Health and aged care workers are being invited to spend next week finding practical ways to make their workplaces kinder, as the Gathering of Kindness marks its tenth year.
The Gathering of Kindness will run from Monday 9 to Friday 13 November, finishing on World Kindness Day. This year’s theme is “Ideas into Action”.
Organisers say this year is about doing rather than listening. Each one-hour online session pairs 30 minutes of highlights from past Gatherings with 30 minutes of hands-on activity. Teams will work on ways to make their workplace kinder to themselves, their colleagues and the people they care for.
The event was founded a decade ago by Professor Catherine Crock AM, who also founded the Hush Foundation more than 25 years ago. When she started, she was a rare voice calling for kindness and the arts in healthcare. The Gathering has since grown into a global movement.
Professor Crock said rules alone can’t fix workplace culture. In July 2025, Safe Work Australia released a national model Code of Practice for the healthcare and social assistance industry. It is Australia’s largest sector, with more than two million workers and the highest number of work-related injuries.
“Codes of practice and zero-tolerance policies are essential, but on their own they can’t create a culture of care,” Professor Crock said in a statement.
“A strong sense of community improves staff wellbeing and performance, reduces errors, and improves patient safety and experience.”
She said small gestures can change how an aged care home feels for everyone in it. “Small acts of kindness, a warm word, a moment of calm or a beautiful piece of music can transform how a hospital or aged care home feels for patients, residents and staff alike.”
Research cited by organisers supports the role of music in care. A 2015 review in The Lancet found music around surgery reduced pain, anxiety and the need for pain relief. A 2025 Cochrane review found music-based therapy probably improves depressive symptoms slightly in people with dementia.
What’s on
Professor Crock said health and aged care workers already know what is and isn’t working, and the week is a chance to turn those ideas into change.
“If we can be a small catalyst, we’ve done our job,” she said. Quoting social researcher Hugh Mackay, she added: “‘revolutions never start at the top’. Change may start small, but together, as teams and organisations, we can truly shape the culture of care.”
For more information, visit the Gathering of Kindness 2026 page.
