Everyone has the right to a safe, respectful and enjoyable aged care experience.
The Code of Conduct for Aged Care (the Code) describes how aged care providers, their governing persons (for example, board members), and workers (including volunteers) must behave and treat people receiving aged care.
It helps ensure that people can have confidence and trust in the quality and safety of aged care they receive.
The Code:
- supports a person's right to personal choice, dignity and respect
- promotes kind, honest and respectful behaviour
- keeps people receiving aged care safe from harm.
Watch our video explaining the Code.
Transcript of 'Code of Conduct for Aged Care'
Note that the Code doesn't apply to:
- the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)
- the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFACP).
However, these providers must still provide safe and respectful care in keeping with the Code.
Expected behaviour
The Code outlines 8 elements of expected behaviour:
1. Act with respect for people’s rights to freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making in accordance with applicable laws and conventions.
2. Act in a way that treats people with dignity and respect and values their diversity.
3. Act with respect for the privacy of people.
4. Provide care, supports and services safely and competently, with care and skill.
5. Act with integrity, honesty and transparency.
6. Promptly take steps to raise and act on concerns about matters that may impact the quality and safety of care, support and services.
7. Provide care, supports and services free from:
- all forms of violence, discrimination, exploitation, neglect and abuse
- sexual misconduct.
8. Take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to:
- all forms of violence, discrimination, exploitation, neglect and abuse
- sexual misconduct.
Provider responsibilities
Providers must act in a way that's respectful, kind and consistent with the Code.
They must also support, equip and prepare aged care workers to comply with the Code.
Worker responsibilities
Aged care workers have the most contact with people receiving care. Their behaviour must always help the people they provide care for feel safe and supported.
They must always act in a way that's respectful, kind and consistent with the Code.
Responsibilities of governing persons
Governing persons play an important role as leaders of the provider's organisation. They contribute to how the organisation operates and upholds its responsibilities. Their behaviours must also be consistent with the Code.
What we can do
We can take action if we find that an aged care provider, a governing person or a person providing care has done something that isn't consistent with the Code.
In severe cases, we may:
- ban an aged care worker or governing person from working in aged care
- apply a sanction or revoke an aged care provider's approved provider status.
To find out more about the banning orders we've made, read our Aged Care Banning Orders Register.
More information
The full legislative document is also available: Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Amendment (Code of Conduct and Banning Orders) Rules 2022.
Resources for providers
- Guidance for approved providers
- Provider fact sheet
- Provider readiness checklist
- Your Code: self‑assessment quiz
- Case studies for workers and providers
- Training presentation
- Webinar: recording and presentation slides
Resources for aged care workers and governing persons
- Guidance for workers and governing persons
- Worker fact sheet
- Worker quick guide
- Worker poster
- Case studies for workers and providers
Webinar: recording and presentation slides
