Juniper Guwardi Ngadu Residential Aged Care Home

Background

This case study focuses on Juniper Guwardi Ngadu (goo wahr dee, nah doo), a residential aged care home located on Bunuba Country in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The Juniper Guwardi Ngadu approach shows the importance of strong Indigenous leadership, building a stable and consistent workforce, and embedding relationship-based cultural learning in the delivery of person-centred care. It also outlines some of the barriers experienced by the team and the strategies they used to successfully address them.

Summary

Juniper Guwardi Ngadu demonstrates that a culturally safe, person-centred aged care home can thrive in a remote Aboriginal community when leadership, workforce development and cultural understanding come together. The insights shared by Belinda Storer, the residential care manager at Juniper Guwardi Ngadu, show how intentional workforce design and community partnership can create a place where both residents and staff feel respected, valued and connected.

About Juniper Guwardi Ngadu (a place to call home) 

Juniper Guwardi Ngadu provides culturally safe, person-centred care for local Aboriginal older people. The 24 bed home is part of Juniper’s not-for-profit network and works closely with local health services, community organisations and older people. Residents come from five language groups, creating a rich cultural environment. 

This case study is based on an interview with Belinda Storer who has lived on Bunuba Country for the past 20 years and highlights how strong Indigenous leadership, two-way cultural learning and workforce capacity building can sustain a skilled, consistent workforce in a remote Aboriginal community.

Note: The resources below have been created and shared by Jimbelunga. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that these materials may contain images, voices and names of people who have passed away. We acknowledge these individuals and pay our respects to their families and communities for generously sharing their stories.

Watch the Juniper website video here 

Building a strong and stable workforce

Workforce stability is one of the most challenging and critical factors in delivering quality care in remote communities. Juniper Guwardi Ngadu has introduced several practical strategies that other aged care homes may consider adapting to their own contexts.

• Blended workforce models: The facility integrates Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme workers with local staff and fly-in fly-out staff. Investing in orientation and shared learning supports strong team cohesion.
• Longer staff placements: Agencies are asked to supply staff who can commit to longer contracts. Team members are encouraged to stay for extended periods so they can build relationships with residents and learn about local culture.
• Structured onboarding: Every new team member completes at least two buddy shifts with experienced staff on arrival, strengthening cultural confidence and understanding of residents’ needs.
• Roster consistency: Rosters are designed so that staff care for the same residents across consecutive days, improving continuity and trust.

Belinda emphasised that workforce stability relies on building trust and a sense of belonging for both residents and staff. She encourages longer placements and consistent staffing so residents can see familiar faces each day. Belinda reflected about the challenges of onboarding PALM project staff and investing in their training for the Juniper context, ‘it was the most challenging thing I have ever done, but it is so rewarding, because that team is just absolutely magic...I can pick them up and take them into any facility and we could fix just about anything’. 

Relationship-based care and two-way cultural learning

At Juniper Guwardi Ngadu, relationships form the foundation of care. Staff take time to learn each resident’s story, family ties and cultural background. This relationship-based approach builds trust and supports healing from intergenerational trauma.

Belinda described how cultural learning is structured and ongoing. Every staff member participates in a cultural learning plan that covers both First Nations cultures and the cultures of their colleagues, including PALM workers. This strengthens empathy, communication and mutual respect.

Daily yarning-circle handovers bring all staff together to share updates and reflections. The circle removes hierarchy, encourages open conversation and provides a culturally familiar space for knowledge sharing and learning.

Commitment to person-centred care

Person-centred care is a guiding principle at Juniper Guwardi Ngadu. Care plans are written in the first person, reflecting each resident’s own voice and preferences. For example:

‘I like to have a cup of tea before breakfast and sit outside for a while,’ rather than, ‘resident prefers tea in the morning.’

This approach ensures that care reflects the individual’s identity and supports autonomy and emotional wellbeing. During the interview, Belinda noted that staff are encouraged to involve residents in decision making and to ensure care plans ‘sound like the people they’re written about, not like paperwork’.

Barriers

While Juniper Guwardi Ngadu demonstrates strong leadership and culturally safe practice, its success has required navigating significant barriers. These challenges are common across many remote aged care settings and offer valuable insights for others seeking to replicate or adapt this model.

Summary of barriers

Other resources:

Connect with Juniper Guwardi Ngadu 

Website: Juniper Guwardi Ngadu 
Location: Bunuba Country, Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia