ARIIA’s new advisory group to guide aged care collaboration
Published on 6 June 2025
Aged Care Research & Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA) is establishing an Advisory Group to guide the initiatives of its recently launched Aged Care Collaborative, a $3 million fund to support projects that encourage the sector to work together to solve complex, sector-wide workforce challenges.
Chaired by Dr John Davis, the Aged Care Collaborative Advisory Group features 16 esteemed leaders and policymakers from across Australia’s broad aged care ecosystem.
Dr Davis, a member of the Aged Care Council of Elders and advocate for older Australians, said he is delighted to Chair the Aged Care Collaborative Advisory Group to ensure the diverse perspectives of all group members are heard, and inform the activities of the program.
“The Aged Care Collaborative presents a unique opportunity to use a combined effort to unite the sector to enact meaningful change,” Dr Davis said.
“Collaboration and shared learning are at the heart of the Aged Care Collaborative, and the Advisory Group’s guidance will ensure the projects align to these principles.”
Altogether, the ARIIA Aged Care Collaborative Advisory Group comprises:
- Dr John Davis (Chair)
- Ros Bauer, retired Government Executive and family carer
- Kasy Chambers, Executive Director, Anglicare Australia
- Agnieszka Chudecka, Educator and Advocate, Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC) Alliance
- Sandra Glaister, Chief of Governance, Risk and Research, Southern Cross Care Qld
- Michelle Hogan & Anita Francis, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
- Veronica Jamison, CEO, Shepparton Retirement Villages and ARIIA Board Member
- Merlin Kong, Founder and Principal Coach, Youtopient
- Ben Lancken, Chief Improvement Officer, Opal Healthcare
- Prof Judy Lowthian, Adjunct Professor, Monash University
- A/Prof Katrina Radford, Associate Professor, Griffith University
- Alan Shackleton, Clinical Director, Wound Innovations
- David Sharpham, Chief People and Transformation Officer, Bethanie Group
- Dr Scott Winch, Head of Aboriginal Health, SAX Institute
- A representative from the Aged Care Workforce Branch, Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Holly Sparrow, Senior Manager, Strategic Projects, ARIIA welcomes the rich and diverse expertise and lived experience of the Advisory Group members.
“As with all of ARIIA’s programs, the Aged Care Collaborative is led by the sector, for the sector. The Advisory Group will provide independent expertise and guidance to ensure the Aged Care Collaborative is responsive, fit-for-purpose and truly collaborative,” she said.
The Advisory Group will guide the Aged Care Collaborative Program and its two Flagship Projects which have received applications from aged care providers across Australia.
It has now been charged with selecting a diverse range of providers to participate. The Flagship Projects will tackle complex workforce challenges that are often difficult to address in isolation, with Flagship Project 1 focusing on leadership models and Flagship Project 2 focusing on data literacy and capability.
Dr Rebecca Bilton, Program and Research Director, ARIIA, said that communicating the progress, impacts and outcomes of the Flagship Projects is essential to ensure learnings are shared widely to benefit the whole aged care sector.
“It is critical that these Flagship Projects provide valuable evidence and learnings for the broader sector on feasibility and scalability of solutions for data literacy and leadership models,” Dr Bilton explained.
“Additionally, these grant projects take quite a different approach, and if successful can serve as a template for aged care providers on how to work collaboratively, make data-driven decisions, and implement evidence-based solutions into a variety of aged care contexts.”
The Aged Care Collaborative is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.