community and disability services insights
The pandemic has shown the critical role our community and disability services serve in supporting our community. Our latest workforce report offers unique insights that can help shape the sector’s future.
Read the reportan industry in need of some care
A lack of career pathways and skills development opportunities is driving community and disability services professionals to consider leaving their employers in the next two years, jeopardising efforts to grow the workforce to meet expected future demand.
Despite disability services professionals having the highest job pride levels in community services and strong likelihood to recommend their employers, they were one of the least likely groups in their sector to recommend working for their leaders or managers.
As the only fund dedicated to the community services sector, HESTA has a unique interest in its future.
Our latest report into the state of the sector's workforce reveals insights that can help shape a strong way forward for service providers, employees and the community they serve.
about the report
HESTA has more than 172,000 members working in the sector. As part of this workforce research project, HESTA surveyed professionals working across health and community services in May 2019 and in July 2020. More than 4600 members responded to the survey, encompassing more than 1000 community services professionals (which included nearly 200 disability services professionals).
Questions looked at members' job intentions, their employment satisfaction drivers, their attitudes towards their employer and industry, as well as how COVID affected their work, financial situation and industry outlook.
Here's what they told us
- The community services workforce had the highest job pride and satisfaction in 2020 compared to other health and community services sectors, and were the most likely to recommend a career in their sector.
- Despite disability services professionals’ high job pride levels, strong employer advocacy and being the most likely to recommend a career in their industry, they were one of the least likely to recommend working for their leaders or managers.
- Most concerning for the community services sector, younger professionals were more likely to be planning to leave in the short term, risking a deepening gap in skills and experience and putting further pressure on an already strained workforce.