The Fair Work Commission’s recent decision to raise wage rates for Home Care workers in the aged care sector, addressing issues of gender undervaluation and work value, has highlighted a wage gap for comparable roles in the disability sector. For this reason, QAMH welcomes the Commission’s review of the SCHADS Award for our sector. Addressing similar issues and ensuring fair pay are crucial for attracting and retaining staff. This is essential for expanding the community mental health workforce to meet increasing demand for support services.
In this submission we recommend:
- aligning wage rates for disability Home Care with those in aged care, reflecting the comparable nature of the work to ensure fairness;
- recognising and acknowledging the “invisible” skills, such as empathy and emotional support, essential in the community mental health and wellbeing workforce, to appreciate the true nature and impact of the work;
- ensuring any wage increases for Home Care workers and others covered under the SCHADS Award are matched with equivalent government funding to service providers;
- setting benchmark rates for Certificate III and undergraduate qualifications within the SCHADS Award to be competitive with similar sectors to attract and retain qualified professionals;
