Personal Care Assistants (PCAs) for Aged Care
When a shift goes unfilled, residents feel it first. Chris Barnard Nursing Agency supplies qualified, caring personal care assistants to aged care facilities across Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales, so your residents get the support they need and your team isn’t stretched thin. As an experienced aged care nursing agency, we’ve been helping residential aged care providers fill staffing gaps since 2010. Our PCAs arrive ready to work, know what good care looks like, and treat every resident with kindness, respect and dignity.
A PCA agency you can rely on
Running an aged care facility means juggling rosters, compliance and, above all, people. You need agency staff who can step in without needing hand-holding, and a PCA agency that answers the phone when you call.
That’s what we focus on. Every PCA we place is screened, qualified and briefed before they arrive. Our allocations team works from 5am to 11pm, so you can reach a real person early in the morning or late at night.
We’re part of Chris Barnard Health, a multi-award-winning, ISO 9001 certified provider with one of the largest in-house care workforces in Victoria. Our PCAs are part of our own workforce, trained and supported by us, not names pulled from a list.
When aged care homes call us
Most of our requests come from aged care providers facing a gap they didn’t plan for. Others come from providers who want reliable agency PCAs on the roster every week. Either way, we’ll work around what you need.
- Last minute call-outs and sick leave cover
- Annual leave and planned absences
- Night shifts, weekends and public holidays
- Short notice gaps when residents’ needs change
- Temporary backfill while you recruit for permanent roles
- Ongoing casual PCAs to support your regular roster
Whether you need one PCA for a single shift or several PCAs across a month, we’ll match people to your facility and keep you updated until all shifts are covered.
What our personal care assistants do
A personal care assistant, sometimes called an assistant in nursing or a personal care worker, provides hands-on personal care and daily support for residents. It’s some of the most personal work in aged care, and it calls for patience and good judgement as much as skill.
Our PCAs are experienced in:
- Personal care, including showering, dressing, grooming and toileting
- Continence support delivered with privacy and dignity
- Mobility support, safe transfers and falls prevention
- Mealtime assistance and encouraging good nutrition and hydration
- Supporting residents living with dementia
- Companionship and meaningful engagement
- Observation and reporting of changes to the care team
Above all, they practise person centred care. That means getting to know each resident’s routines and preferences, and supporting older people to keep their mobility and do as much for themselves as they can.
Qualified, screened and ready to work
Every PCA we place meets our core requirements for aged care before their first shift. Qualifications and credentials are verified by our own team, so you don’t have to chase paperwork.
Qualifications
Our personal care assistants hold a Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33021) or an equivalent recognised qualification. Many also have specialist experience in areas such as dementia care.
Screening and references
Each PCA is screened before they join our team. That includes a current police certificate, Australian working rights, references from previous employers and a detailed interview. Where required, we also hold worker screening checks such as the NDIS Worker Screening Clearance. We look for character as well as credentials. Kindness, reliability and respect matter just as much as qualifications.
Training
Every personal care assistant keeps their first aid and CPR up to date, and completes regular training in manual handling, infection prevention and control, communication, cultural awareness and person centred care. All credentials are verified and recorded before a PCA is placed.
Helping you meet your care minutes
Since October 2024, residential aged care providers have been working towards a sector average of 215 care minutes per resident per day, including time with registered nurses. Staffing gaps make that target harder to reach for aged care facilities.
Each personal care assistant we place helps you protect care minutes when your own aged care staff are away, working alongside your registered nurses and enrolled nurses so residents keep getting the time and attention they need. We can also supply nurses through our nursing agency when you need clinical cover too.
Compliance you can count on
Aged care has changed. The Aged Care Act 2024 and the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards set clear expectations for everyone who works in aged care, including agency staff.
Our PCAs understand the Code of Conduct for Aged Care, their role in the Serious Incident Response Scheme, and how to report concerns. We keep our own records in line with the expectations of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, and we hold a labour hire licence. Our quality systems are ISO 9001 certified, so compliance is built into how we work, not added on. And if something ever goes wrong, we follow a structured Open Disclosure process: we’ll tell you openly, explain what happened and what we’re doing about it.
Continuity of care with familiar faces
In residential aged care, residents settle better when they recognise the people caring for them. Wherever possible, we send the same PCAs back to the same aged care facility, building continuity of care for residents and making life easier for your team. Our people become part of the family, not a rotating door of strangers.
Before a first shift, every PCA receives an orientation brief covering your facility, key routines and anything they need to know about the residents in their care. If a personal care assistant isn’t the right fit, tell us and we’ll change it.
Where we provide PCAs
We supply agency PCAs to residential aged care and other aged care services across Melbourne and regional Victoria, throughout Tasmania, including Hobart, and in New South Wales.
Our local teams know the aged care homes in their areas, which helps us match the right PCA to aged care facilities in their area and keep our response time short when you need someone fast.
How to request staff
Getting a PCA on shift is simple:
- Tell us what you need: the shifts, dates, location and any resident needs we should know about.
- We match a qualified personal care assistant from our workforce and confirm the booking with you.
- Your PCA arrives briefed, on time and ready to work, and we stay in touch to make sure the shift goes smoothly.
For urgent requests, call our allocations team directly. For regular bookings, our PCA agency team can set up a standing roster so your aged care staffing is sorted weeks ahead.
Why aged care providers choose a PCA agency like Chris Barnard Health
- Our own team: one of the largest in-house care workforces in Victoria, not agency staff who come and go
- Chosen for character: kindness, patience and reliability, alongside the right qualifications
- Real people, early and late: an allocations team you can reach from 5am to 11pm
- Award-winning, with more than 15 years in aged care staffing
Frequently Asked Questions
Need a PCA for your aged care facility?
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