Tamara Thomas is the National Director of UnitingCare Australia, bringing more than 20 years of experience in international development, humanitarian advocacy and leadership.
Before returning to Australia in 2025, Tamara served with the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) as Director of Resource Mobilisation, advancing health equity and strategic partnerships. She has also held senior roles with Oxfam International, World Vision Australia and Australian Volunteers International, advocating for gender justice, human rights and evidence-based policy.
As National Director, Tamara is focused on strengthening UnitingCare Australia’s national network and elevating the lived experience of people and communities in public policy discussions. Through evidence-based advocacy, she works to shape policy settings that support high-quality care and essential services across Australia.
Embedding Equity in Aged Care: Lessons from Australia’s Not-for-Profit Providers
UnitingCare Australia represents a network of 13 aged care providers operating across every state and territory. Collectively, the network supports more than 97,000 older Australians through residential aged care, home care and community support services.
Many UnitingCare network providers deliver care in regional, rural and remote communities, and service a high proportion of older Australians receiving supported, subsidised care. This provides a unique insight into the realities of delivering services in communities where access to care is often most challenged by geography, workforce shortages, and both financial and social disadvantage.
As faith-based, not-for-profit providers, UnitingCare organisations are driven by a commitment to ensuring older Australians can access care regardless of their means or postcode. Through this work, the network has gained valuable lessons on what is required to embed equity into the design and delivery of aged care.
Drawing on experiences from across the UnitingCare network, Tamara will present with two network CEOs (to be determined) and together will explore the relationship between equity and sustainability in Australia’s aged care system.
Presenters will examine the ongoing barriers that limit access to care for older Australians, including service scarcity in regional and remote areas, workforce pressures and growing demand from an ageing population. The session will also explore the challenges faced by providers that continue to serve communities with high levels of need, despite increasing financial and operational pressures.
These pressures are contributing to growing sense of fatigue across the aged care sector that cannot be overlooked. Panellists will also explore how the sector can maintain hope, resilience, and build and attract an engaged workforce while navigating a time of uncertainty and transformation.
Another key tension panellists will examine is the friction between policy ambition and practical delivery. While aged care reforms aim to improve access, quality and outcomes, providers continue to face funding constraints that do not always reflect the true cost of care, particularly in communities where services are more complex and expensive to deliver.