As part of its broader mission to strengthen the capacity and capability of the aged care workforce, ARIIA is delivering a targeted pilot program designed to support First Nations aged care providers and workers. This initiative aims to enhance the delivery of culturally safe, evidence-informed aged care services for First Nations older adults across Australia. By centring Indigenous knowledge systems and community-led approaches, the program supports more responsive and respectful care environments.
The pilot is made possible through the generous support of the J.O. & J.R. Wicking Trust, under the project Supporting First Nations Alliance Building, which fosters collaboration, leadership, and sustainable networks within the First Nations aged care sector.
Guided by Community Voices
This program was shaped by insights from the First Nations Aged Care Workforce Needs and Opportunities Roundtable, held in Tarndanya/Adelaide in October 2024. The event brought together more than twenty First Nations aged care experts and community stakeholders to discuss workforce needs, models of care and opportunities for ARIIA to support the sector through activities that strengthen workforce capability building and culturally safe service delivery.
Key themes included:
- the importance of relationship-based, culturally appropriate care
- recognition of lived experience and community knowledge alongside formal qualifications
- the need for flexible, hybrid models of care that reflect community realities
- support for family carers and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs)
- increased visibility of evidence-based examples and peer learning.
These insights directly informed the design of the pilot activities below.
Activity 1: ARIIA dedicated First Nations web page
A dedicated section of the ARIIA website, the First Nations Hub, is now live. It shares case studies on aged care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including innovative models of care, workforce recruitment and training. The Hub also features stories from leaders involved in this work, with links to research resources from other organisations for the wider aged care workforce and providers to consider and use.
This hub features:
- community-led case studies
- podcasts and reports
- practical examples of successful initiatives.
The hub was co-developed with First Nations-identifying aged care leaders and care providers, researchers and designers to ensure cultural relevance and accessibility.
Activity 2: Knowledge Exchange Visit - In progress
The Knowledge Exchange Visit aims to build local workforce capability and support innovation in the delivery of culturally safe care. This pilot activity is currently being developed and will offer three First Nations aged care leaders the opportunity to visit other aged care communities, learn from their ways of working and exchange knowledge about workforce capability building, with a focus on how these approaches might be adapted within their own organisations.
Participants will:
- observe evidence-based models of delivery
- receive mentoring
- co-design adaptation plans for implementation of new initiatives in their own communities
Visits will be negotiated with participating organisations and supported by ARIIA, with follow-up access to ARIIA’s Workforce Capacity Development Programs. Knowledge gained from the visits will be shared with the wider First Nations aged care sector through presentations and the First Nations Hub. ARIIA will also support the evaluation of the Knowledge Exchange Visits to identify success factors and challenges, and inform the feasibility delivering the activity at scale.
Activity 3: knowledge sharing event - Scheduled for May 2026
A national networking event will be held in 2026 to:
- connect First Nations aged care leaders
- share success stories and strengthen relationships
- promote collaboration and peer support
- highlight sector priorities and challenges
- include an in-person meeting of the ARIIA First Nations Governance Group.
The event will also feature:
- a report on ARIIA’s First Nations program and pilot activities (Activities 1 and 2)
- planning sessions for future ARIIA work in the First Nations aged care sector.
Held in Tandanya/Adelaide, the event will amplify the voices and experiences of First Nations aged care leaders and help shape future initiatives.