Strengthened Quality Standards

About the program

The Aged Care Quality Standards are being strengthened as part of the proposed new Aged Care Act and regulatory model.

In 2021, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommended that the Department of Health and Aged Care (the Department) review the Standards.

They recommended that the reviewed Standards include vital areas such as:

  • food and nutrition
  • dementia
  • diversity
  • governance
  • clinical care.

The Department conducted consultations, reviewed and revised the draft strengthened Standards. We contributed to the revisions as national aged care services regulator.

The strengthened Quality Standards are expected to be introduced with the commencement of the new Aged Care Act. The existing Standards will remain in effect until then.

To prepare the aged care sector for the upcoming changes, we are implementing the Stronger Standards, Better Aged Care Program.

Through the program, we are:

  • changing how we assess the quality of aged care and services
  • building awareness and capability in the aged care sector
  • simplifying our processes and resources so they are consistent and easy to understand

For more information, read our Stronger Standards, Better Aged Care Program Vision Statement

Sector support

Guidance resources

The Commission has produced a suite of draft guidance resources for providers and workers on the strengthened Quality Standards.

We conducted a public consultation from 6 February to 19 May 2024 seeking feedback on the draft resources. We received feedback via written submissions, surveys and roundtable discussions.

A report is now available on the outcomes of the public consultation. 

We are now finalising the guidance material for release towards the end of 2024. The registration categories included in the drafts are no longer current. The 6 proposed registration categories are available on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

The draft resources remain available on our website, including through the new Quality Standards Guidance Tool. 

New strengthened Quality Standards guidance tool

This draft guidance tool is intended to support providers to comply with the strengthened Quality Standards. 

The draft guidance material is intended to support providers to comply with the strengthened Quality Standards. It also aims to promote best practice in service provision.

You can provide your service type and role to view or print guidance tailored to your circumstances. You can also view or print the draft evidence mapping framework to see the types of evidence we will be looking for when assessing performance against the Standards. 

To access the guidance material, go to the strengthened Quality Standards introduction page.

The resources available are:

Resources for older people receiving care will also be developed. This will include guidance documentation and printable content.

Fact sheets and posters

We have released a suite of fact sheets to help providers understand the new strengthened Quality Standards and your obligations in meeting them.

The strengthened Quality Standards will come into effect in line with the commencement of the new Aged Care Act.

In these fact sheets, you will find:

  • Key concepts and themes for each strengthened Quality Standard.
  • Statements from older people and workers which describe how they will feel and act when the Quality Standard is being upheld.
  • Information about demonstrating conformance with the Quality Standard.
  • Reflective questions.
  • Other resources which give you extra detail on the Quality Standards and draft guidance if you are interested in learning more.

We have also released a quick reference guide which gives you an overview of why there are different registration categories, what this means for you in practice, and how you can support your workers.

You can download the fact sheets here:

We have also developed two printable A3 posters that will help workers and older people understand the intent of the strengthened Standards.

You can download those posters here:

Up to Standard videos

Our Up to Standard video series gives you the latest updates and answers to the most common questions we have received about the strengthened Standards.

Strengthened Quality Standards in practice - workshop

Watch the Strengthened Quality Standards workshop video below for an introduction to the workshop and to learn more.

Transcript for 'The strengthened Quality Standards in Practice Workshop'

Webinars

We hold webinars to update the sector about our work on the strengthened Standards. Go to the webinar page to register for upcoming webinars or to watch recordings of past events.

Framework analysis

To support the sector in understanding the changes to the Standards, we conducted a framework analysis by comparing the current Standards with the draft Standards. 

Strengthened Quality Standards pilot

We conducted a pilot project to test:

  • how the draft strengthened Standards will be applied in practice
  • whether the draft Standards support the delivery of high-quality aged care 
  • a proposed audit methodology
  • the draft assessment grading
  • how we can support providers to understand and comply with the strengthened Standards.

The pilot included a sample of 40 providers representative of the aged care sector.

Overall feedback from the participating providers was positive, indicating they found the audit process:

  • more transparent,
  • easier to understand
  • embraced the natural justice process to ensure they could review and comment before compliance decisions are made.

Have your say

We value your questions, suggestions and feedback. We look forward to working together to improve the quality of aged care.

If you have any questions or comments, please email agedcarereform@agedcarequality.gov.au.

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Acknowledgement of Country

In the spirit of reconciliation, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, water and community. We pay our respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.