New home care centre to assist providers with recruitment

Non-profit organisation Settlement Services International (SSI) has opened the Home Care Experience Centre in an attempt to improve the recruitment and training of home care workers entering the sector, as well as assist home care providers with their hiring and retention strategies.

The centre aims to support with alleviating skills shortages and high turnover rates in the care sector.

Located inside Little Saigon Plaza in Bankstown, Sydney, the centre comes as part of the delivery of the government-funded Home Care Workforce Support Program (HCWSP) in NSW and the ACT.

Services offered at the Home Care Experience Centre include a technology lab to complete online job applications, undertake training or receive one-on-one help; first-aid training by the SSI Registered Training Organisation; a presentation and training area for face-to-face keynote sessions with guest speakers and career professionals.

Likewise, home care providers enrolled in HCWSP can participate in the Experience Centre to meet with talent in person, with bookings available to host recruitment opportunities, onboarding and training activities.

Iggy Pintado, Head of Home Care Workforce Support Program at SSI, said the Home Care Experience Centre was designed for talent to join the workforce and gain qualifications, as well as to help home care providers attract workers and improve employee retention.

“We are removing potential barriers that may hinder people’s ability to join the care workforce by providing a space that offers them in-person support. We get talent ready for employment, help them with everything from preparing their resumes to getting access to computers and internet, to applying for roles. We also conduct non-accredited courses and first aid training.

“The solution is to foster career development by upskilling support workers, so that they can unlock the range of growth opportunities available in home aged care,” Pintado said.

The opening of the Home Care Experience Centre is to be followed by a second location in ACT, a mobile unit and an online platform, which will become available in the coming months.

For more information, visit ssi.org.au/services/homecare/industry-partners#HC_Experience_Centre.

Image credit: iStock.com/Zinkevych