Personal Care Worker
A frontline Aged Care worker providing personal and daily-living support.
A Personal Care Worker (sometimes called a personal care assistant or assistant in nursing) is the most common frontline role in residential and community Aged Care. The job covers daily-living support such as showering, dressing, mobility, meals, medication prompting and social connection, usually working alongside nurses and allied health staff.
Most employers expect a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) as the baseline qualification, and many workers go on to a Certificate IV for team-leader or coordination duties. Before starting, a worker generally needs Aged Care worker screening (from 1 November 2025 this means a police certificate issued under 3 years ago, or an NDIS Worker Screening Check), current first aid and CPR, and any provider-mandated training.
For providers, the challenge is keeping every personal care worker continuously compliant: screening, training currency and immunisation records all have to stay valid. A worker can carry these credentials between jobs in a Career Passport, which lets providers see a current compliance picture when the report runs rather than chasing paperwork. See our guide on how to become an Aged Care worker for the full pathway.
This is general information, not compliance advice. Always confirm requirements with the relevant regulator, and remember that providers keep the legal responsibility to sight credentials and decide who can work.
We work hard to keep it accurate, but the rules change and we will not always get every detail right. If you think something here needs updating, email us at resources@koora.care. We would genuinely rather know, because we all do better when we help each other get it right.
How to become an Aged Care worker in Australia
The qualifications, screening and steps to start a career in Aged Care, from the Certificate III in Individual Support to your first job.
Read guideAged CareAged Care worker screening requirements in 2026
From 1 November 2025, every Aged Care worker needs a police certificate under three years old or an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance. Here is what the rules require.
Read guide