I’ve been in aged care recruitment for over 20 years, and lately, every chat with providers about Permanent Aged Care Recruitment feels like a pressure cooker ready to blow.
It takes me back to 2004 in the UK, when I launched “Crisis Management” for our aged care clients nationwide. Back then, facilities were drowning in sudden staff shortages, regulatory crackdowns, and skyrocketing agency costs. With the current focus on Permanent Aged Care Recruitment, does that sound familiar?
My team stepped in to tackle the chaos head-on, building rapid-response recruitment plans to plug gaps with reliable, contract managers (independent providers) & permanent managers (multi-site providers), ensuring a robust approach to Permanent Aged Care Recruitment, not just quick-fix temps.
We turned panic into stability, which taught me how to navigate a forever-changing sector, lessons I’m bringing to today’s market with a focus on Permanent Aged Care Recruitment.
The new Aged Care Act, rolling out fully on July 1, 2025, locks in the 24/7 RN mandate and 215 care minutes per resident per day (health.gov.au). It’s a game-changer, $2.9 billion is hitting the sector in the 2025–26 Budget to fund wage hikes and compliance (budget.gov.au). Still, it’s a balancing act for leaders: keep residents safe, regulators happy, and costs from spiraling. Here’s what I’m seeing on the ground, and why this mandate, despite the stress, is a win for our elderly.
The Mandate’s Silver Lining
This mandate isn’t just red tape; it’s a lifeline for our elderly community, which fires me up. As someone passionate about giving our seniors the care they deserve, I see the 24/7 RN presence and boosted care minutes as a promise: no more stretched staff, no more rushed moments. It’s about residents getting consistent, skilled care, familiar faces who know their stories. The AgedCareInsite piece (March 27, 2025) says it best: “This is wage justice and care justice rolled into one.” It’s a tough road, but it’s the right one—and I’m here to help providers make it work.
The Cost Crunch Is Real
July 2025 looms large. Facilities need an RN around the clock, and 215 daily care minutes (including 44 RN minutes) are testing limits.
Most lean on agency RNs, $60-$100/hour, stacking up to $120k-$200k annually per role. Agency fees aren’t a cost, they’re a knockout blow.
One of my clients told me, “Agency rates could spike 20-30% when July hits, experienced RNs are gold dust for us, and shortages are brutal” Non-compliance? That’s $78k fines minimum (Aged Care Act penalties).
Chaos in Action
Recently, I visited a facility to help recruit a new Clinical Manager (the last one burned out and left, taking her senior RN with her). Walking in, the nurse call bells were dinging nonstop. Nurses were rushing around, stressed, darting between residents, one helping a resident with a walker, another juggling paperwork mid-crisis.
By the time I left, we’d added three more RNs to the list of staffing requirements. It hit me hard: this is why I do what I do. Residents deserve better, and so do your staff.
The Permanent Pivot: Cheaper, Smarter, Human
Many leaders are switching to permanent hires, and it’s easy to see why.
Considering a casual agency nurse for more than four months? You’re losing money compared to our permanent RNs.
Why keep pouring cash into temps when permanence saves you more and delivers steady care?
And for those worried about international nurses leaving after six months, one big reason is too few staff per resident; overworked teams can’t last.
I posted a poll only yesterday (Monday), and 21% of overseas nurses say they would leave their current role if another role offered better staff-patient ratios.
Burnout’s real, and it’s pushing great nurses out.
Permanent hires lighten that load, keeping your team strong and residents well-cared for. Isn’t that worth investing in?
AgedCareInsite nails it: “Permanent staff aren’t just cheaper; they’re the backbone of consistent care. Residents thrive with familiar faces, and providers save thousands.”
At Carejobz, we place RNs on flat fees, miles below the % other agencies charge or endless hourly rates. One provider I helped said, “Switching to perms slashed our costs, but the real win? Our residents smile more—they know their nurses now. It’s care with a heartbeat again.” That’s my why: cost savings meet human connection.
Our 25,000+ healthcare network delivers RNs with a 98% retention rate (vs. industry 70-85%, SEEK data).
Why permanent? “Staff who stay reduce turnover chaos, cut training overheads, and build trust; agency churn does the opposite,” per AgedCareInsite. It’s the stability residents feel and providers need.
The Catch—and Our Fix
Permanent hires take 1-2 months, longer in rural areas where competition bites (industry norms).
Wage hikes, 15% in 2023, more from March 2025 (fairwork.gov.au), add pressure. But Carejobz gets it done fast, cheap, and right.
Our flat fee undercuts every competitor, and our retention means no revolving door.
We are not just recruiters – we are consultants; we consult our clients with their employer valuation programmes, assist with exit interviews, and provide valuable insights into staff retention so they can save on hiring and invest more into resident care.
The Mood: Stress, Hope, Action
Providers are stressed, July 2025 is a ticking clock, and agency reliance feels like a time bomb. But there’s hope.
This mandate forces a reckoning, and permanent staffing is the future; cost-effective, resident-focused, and dignifying.
Clients ask me: “Kate, how do we secure RNs before this explodes?” My answer: Start now. Bet on stability, review your EVP & Benefits packages, and partner with a recruitment provider who doesn’t overcharge you.
Your Move
July 2025 isn’t far—recruitment costs are about keeping residents cared for and businesses alive. Permanent hires through Carejobz save money, stress, and deliver care that honors our elderly. Our track record ranks us in SEEK’s Sourcr top 10% of ANZ recruiters (sourcr.com/recruiter/kate-wheeler-1).
What’s your next step?
Message me with your thoughts. I am here to help!
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