Aged Care Quality Bulletin #74 - February 2025 | Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

Commissioner’s message

As we start to really get into the substance of this year’s work, our support materials for the sector on the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards are showing extensive progress. Alongside the updated provider guidance released in December, we have released a new suite of videos explaining each of the standards and a series of online learning modules.

Continuing with our commitment to consult with the sector, our public consultation on the draft new Financial and Prudential Standards is now open. The proposed new Standards will replace the current 4 Standards with the Liquidity Standard, Financial and Prudential Management Standard and Investment Standard.

You can read more about the consultation in our article below, on our website and in our February Compliance Management Insights. We also ran a webinar on the proposed Standards earlier this month. If you couldn’t attend, our recording and presentation slides of the session are now available.

Last month we released a Sector Readiness Plan which outlines when you can expect to have access to key resources as part of the readiness pathway we are all on. We will continue to add to this plan which I hope will be a useful guide in preparing for the new Act. I do encourage you to regularly check the plan to understand what resources are available on a range of regulatory topics.

A quick reminder that registrations are now open for this year’s National Aged Care Provider Conference, ‘Navigating the change – Rights and regulation’, held 28 to 29 July at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

In person capacity for the conference is 1000, and we have already received more than 600 registrations – so I encourage you to register to avoid disappointment. We will open virtual registrations once we have reached capacity. I’m looking forward to a dynamic and engaging program of discussion, shared experiences and learning.

Liz Hefren-Webb
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner

Consultations – Have your say!

New Financial and Prudential Standards

We are seeking your feedback on the draft new Financial and Prudential Standards.

New Financial and Prudential Standards will commence with the introduction of the new Aged Care Act from 1 July 2025. They set out the minimum requirements for good financial and prudential management for providers. They are also designed to manage risks to people receiving care and the public.

The proposed Standards replace the current 4 Standards with 3 updated Standards:

Liquidity Standard, where providers must have enough liquid assets to meet their financial responsibilities. Liquid assets are assets that can be quickly turned into cash.
Financial and Prudential Management Standard, which makes sure that providers have governance systems and strategies to manage their finances well.
Investment Standard, where providers must choose, manage and monitor investments responsibly.

Other key changes in the proposed Standards include:

a minimum amount of liquid assets for residential aged care providers
home care providers needing to meet the Financial and Prudential Management Standard.

We encourage you to have your say:

Read the new Financial and Prudential Standards guidance for providers.
Read the Financial and Prudential Standards – consultation draft – this is the latest version of the draft legislation which outlines the proposed requirements for providers.
Give us your feedback. You can:
- complete a survey with your feedback
- provide your feedback by making a written submission to New_FP_Standards@agedcarequality.gov.au.

Consultation closes midday AEDT on 7 March 2025.

More information

Visit the new Financial and Prudential Standards webpage.
Read the February Compliance Management Insights blog.
Download the new Financial and Prudential Standards poster.
Email us New_FP_Standards@agedcarequality.gov.au.

National worker registration scheme feedback

The Australian Government invites feedback on the design of a national registration scheme to support personal care workers working in aged care. This includes new training and minimum qualifications that workers will need to have.

The scheme will help grow a stronger and more skilled aged care workforce. It will make sure personal care workers are better valued for their role and give them more professional development opportunities and better conditions.

It will also play an important role in making sure aged care is a safe place for older people.

The Government wants to hear from:

older people, their friends, family and supporters
advocates
providers
workers
training organisations.

You can have your say by completing a short survey or sending a written submission by email.

The consultation is open from 18 February to 17 April 2025.

You can read more on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s consultation page.

Join our panels to have your say

Are you interested in opportunities to participate in consultations, workshops and other engagement opportunities to give your feedback?

Consumers and Families Panel

The Consumers and Families Panel helps improve aged care through feedback from people who currently use or are considering using aged care services, their carers and family members.

As a member of the panel, you can:

share what matters to you
provide feedback on aged care projects, resources and services
help improve how we regulate aged care.

Panel members can take part in different ways, including by email, over the phone, or in meetings (online or in person). If you want to join this panel, you can register online or complete a form.

Provider and workers engagement register

The Provider and workers engagement register is a way for aged care providers and workers to share their expertise and experience to support aged care reform.

You can take part as a provider representative, aged care staff member, or both.

As a member of the engagement register, you can:

share your views
help shape processes and resources
contribute to improving how we regulate aged care.

If you would like to join this panel, you can register online.

For more information about how to get involved visit our Consultation and Engagement Hub or email engagement@agedcarequality.gov.au.

Aged care reform update

Latest resources on strengthened Quality Standards

Have you checked out the digital guidance tool where you can access the strengthened Quality Standards guidance for providers? The online tool helps you find information related to the type of care you provide. Providers can filter the information by choosing their registration category and whether they provide clinical care.

The tool shows you what Standards will apply to you from 1 July 2025 and gives detailed information about meeting each of the outcomes. You can view the guidance online or print a copy.

We’re currently preparing updated guidance for workers and governing bodies, as well as including further information for home care services. We’ll let you know when these updates are available on the digital tool.

The guidance is draft until the Aged Care Rules are finalised.

We also have a range of resources available to help you and your staff get ready for the strengthened Quality Standards. Last month we released a suite of videos. This month we released:

Provider readiness checklist – this handy checklist details key activities you need to complete to get ready for the strengthened Quality Standards. It links to resources that will help you and your staff prepare. It also shows you where to go for more information.
Conversation cards – you can use these conversation cards to encourage workers, or anyone involved in aged care, to get talking about the strengthened Standards. Each card asks a question about applying the Standards in practice, helping workers to think about how they deliver care.

New Commission policy on provider registration under the new Act

We have published information about our new provider registration policy on our website. The policy will come into effect with the commencement of the new Aged Care Act 2024 on 1 July 2025.

The policy explains our process and principles for registering providers of Australian Government-funded aged care services. Registration will help protect older people by making sure that only providers who are suitable can register and stay registered to provide aged care.

Please note that this policy will be supported by a range of other guidance materials that we expect to publish from April 2025, to support your understanding of the provider registration process.

We will host a sector webinar on Tuesday 15 April from 2.00pm – 3.00pm AEST. Registration will open 2 weeks before.

Reaccreditation audit update

The Commission traditionally welcomes applications for reaccreditation from residential aged care services up to 6 months before the accreditation expiry date of the service. This allows us enough time to conduct the site audit process and complete a performance report.

Under the new Aged Care Act from 1 July 2025, all residential aged care services will be allocated a single, provider-level registration expiry date. This means that we won't be undertaking reaccreditation audits for those services that currently have an accreditation expiry date that falls after 1 July 2025.

Please don't submit an application for reaccreditation for a residential aged care service with an expiry date after 1 July 2025. If you have already submitted an application for reaccreditation for a service which expires after 1 July 2025, we will contact you shortly about the application.

The Department of Health and Aged Care is in the process of deeming government funded approved aged care providers to registration categories as specified in the new Aged Care Act.

You can find more information about the registration ‘deeming’ process on the department’s website. This process will include advising providers of their new registration expiry date.

Following this, we will provide advice to the sector on the registration audit process and what providers will need to do.

New resource for providers – what to expect when we visit

We visit aged care services as part of our role as the national regulator. Visits are an opportunity for us to work with providers to make sure older people are getting the best care possible.

We have published a flyer to explain what you can expect when we visit, and we encourage you to share it with your staff. This flyer includes:

what happens when we visit
what you can expect from us
what you can do to make sure it’s a successful visit.

One simple thing that makes a big difference is providing a safe, private workspace for us. Being prepared will make sure every visit is a positive experience!

You can find more information in the providers section of our website.

Check your GPMS contact details

As the provider registration preview approaches, the Department of Health and Aged Care encourages providers to check their contact details. You can do this through the Government Provider Management System (GPMS) or your funding agreement manager.

Nominating the right contact will make sure you receive the provider registration preview when the department shares it in April. The preview will give you the opportunity to review your proposed registration details and update them if necessary.

For technical support with GPMS, contact the My Aged Care service provider and assessor helpline on 1800 836 799 and select option 5. For more information about the new regulatory model, email AgedCareRegModel@health.gov.au.

Correction to information about refundable deposits

On 3 January we sent an email to the sector about a targeted review we’re doing on how providers refund refundable deposits. This email included a link to incorrect information about refunding refundable deposits.

Please refer to the correct information: Refunding refundable deposits guide and practice. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Food, nutrition and dining

Resources for positive mealtimes

Mealtimes are about more than just food or a time to eat for older people. They should also support a person’s dignity, choice and independence. Mealtimes should meet the needs and preferences of older people and support social engagement. This helps create positive mealtimes and a higher quality of life for older people.

To support aged care workers to deliver person-centred care and positive mealtimes, we’ve created a series of educational resources, including:

You can access the learning modules on Alis. You can find the other resources on the our website for providers, workers and older Australians.

Food, nutrition and dining for Harmony Week

Food connects us to our family, friends, culture and traditions. It brings us together.

Aged care providers have a role to play in celebrating cultural diversity, through special mealtimes and events for people receiving care.

The upcoming Harmony Week (Monday 17 to Sunday 23 March 2025) is a time to learn about other people’s traditions, as well as share our own. It’s a great time to bring together older people from different backgrounds through mealtimes.

During Harmony Week think about how your service meets the many cultural food and drink needs and preferences of residents and staff.

We have collected some ideas and examples on how you could improve your food, nutrition and dining for Harmony Week and beyond. Such as:

provide options to support people who speak languages other than English. This helps them to communicate meaningfully about their food preferences and cultural experiences
encourage a social dining environment where residents feel safe and comfortable to share stories and experiences from their different backgrounds
plan your cultural events well ahead.

You can read more in our full article.

Webinars

Recording available – Understanding the new Financial and Prudential Standards

The recording and slide handouts are now available for our 18 February 2025 webinar introducing the new Financial and Prudential Standards.

New Financial and Prudential Standards will commence with the introduction of the new Aged Care Act from 1 July 2025.

Hosted by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner, Liz Hefren-Webb, the webinar covered:

the requirements and provider obligations under the proposed standards
the provider’s role in strengthening financial and prudential operations
the Commission’s approach to regulation.

Bringing the Strengthened Quality Standards to life

Tuesday 18 March 2025, 2.00pm – 3.00pm AEDT

Registrations open Monday 3 March through our website.

Provider registration

Tuesday 15 April 2025, 2.00pm – 3.00pm AEST

Registrations open 2 weeks before through our website.

Training and resources

Alis platform training sessions

Are you an Alis administrator wanting to get the most out of the Alis platform?

We’re excited to offer 3 different live Alis platform training sessions to help you understand how to use some key functions, including:

SCORM sharing
administrator functions
reporting.

To register, go to Alis and search ‘Alis platform training sessions’. You’ll be able to see available dates and sign up there. There's no cost for the training sessions, but places are limited.

Improve your governance skills ahead of the new Aged Care Act

The Governing for Reform in Aged Care program provides training and helps develop the skills of leaders. This program helps governing bodies prepare their organisation to make the necessary changes before the start of the new Aged Care Act.

The program supports you to navigate and improve your corporate and clinical governance across 4 core key areas:

putting older people at the centre of care
obligations and accountabilities
effective governance
leading the transformation.

You can find out more and get started on the Governing for Reform program webpage.

Online workshops for approved providers

Places are available for our upcoming workshops in March. Each month, we deliver workshops for people working in the aged care sector. These workshops offer practical tips to support learners to understand how to meet their obligations in their service.

Our workshop topics for March are:

Strengthened Quality Standards in practice– learn about the new strengthened Quality Standards and how you can start preparing for them.
Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) in residential and home services – understand your obligations under the SIRS. Learn how to notify us about reportable incidents in residential services.
Effective Incident Management Systems – explore your Incident Management System (IMS) obligations. Learn how to use your IMS to keep improving.

Commission facilitators deliver our workshops, with subject matter experts from our regulatory teams on hand to answer your questions.

Places are limited, so head to Workshops | Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to learn more or register today.