The aged care sector in Australia is in a period of unprecedented change. With the Aged Care Act 2024 taking effect from 1 July 2025, new requirements are transforming how providers recruit, train, and retain their staff. From mandatory care minutes to stronger quality standards, the need for a resilient, adaptable workforce has never been greater.

Workforce resilience is about more than filling rosters. It’s about creating a team that can sustain high-quality care, meet compliance standards, and adapt to ongoing reforms.

In 2025, resilience directly impacts:

• Regulatory compliance (meeting minimum care minutes and skill mix ratios).
• Staff retention (reducing recruitment costs in a competitive market).
• Service quality (improving resident experience and trust).

Under the new legislation, providers must ensure they have the right skill mix, including sufficient registered nurses, personal care workers, and allied health staff.

To recruit effectively in 2025:

• Focus on values-based hiring alongside technical competency.
• Ensure qualifications meet the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.
• Prioritise candidates with proven adaptability to sector reforms.

Electus People works with aged care providers to source staff who meet both compliance requirements and your organisation’s cultural values.

From July 2024, providers are required to deliver:

• 215 minutes of care per resident per day in residential aged care (including 44 minutes from an RN).
• Ongoing reporting to demonstrate compliance.

To achieve this:

• Optimise rostering systems to match care minutes without overburdening staff.
• Use casual and contract staff to cover peaks in demand.
• Maintain a skilled backup workforce through trusted recruitment partners.

The reforms have increased reporting and workload pressures on aged care teams. A resilient workforce needs robust wellbeing support:

• Implement mental health and burnout prevention programs.
• Offer flexible scheduling to reduce fatigue.
• Recognise and reward staff contributions to build loyalty.

The revised Aged Care Quality Standards emphasise dignity, choice, and clinical governance. Providers should:

• Deliver training on consumer dignity, risk management, and incident response.
• Upskill staff in digital systems to meet increased reporting requirements.
• Offer career development pathways to retain skilled workers.

Digital solutions are now critical in meeting the monthly Star Ratings and compliance tracking:

• Use electronic care plans and digital compliance tools.
• Track and analyse care delivery to ensure care minutes targets are met.
• Provide ongoing tech training to reduce resistance and errors.

With reforms reshaping operations, leadership must focus on:

• Transparent communication about compliance changes.
• Guiding teams through transition periods without losing morale.
• Creating a culture of continuous improvement.

At Electus People, we help aged care providers build compliant, adaptable teams who can thrive under the new reforms. From recruiting skilled nurses and care workers to providing short-term staffing solutions, we tailor our services to your operational and compliance needs.

Contact us today to discuss how we can help your organisation meet the 2025 aged care workforce requirements with confidence.