The sudden closure of the food delivery service, Deliveroo, has left 15,000 workers without employment, however, Anglicare Southern Queensland has entered the conversation with a last-minute order – a career lifeline in the community services sector.
Last week, Deliveroo announced that it would be leaving Australia after eight years of operation due to “challenging economic conditions” – as it struggled to compete with the likes of Uber Eats, Menulog and DoorDash.
But while it looked like the last call for Deliveroo staff, aged care provider Anglicare Southern Queensland has put an offer on the table that would be beneficial to all parties.
Director of Organisational Development, Anna Zilli, has encouraged those who have just lost their job to transition into the home care space.
“Change is never easy, and it can feel as though you have lost your purpose and identity, but here at Anglicare Southern Queensland, you can rediscover your purpose by helping those most vulnerable in our communities,” said Ms Zilli.
“The beauty of working in this sector is when you get up every morning and you go to work, it’s easy when you know that what you’re doing has a positive impact on the community.
“When you get the opportunity to meet a huge variety of our ageing clients, you get to know them and are invited into their life is very fulfilling for a lot of our staff.”
The aged care sector is in need of additional staff across the board, but with an additional 40,000 Government-funded Home Care Packages to be released by June 2023, home care workers are amongst those most in demand.
Anglicare’s offer of part-time and casual roles to Deliveroo drivers could provide a much-needed boost to the sector in lower level home care positions.
The organisation is would be willing to provide positions that require no upfront qualifications and will be supported by ongoing training, development and employee benefits.
“We’ve got many jobs available across the organisation, but we picked this area specifically because these roles don’t require any qualifications or experience, so it’s a really nice transition for someone who hasn’t been in the sector before,” said Ms Zilli.
“There’s often some transferable skills that can come across with the nature of being a Deliveroo worker. They strive to deliver the best food that they can to customers in the comfort of their own homes without having to wait in long queues.
“We are looking for people who are caring and friendly, who take pride in their work and who value taking care of those clients who need support to live independently.”
Ms Zilli said this offer is a win-win for everyone as it is assisting a large group of newly unemployed workers while also bolstering the aged care workforce.
She adds Anglicare Southern Queensland has a long-term commitment towards building a highly skilled workforce that can provide the best care for clients living independently, which is why they are willing to assist with further training and development in aged care.
I don’t necessarily think that’s a good idea for the residents. Surely the agedcare sector is wanting people with passion and not those who just see it as a job like delivering food!!! I really care that those who care for our very vulnerable community must realise that they are entering each resident’s ‘home’ when they enter the ‘facility’ and it’s not just performing a job. It’s the life of these elderly. It makes me so mad to think how often our elderly can have people ‘caring’ for them in their ‘home’ but treat them with little care or respect! Not all of course!