Work with Purpose: A podcast about the Australian Public Sector

EP#138: Regional stewardship in action at the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Work with Purpose: A podcast about the Australian Public Sector

Show Notes

Our APS Reform in Action series returns with a deep dive into bringing stewardship to life in aged care across Australia’s regions. In response to the Aged Care Royal Commission, the Australian Government invested over $13 million to tackle local challenges and service gaps in aged care through a local network of Department of Health, Disability and Ageing staff. Today, the network has an office in each capital city around Australia and nine regional offices, representing the department ‘on the ground’ to support the implementation of aged care reforms. On this episode, host David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, is joined by Elsy Brammesan PSM, state manager, NSW/ACT branch and Rebecca McIlroy, acting state manager, WA/SA team at Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, to shine a light on the work of the local network as an extraordinary example of regional stewardship in practice. Together, they canvas the initial pilot project across 8 primary healthcare networks in Australia, and how it has changed aged care policy, service delivery, and local engagement. Key tips Trust doesn’t grow overnight. Investing time upfront will get you better outcomes further down the road If you want to be a good steward, you need local knowledge – engage where it matters most Implement weekly conversations and regular training with your staff about the challenges they face in embodying stewardship.\

This series is delivered in partnership with the Australian Public Service Commission. Show notes $13 million to drive aged care innovation | Department of Health, Disability and Ageing Local Network contacts | Department of Health, Disability and Ageing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from Work with Purpose: A podcast about the Australian Public Sector

Jun 28, 2026

After 164 episodes, we bid farewell to Work with Purpose. Marking this special occasion, IPAA ACT CEO Kate Driver turns the microphone around on host David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, and one of the podcast’s first guests, IPAA National President Andrew Metcalfe AO.

Jun 14, 2026

On the penultimate episode of Work with Purpose, Jaala Hinchcliffe, Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services, shines a light on the important, yet often unseen work of DPS, and discusses why integrity is not simply something people have or lack, but rather a skill that must be practised.

May 24, 2026

Governments generate endless information, but so much of it goes unseen. So, how do we turn it into content people actually care about?

May 10, 2026

What happens when senior leaders step out of meeting rooms and into frontline service environments?

Apr 26, 2026

In this episode of Work with Purpose, we discuss how a widening gap between external change and internal capability in the public sector is becoming a major threat to both public trust and effective government. As governments navigate social media distortion, geopolitical instability, cognitive warfare and rapid advances in AI, many public institutions are still operating in rigid, slow-moving ways better suited to an earlier era.

See all episodes →