Managed care: Alanna Humlin (far right) with Sunnyfield chief executive Caroline Cuddihy (left) and Rebekka Palavi (centre), the service co-ordinator of the house in Castle Hill where Ms Humlin works. "We have staff awake for 24 hours of the day here," Ms Palavi said. Picture: Gary Warwick
A new report has found manufacturing is no longer the largest industry employer in western Sydney — health care and social assistance is.
But this doesn’t surprise the fast-increasing number of people entering the carer sector in The Hills.
"I also know some who are looking to enter the sector."
Ms Humlin, 22, is employed by disabilities services organisation Sunnyfield as a residential support worker at a group home in Castle Hill, where she helps four young men with intellectual disabilities live as independently as possible.
She does this by providing assistance with cooking, cleaning, medication needs, shopping, community access and specialist appointments — day or night.
A briefing paper published by Daniel Montoya in August 2012 — Western Sydney: An Economic Profile — found Ms Humlin was one of 90,752 people employed in health care and social assistance in western Sydney in May 2012.
A whopping 31,168 of those joined the sector between May 2006 and May 2012, to make it the fastest growing industry for employment for the period.
With 87,300 people, manufacturing was the only industry to lose jobs. It lost 1132 employees.
Sunnyfield chief executive Caroline Cuddihy said the outcome of the recent Equal Remuneration case, involving workers in the social, community and disability services industry, would likely attract even more employees.
In 2012, the majority of the full bench determined that pay rates for levels 2 to 8 under the social, community home care and disability services industry award 2010 be increased by between 19 and 41 per cent over eight years.
"Unfortunately in the past, the sector was institutionalised and it was a one-size-fits-all model," Ms Cuddihy, of West Pennant Hills, said.
She said the sector had become far more professional and there were greater training opportunities available.
"I would love to increase the number of services we have in western Sydney, to meet the demand," Ms Cuddihy said.
"I think to work in this sector you have to be really patient and caring — and have a sense of humour," Ms Humlin said.
9556 people in The Hills — the highest number — worked in health care and social assistance in 2011, up 1067 from 2006
1991 of the above people were community and personal service workers
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