Liz Forsyth, Partner, KPMG,

National Health and Human Services Practice

To discuss the current challenges and future opportunities for the disability sector was Liz Forsyth, partner in charge of KPMG’s Nationals Health and Human Services Practice.

Liz expressed to audience that the future for the sector is bleak, with an ageing workforce the industry is bound to have a major shortage of staff in the future.  Download Liz's presentation.

But instead of just offering a miserable prophecy, Liz was suggesting possible solutions for how employers can create opportunities for reward and recognition so they can have retention of their current and future staff.

Attracting staff from Generation Y is one of the sector’s largest issues, Liz said, and one of the problems is they don’t think about a job that it will be their whole career, they think about the multitudes of different things they want to do and experience.

Liz also said currently Australia’s workforce does not represent the multicultural population. It’s an area that is not given much attention to in the disability sector. Frailty is also going to be a problem in the future as the population ages, which may in-turn affect the demand on customer base.

“We are still very tradition in the way we attract workers,” Liz said.

“The reality is that disability is just not up there as a career.”

Liz said that research shows that there are around 60,000 disability workers, which she believes is an underestimate, and would be more like 95,000.

The disability sector really needs to tackle the issue of underqualified staff, who are now required to have a advocacy role on top of their primary care duties. Once an employer has attracted and recruited staff, following up with further training is crucial.

Employers need to devise career pathways, which are generally felt time be unclear or lacking, and clearly articulate to prospective staff where, how and when they will be promoted, and the rewards there will be along the way.

“Disability currently has a limited marketability as a sector and is struggling to compete with other sectors,” Liz said.

She suggested the sector needs to take a national approach to this issue, which may be made easier by the new Labor Federal Government that has an interest in social issues like this.

In order to become an industry of choice, employers have to look at what people look for in a job nowadays, including choice of diversified work, flexibility in jobs, attractive compensation packages, opportunities for advancement, access to continuous learning and an inclusive workplace.

Regardless of what methods employers take to make a change, Liz emphasised that the sector cannot simply sit back and keep doing what it is doing now.

“There is a need for innovation,” she said, “If you don’t stretch you are never going to move forward”

 “It is the innovation of today that becomes the best practice of tomorrow.”

Liz said employers should allow people to think differently and to communicate that with other staff. Open and honest workplaces are healthy and reducing bureaucracy and having a tolerance for risk and failure is paramount.

“It’s time to take up the challenge and get moving,” she said.

“Our workforce is central to the future of the sector.”

About Liz Forsyth

With a shift to measuring outcomes, governments are needing to better understand the effectiveness of support options in meeting people's needs - and this presents challenges for workers and services that will need to be met.

This presentation examines the changing nature and structure of the human services environment in Australia and the new roles and skills required from workers to provide individualised support, grow capacity and create increased connections for people with disabilities with their local community.