Governing for Reform in Aged Care - Topic guides

Audit and Assurance

While governing bodies and executives may understand their strategic and operational risks, assurance involves a detailed review of processes and controls to ensure they are operating effectively. Learn about what is assurance and why it is important, types of audits, and achieving effective audit results.

Resource: Audit Plan Example

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Building an Effective Governing Body

Structuring an effective governing body can be a challenging undertaking but it is essential for the success of an organisation. Learn about governing body structuring, body size and composition, appointment and tenure, and member remuneration.

Resource: Governing Body Skills Matrix Example

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Consumer and Stakeholder Engagement

Effective consumer and stakeholder engagement supports high-quality outcomes for consumers. Governing bodies must ensure that stakeholders are identified, consumer issues are understood and suitably managed. Learn about consumer-centred care, partnerships in care, role of the governing body, and engagement with other stakeholders.

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Continuous Improvement and Succession Planning

Continuous improvement aims to identify how well systems are working and to understand the quality of care and services being delivered. Learn about what is continuous improvement, provider obligations for continuous improvement, the role of the governing body and executives in setting a culture of continuous improvement, the Plan-Do-Check-Act model, and change management and succession planning.

Resource: Governing Body Self-Evaluation Example

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Crisis Management and Business Continuity

Though a governing body may be quite comfortable with the way executives run the day-to-day operations of the provider, their entire operating environment could change in an instant and without warning. Learn about the importance of being prepared, responding to, and operating in a crisis, and emerging from a crisis and returning to normal.

Resource: Business Impact Analysis Example

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Governance Roles

For governing body members and executives to discharge their duties and provide effective stewardship of their provider, they will need to have a clear understanding of the different roles, responsibilities and relationships that exist within the governing body and in the broader organisation. Learn about the role of a governing body and its members, types of governing body members and governance models.

Resource: Governing Body Annual Agenda Example

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Governing Body Committees and advisory bodies

While the governing body has ultimate accountability for the operations of the provider, the use of one or more committees can help to provide additional expertise and an increased sense of focus to areas, topics and issues. Learn about the purpose and role of committees, audit & risk committees, care governance committees and effective committee governance. 

Resources:

• Audit and Risk Committee Annual Agenda Example
• Care Governance Committee Annual Agenda Example

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Governing Body Legal Duties and Compliance Management

Governing bodies are responsible for the overall governance, management, and strategic direction of the organisation and for delivering accountable corporate performance that aligns with the provider’s objectives. Learn about legal frameworks, duties of aged care providers, managing conflicts of interest, compliance management.

Resource: Compliance Register Example

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Incident Management and Reporting

Effective incident management is integral to the delivery of safe and quality consumer centred care. The governing body is responsible for an effective incident management system and the continuous improvement of the services being delivered. Learn about elements for an effective incident management, reporting requirements and incident recording, and incident learning and continuous improvement.

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Information Management

Information management systems ensure that consumers and those involved in consumer care have access to consistent, reliable, and up-to-date information. Learn about information management, and why it is important, the regulatory environment, key features of an effective Information Management System and the importance of continuous improvement.

Resource: IMS Job Aid

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Monitoring Provider Performance

The critical areas of clinical risk, quality and safety and financial performance underpin the delivery of quality care and should be accurately captured and reported. Learn about performance monitoring, using data to monitor performance and make decisions, and performance reporting.

Resource: Performance Report Example

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Organisational Culture

Good organisational culture can drive strong performance results, innovation, and high-quality consumer-centred care. Poor organisational culture can have a direct and serious impact on consumers, and can cause reputational damage for a provider. Learn about leading the transformation in aged care, styles of leadership for a reform context, and fostering organisational culture.

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Policy and Delegation

Though governing bodies are responsible for setting strategic direction and overseeing provider operations, they must empower executives and staff to take responsibility for the day-to-day provision of high-quality services and care to consumers. Learn about policy framework, using a RACI Matrix, delegating governing body authority and financial and non-financial delegations.

Resources:

• Delegations Register Example
• RACI Matrix Example

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Quality in Aged Care 

All older Australians have the right to consistent, safe, and high-quality consumer centred care regardless of cultural beliefs, diversity, values and needs. To deliver that care governing bodies must implement processes and frameworks to manage the services being delivered. Learn about quality in aged care, role of the governing body, continuous improvement and care planning, and clinical governance.

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Risk Management

Risk management informs and drives organisational strategy and performance and is an enabler to organisations achieving their strategic objectives. If an organisation can proactively manage its risk profile, risk may, in fact, represent opportunities. Learn about strategic risks and keeping a future focus, developing a risk management framework and data driven approach to risk and managing risks to consumers.

Resources:

• Risk Register Example
• Risk Matrix Example
• Risk Appetite Statement Example

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Strategic Planning

The strategic plan of the provider is essential to provide direction, leadership, manage risks, and respond to reforms. Insightful strategic planning considers the environment in which strategic objectives and organisational decisions are made to take advantage of emerging opportunities in aged care. Learn about why strategy is important, thinking strategically, and implementing strategy.

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Technology and Cyber Security

Governing bodies and executives that consider technology to be an enabler of growth and that implement processes to support the safe use of emerging technology can help position the provider to respond and adapt to change. Learn about technology as an enabler, data and elements of cyber security and the role of the governing body.

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Workforce Management and Planning

The governing body and executives of aged care providers must consider how the provider’s workforce plan attracts, recruits, manages and retains a skilled workforce to ensure they can deliver quality consumer centred care. Learn about workforce planning, attraction and recruitment, training and development, staff performance management, and workforce retention.

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Governing Body Meetings

Effective meetings assist aged care governing bodies and executives to meaningfully connect, contribute and collaborate as a team. They provide an opportunity to assess and discuss performance against strategic objectives, identify risk, and develop strategies to ensure the delivery of high-quality care. Learn about how to prepare effectively for meetings, and meeting procedures to achieve productive discussion and decision making.

Resource: Governing Body Meeting Agenda

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Consumer Health and Safety

Providers should strive to optimise the health, well-being and safety of consumers receiving services, either in residential facilities or in their homes. This includes an appreciation of the specific importance that effective infection prevention and control plays within this sector. Governing bodies, as stewards of the provider, play a vital role in the implementation and oversight of effective health and safety processes and frameworks.

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