Major aged care agency has licence suspended amid fears elderly at risk

Victoria’s Labour Hire Authority took the unusual step of suspending Barton Care’s licence after finding that nearly 70% of qualifications held by the agency’s workers were invalid.

The authority said the qualifications came from registered training organisations but had been cancelled by the Australian Skills Quality Authority for non-compliance. In one case, a worker obtained a qualification nine days after arriving in Australia, even though the course generally takes six to nine months.

“We took the extraordinary step to suspend Barton Care’s licence to put an immediate stop to their potentially dangerous conduct,” acting labour hire licensing commissioner Michelle Osborne said in a statement.

Barton Care has supplied hundreds of workers to aged care homes across Victoria, according to the ABC. Its website lists more than 600 healthcare professionals, including registered nurses, enrolled nurses, personal care assistants and facility support staff. The company also supplies hospitals and operates across New South Wales, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.

The agency has reportedly supplied staff to Jewish Care, Estia and Bass Care, and is a registered NDIS provider. The authority also alleges Barton Care underpaid workers and altered payslips to allow people on student visas to work beyond permitted limits. It is seeking to cancel the licence, but must first consider the company’s response. Barton Care was contacted for comment.

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We took the extraordinary step to suspend Barton Care’s licence to put an immediate stop to their potentially dangerous conduct.