Manager – Aged Care, The Salvation Army Aged Care
Paul Sadler, Consultant Aged Care, Paul Sadler Consultancy
12:50
Networking Lunch
1:50
Government Keynote: Shaping the future workforce
How is the government addressing aged care workforce shortages through funding initiatives, new wage commitments, and long-term reform strategies?
Gain insight into the workforce implications of the 2025 Federal Budget, including a $2.6 billion investment in wage growth and funding to support sector-wide reform, workforce retention, and improved care quality
Lauren Hendriks, Acting Assistant Secretary Aged Care Workforce Branch, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
ANSWERING RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES & CREATING A TALENT PIPELINE
2:20
Strategies to attracting local and young talent
With a growing demand for care professionals, how can we reshape the perception of aged care to attract more local talent?
Learn strategies to enhance your organisation’s appeal, and its benefits of making a meaningful impact, especially for younger talent.
Lehi Cerna, Talent Program Lead People, Culture and Safety, Baptcare
2:50
Afternoon tea
3:20
Balancing flexibility & stability: Casual vs. permanent work
How can aged care employers strike the right balance to attract and retain workers while ensuring operational continuity?
Navigate the trade-offs between offering flexibility and higher pay in casual roles versus providing job security in permanent positions
Helen Christo, Executive GM People and Culture, Fronditha Care
3:50
Leveraging labour agreements to address workforce shortages
Explore how Edgarley Assisted Living successfully used Labour Force Agreements to sponsor overseas workers and fill critical roles
Learn practical strategies for balancing international recruitment with long-term workforce sustainability
Susan Wray, Chief Executive Officer, Edgerley Assisted Living
4:20
Will recent wage increases keep staff engaged?
Despite two wage increases in 2025, are salaries enough to make the workforce stay?
Explore how career progression and purpose-driven work drive staff attraction and long-term engagement.
Michael Rasheed, Executive People and Culture, Southern Cross Care
4:50
Chairperson’s Closing Remarks
5:00
Networking Drinks
DAY TWO
8:20
Registration Opens
9:00
Chairperson's Opening Address
Arianna Mason, General Manager of People, Culture & Strategy, Fresh Hope Communities
WORKFORCE TRAINING & UPSKILLING
9:15
Tackling workforce challenges in remote and rural communities
Explore successful strategies for training in remote communities: case study of a mobile skills lab van
Transform the perception of traineeships and build on industry collaboration as a foundation for successful training and upskilling
Robert Peoples, Teaching Education Manager - Health & Community Services, South West TAFE
9:45
Investing in continuous professional development
How can training programs focus not only on clinical skills but also on soft skills like communication, empathy, and resilience, especially for staff working with complex care needs?
Explore the most effective ways to incorporate continuous professional development into the daily workflow of aged care staff
Susan Wray, Chief Executive Officer, Edgerley Assisted Living
10:15
Morning tea & coffee
11:00
Mentorship and strengthening of career pathways
How to structure mentorship programs that effectively upskill and engage talent
Explore career pathways that foster growth and strengthens the aged care workforce
Alicia Goddard, General Manager, People Culture and Diversity, Benetas
11:40
Panel: What can be done to support good mental health practice for staff in high stress environments
Addressing the emotional toll that aged care workers face daily, including grief, high stress, and burnout
Equip staff with the right mental health support programs, trauma-informed care and stress reduction techniques to foster resilience and keep providing high-quality care.
Moderator: Mark Green, National Director Mission & People, Calvary Health
Sharon Blackburn, Executive Director, BallyCara
Mason Gismondi, Head of Psychosocial Safety, Bupa
Tamara Paton, Senior Executive Officer, Vasey RSL Care
THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY
12:25
Case Study: Maximising efficiency with HR information systems and Operations Insights Suite
Explore different HR information systems to help automate complex tasks, simplify record-keeping and ensure timely compliance
Discover Operations Insights Suite (OIS) - a cloud-based analytics system that provides predictive reporting and decision-making support, simplifying data into visual reports and actionable insights to help monitor key operational drivers
Stephen Becsi, Chief Executive Officer, Apollo Care
Alissa Walsh, Chief Performance Officer, Apollo Care
Richard Rosewarne, Chief Analyst Officer, Apollo Care
12:50
Networking Lunch
2:00
Government Keynote: Insights into addressing the aged care workforce shortages
How is the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme supporting aged care providers to meet critical workforce needs?
Gain insight into how the PALM scheme is helping aged care providers meet growing workforce demands through cross-sector collaboration
Jason Stott, First Assistant Secretary, Australian Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
BURNOUT AND WELL-BEING
2:30
Reducing the compliance burden while improving care quality monitoring
With the increased administrative compliance with the national mandatory quality indicator program, how can technology help staff to be more efficient?
Discover effective use of technology to streamline administrative tasks and reduce compliance burnout while delivering better quality information to monitor and improve care quality
Dr Nas Wabe, Senior Research Fellow - Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University
3:10
Afternoon Tea
3:40
Leadership's role in addressing and improving well-being of staff
How can strong leadership enhance workplace well-being by fostering open communication, balanced workloads, and a supportive environment?
Learn key strategies to support workforce by promoting work-life balance
Caroline Zammit, General Manager of People & Culture, Medical & Aged Care Group
ROLE OF DIVERSITY
4:15
Enhancing patient outcomes through diversity
How can a diverse workforce improve patient satisfaction and care quality?
Explore actionable strategies to build and support diverse teams, and their critical role in improving healthcare delivery
Diana Horvatovic, Chief Executive Officer, St. Basil's Aged Care NSW & ACT
Rosa Young, Chief Operating Officer, St. Basil's Aged Care NSW & ACT
4:50
Chairperson’s closing remarks
Arianna Mason, General Manager of People, Culture & Strategy, Fresh Hope Communities
5:00
Close of Forum