EP#138: Regional stewardship in action at the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Our APS Reform in Action series returns with a deep dive into bringing stewardship to life in aged care across Australia’s regions.

In response to the Aged Care Royal Commission, the Australian Government invested over $13 million to tackle local challenges and service gaps in aged care through a local network of Department of Health, Disability and Ageing staff. Today, the network has an office in each capital city around Australia and nine regional offices, representing the department ‘on the ground’ to support the implementation of aged care reforms.

On this episode, host David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, is joined by Elsy Brammesan PSM, state manager, NSW/ACT branch and Rebecca McIlroy, acting state manager, WA/SA team at Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, to shine a light on the work of the local network as an extraordinary example of regional stewardship in practice. Together, they canvas the initial pilot project across 8 primary healthcare networks in Australia, and how it has changed aged care policy, service delivery, and local engagement.

Key tips

1. Trust doesn’t grow overnight. Investing time upfront will get you better outcomes further down the road
2. If you want to be a good steward, you need local knowledge – engage where it matters most
3. Implement weekly conversations and regular training with your staff about the challenges they face in embodying stewardship.\

This series is delivered in partnership with the Australian Public Service Commission.

Show notes

• $13 million to drive aged care innovation | Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
• Local Network contacts | Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

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