Workforce planning in aged care: Looking beyond simply filling shifts

By Rhiannon Dhoot, Client Relationship Manager at Sanctuary Recruitment

Over the past several months, one of the most common topics I’ve discussed with aged care leaders across metro, regional and coastal communities in NSW has been workforce planning.

Whether I’m meeting with providers in Sydney, the Central Coast or the South Coast, the challenge is rarely finding staff alone. It’s balancing workforce shortages, care minute requirements, compliance obligations, rising wage costs and resident expectations, all while continuing to deliver safe, high-quality care.

What has become clear through these conversations is that workforce planning is no longer simply an operational responsibility. It has become a critical part of managing risk, maintaining compliance and supporting quality outcomes for residents.

It’s no longer simply a matter of filling vacancies or replacing sick leave. Providers are balancing rising wage costs, increasing compliance obligations, mandated care requirements, workforce shortages and the ongoing need to deliver consistent, high-quality care to residents.

At the same time, expectations from residents, families and regulators continue to grow. The challenge isn’t just having enough staff. It’s having the right staff, with the right skills, available at the right time.

 

 Workforce planning pressures are increasing

Aged care leaders are currently managing several competing priorities, including:

• Keeping labour costs under control

• Maintaining continuity of care

• Meeting regulatory and compliance requirements

• Achieving mandated care minute targets

• Supporting staff wellbeing and reducing burnout

• Recruiting and retaining skilled workers in a highly competitive market

For many providers, there is no single solution. Every workforce decision can have flow-on impacts for quality, compliance, resident experience and financial sustainability.

 

Location matters more than ever

One challenge that is often overlooked is geography.

While metro providers may have access to larger talent pools, many homes located on the Central Coast, South Coast and regional areas face a much smaller workforce market.

Through my role, I’ve had the opportunity to visit providers across metro, regional and coastal communities. One of the most common themes I hear from leaders on the Central Coast and South Coast is the challenge of attracting and retaining qualified staff.

Many have spoken about longer onboarding timelines, a smaller pool of available workers and higher staff turnover compared to larger metro areas. These challenges make workforce planning even more critical, as providers often have fewer options available when faced with unexpected vacancies or leave.

During recent site visits and conversations with providers, several leaders spoke about how quickly a staffing challenge can escalate when the local workforce pool is limited. Unlike larger metro areas, there are often fewer qualified candidates available and longer recruitment timelines. As a result, workforce planning becomes less about reacting to vacancies and more about anticipating them before they occur.

Workforce planning therefore needs to account not only for current staffing levels, but also for the realities of the local labour market.

 

The continuity of care challenge

One of the most common concerns raised about agency staffing is continuity of care.

It’s a valid concern.

Residents benefit from familiar faces, established relationships and carers who understand their personal preferences and routines. In dementia care environments particularly, continuity can have a significant impact on resident comfort, confidence and wellbeing.

Having visited many aged care homes across NSW, one thing that consistently stands out is the value providers place on continuity of care. Some of the strongest feedback I receive from facility leaders relates to the positive impact of stable care teams and the relationships staff build with residents over time.

Seeing those connections firsthand, whether it’s a staff member knowing a resident’s routine without being asked or taking time to engage in meaningful conversation, reinforces just how important continuity is to both resident wellbeing and overall quality of care.

One thing I’ve learned through visiting aged care homes is that continuity of care means different things to different providers. For some, it’s about maintaining stable rosters and reducing staff turnover. For others, it’s about ensuring residents see familiar faces each day and building stronger relationships between care teams and residents.

Regardless of the approach, the common goal is always the same: creating a consistent and positive experience for residents.

While agency staffing is sometimes perceived as being at odds with continuity of care, many providers and workforce partners work hard to maintain consistency wherever possible. Regular agency staff often return to the same homes, becoming familiar with residents, care teams, systems and routines. When approached strategically, agency staffing can support continuity rather than detract from it.

However, continuity of care is not simply about avoiding agency use. It is about ensuring residents consistently receive safe, quality care from capable professionals.

 

Rethinking the role of agency

One workforce topic that frequently comes up during conversations with providers is the role of agency staffing.

While agency support is sometimes viewed as a response to workforce challenges, many providers are instead using it as a workforce planning tool. When incorporated strategically, agency staffing can help create flexibility, reduce pressure on permanent teams and maintain safe staffing levels during periods of unexpected demand.

The providers I speak with most often are not looking to replace permanent staff with agency workers. Rather, they are looking to create a workforce model that remains stable when vacancies arise, staff take leave or demand unexpectedly increases.

In my experience, the conversation is less about filling a single shift and more about ensuring providers have the flexibility to continue delivering safe, quality care when workforce pressures emerge.

This may include:

• Covering unexpected leave

• Supporting periods of high demand

• Maintaining 24/7 clinical coverage

• Filling hard-to-recruit positions

• Reducing pressure on permanent employees

• Supporting compliance requirements during workforce shortages

The goal isn’t reliance on agency. The goal is resilience.

 

What a quality agency partnership should provide

A strong agency partnership should do more than simply fill shifts. Providers should expect:

High compliance standards – The burden of recruitment screening, credential checks, reference verification and ongoing compliance monitoring sits with the agency, helping reduce administrative pressure on facility teams. This aligns with the increasing compliance focus across the sector.

Consistent workers – Where possible, agencies should prioritise sending the same workers back to the same homes. Regular, familiar staff can help maintain continuity for residents and integrate more effectively with permanent teams.

Access to specialised skills – Workforce needs rarely remain static. Having access to a broader talent pool can help providers respond more effectively to changing clinical and operational requirements.

Greater workforce flexibility – The ability to scale workforce support up or down can provide providers with valuable breathing room while longer-term recruitment strategies are implemented.

 

Workforce planning is ultimately about risk management

The most successful workforce strategies recognise that there is no perfect staffing model.

Permanent recruitment, internal workforce development, retention initiatives and agency support all have a role to play.

After spending time with aged care providers across metro, regional and coastal communities, I’ve come to appreciate that there is no single workforce solution that works for every organisation.

The providers achieving the strongest workforce outcomes are often those taking a balanced approach. They invest heavily in permanent recruitment and staff retention while also building trusted workforce partnerships that provide flexibility when needed.

Ultimately, workforce planning isn’t about choosing between permanent staff and agency support.

It’s about building a workforce model that protects resident care, supports employee wellbeing, meets compliance requirements and remains sustainable for the future.

The conversation should move beyond whether agency staffing is good or bad. Instead, the focus should be on a more important question:

How can providers build a workforce model that supports quality care, protects staff wellbeing, meets compliance requirements and remains sustainable for the future?

Because at the end of the day, workforce planning has never been about simply filling shifts. It’s about ensuring residents continue to receive safe, consistent and high-quality care, regardless of the challenges facing the sector.

 

Get in touch

If you’d like to discuss hospitality recruitment, workforce planning, or how Sanctuary can support your aged care team, I’d be happy to chat.

Rhiannon Dhoot
Client Relationship Manager | Sanctuary Recruitment

📧 rhiannon.dhoot@sanctuaryrecruitment.com
📱 +61 485 972 926