Highlights
- Aged care workers say the impacts of undertrained staff are widely felt in the industry.
- Some in the industry allege that training providers are selling certification without adequate training.
- Sushmita Mahat, a registered nurse, urges international students not to take shortcuts in obtaining certification.
Melbourne’s Sushmita Mahat has worked in aged care centres as an assistant in nursing and, more recently, a registered nurse.
She said, “This work in itself is very stressful, and if someone comes in without the proper training, the whole floor becomes more stressful.”
Ms Mahat, who has seven years of experience in the aged care industry, said that while working as an assistant in nursing in Sydney, she saw several newcomers with little knowledge of the work.
“During buddy shift, you can figure out whether someone is well trained or not. And I have seen some people who had no idea what a lifter is or how to use slide sheets which they should learn in manual handling training.”
She added that while working in a new place can be confusing due to a different system or schedule, the basics of work should be learned during certification studies and placements.
Sushmita Mahat has worked in aged care centres as an assistant in nursing and, more recently, a registered nurse. Source: Supplied
No regulatory body
The Certificate III in Individual Care is the minimum requirement of becoming an assistant in nursing.
This nationally recognised vocational education and training can be provided by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
According to training.gov.au, to obtain a Certificate III in Individual Care, students must complete 14 units in total, of which 10 are core units, and four can be chosen from a wide range of elective units.
Students must also complete 120 hours of work placement.
Sean Rooney is the CEO of Leading Age Services Australia (LASA), one of the peak bodies representing the aged care sector.
Mr Rooney said, “(During work placement, students) are required to keep a logbook of hours and undertake tasks outlined in their logbook which must be signed off by their supervisor on completion of the tasks.”
However, the screening process for new staff is muddied as, according to LASA, there is no regulatory body for assistants in nursing, personal care workers or personal care assistants.
Source: Getty Images
“LASA recommended assistants in nursing, and personal care workers be registered with the AHPRA [Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency] or a similar authority in its submission to the Royal Commission,” Mr Rooney said.
He added that he hopes the same recommendation given by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in its tabled last year (March 1, 2021) will be implemented soon.
It has been almost two years since the Australian government stated it was working on establishing a registration scheme for aged care workers.
Back in 2020, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck stated, “What we’re looking for is a registration scheme that screens all aged care workers, without putting a red tape burden on them or service providers.”
No practical knowledge
Madhab Raj Paudel is the director of nursing at a Sydney-based aged care provider.
Mr Paudel recently posted a video on social media where he talks about interviewing candidates who allegedly lied about having the proper qualifications.
“We have interviewed two people who had recently come to Australia, and unfortunately, we found that some Nepali training providers have sold the certificate without providing any training or clinical placements.”
In the video post, Mr Paudel claims the providers had trained the candidates for an interview and asked them to lie about having a clinical placement.
“During our comprehensive interview process, after they failed to answer some of the questions, they accepted that they had bought the certificate.”
Shraddha Gurung has a similar experience interviewing candidates who she said lied about their nursing experience. 
Shraddha Gurung says it is not uncommon to encounter candidates who impress during interviews but later show little practical knowledge. Source: Supplied
Ms Gurung, a care manager in an aged care centre in Sydney, said that while interviewing for an assistant in a nursing position, one candidate lied about having had a similar experience before coming to Australia.
“She lied about having four years of assistant in nursing experience at one of the hospitals in Nepal.”
When the candidate was questioned further about the hospital and wards she claimed to have worked at, Ms Gurung said she could not provide satisfactory answers.
Ms Gurung, who has spent 14 years in the industry, said it is not uncommon to encounter candidates who impress during interviews but later show little practical knowledge.
“You have to be competent otherwise you can’t do the job and I have seen many people leaving work because they can’t handle the situation as they don’t have the skills to continue the job.”
No shortcuts
Mr Rooney, of LASA, said that while national bodies do not regulate carers, most residential aged care homes have an orientation and buddy system for new starters.
“There is also a probationary period of six months which managers use to assess performance and suitability for continuing employment. Some providers will also assess new employees for competency in manual handling, IPC [Infection Prevention and Control], respect and dignity, and basic care skills.”
“Checks for fire safety, IPC, prevention of elder abuse and serious incident response scheme (SIRS), restrictive practices, manual handling and work health and safety training are mandatory and conducted annually,” he said. 
First Aid Training Source: Wikimedia/Falck Danmark CC A SA 3.0
“This is checked on during accreditation assessment once a new employee begins their new job,” he said.
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and training sector.
In response to SBS Nepali’s query on training providers selling certificates without providing adequate training, an ASQA spokesperson said, “We welcome any information and industry feedback about the quality of training being delivered. We also advise students to research training providers before choosing a course.”
Although they would not comment on whether they were aware of the specific issue, the spokesperson said ASQA is committed to ensuring the quality of vocational education and training.
Jake (name changed) holds a leading position in an aged care facility and doesn’t want his organisation to be represented in this conversation.
Speaking to SBS Nepali on the condition of anonymity, he said that some training providers couldn’t send their trainees for placements during the pandemic.
Source: AAP Image/James Ross
He claimed the pandemic pushed training providers to start selling certificates to international students who were desperate to get a job.
“I had heard previously of some training providers taking shortcuts in assignments, but not providing any training is something I think is triggered by the pandemic.”
Drawing on her seven years in aged care, Ms Mahat urged international students not to take shortcuts and undertake proper training.
“They say the world is short-staffed now, and if you are coming without proper training for your first job, another person will also be stressed out. We [as floor supervisors] see how the floor can become stressful because of just one person.”
