The leadership baton at Aged Care Workforce Industry Council (ACWIC) has been passed on following the resignation of Chair Libby Lyons and the appointment of former Deputy Chair, Graeme Prior as her replacement.
Ms Lyons advised the Board of her decision to resign immediately and said it was the right time for someone else to step up to the plate.
Mr Prior will lead the organisation from his Deputy Chair role.
His history with the Council and his role as co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hall & Prior aged care services saw him fit to take over and carry on the work Ms Lyons had achieved, especially for aged care workers.
“I’ve been a director of ACWIC for several years now… I believe in the power of this council to support collaborative change,” he said.
“I hear about issues that affect aged care workers every day – from cost of living increases, workloads, education and career needs, to ensuring a good work/life balance. It’s important that our aged care workforce is valued and rewarded for the exceptional work they deliver.”
Ms Lyons was appointed ACWIC’s inaugural Chair in June 2021 and played a part in the design and delivery of some critical aged care workforce initiatives.
She also called on aged care providers to protect the important role of Enrolled Nurses (ENs) to ensure clients have access to high-quality care and pushed for pay rises for workers to be bumped from 15 to 25%.
While she didn’t confirm the reason for her departure, Ms Lyons said she was proud of the work she has done with ACWIC.
“Since joining ACWIC, I have been inspired by the capability and approach of its people and impressed by the organisation’s capacity to deliver, despite a challenging and ever-changing operating environment,” she said.
“The aged care sector is fortunate to have ACWIC’s important work led by a strong and experienced Board and talented executive. I have enjoyed my time with the team at ACWIC and engagement with stakeholders of the sector.”
Mr Prior said Ms Lyons had made a significant contribution to the organisation and the aged care sector more broadly.
“Under Libby’s leadership ACWIC has been able to make tremendous improvements to the aged care workforce and shape important reform for the system across the country,” he explained.
“Libby is a formidable leader, with her positive yet forthright approach quickly attracting respect across the sector. We are grateful for her commitment to ACWIC – she will be missed.”
Looking to the future, Mr Prior is confident in the sector’s ability to reform itself to make it a more compliant and pleasant experience to navigate for providers, workers and consumers but that it needed to show unity in order for it to be done.
“There is so much scope to build and equip the aged care workforce to deliver the care that older people, their families and carers expect, but no single organisation can do it alone,” Mr Prior said.
“All the stakeholders must work together. That’s what makes ACWIC unique, bringing the sector together to find consensus and implement practical solutions.
“There is a considerable amount of experience across ACWIC’s Board and executive… ACWIC is well-positioned to continue to deliver its workplan and agenda.”
