Reaccreditation audit update
We traditionally welcome applications for reaccreditation from residential aged care services up to 6 months prior to the accreditation expiry date. This allows us time to conduct the site audit 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 will not be undertaking reaccreditation audits for those services that currently have an accreditation expiry date that falls after 1 July 2025.
Please do not submit an application for reaccreditation for a residential aged care service with an expiry date after 1 July 2025. If you have already done this, we will contact you shortly about the application.
The Department of Health and Aged Care (the Department) is in the process of deeming government funded approved aged care providers to registration categories specified in the new Aged Care Act.
You can find further 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.
Residential aged care services need accreditation to receive government subsidies.
Accreditation also allows providers to show how they meet the Aged Care Quality Standards.
Our role is to assess providers and issue accreditation. We perform full audits, checking the quality of care that providers deliver.
We also do an audit when providers apply for accreditation.
The accreditation process
The key steps in the process are:
- The provider self-assesses their service against the Quality Standards.
- They apply for accreditation (or reaccreditation).
- We assess the provider and write a performance report.
- We approve the accreditation and issue a certificate to the provider.
- We publish the performance report and accreditation decision on this website.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Act 2018 outlines the accreditation process.
The Aged Care Act 1997 also applies.
For more on the process, see the following pages:
Assessing providers
We visit providers and collect evidence to see how they meet the Quality Standards.
This includes (but is not limited to):
- reviewing procedure documents
- observing practices at the service
- looking at resident records and other documents
- checking incident reports, care plans and complaints registers.
We also speak with people receiving aged care or their representatives.
Have your say
Feedback from people receiving aged care plays a significant role in the accreditation of a service.
When assessing a provider, we interview at least 10% of residents or their representatives.
Providers must tell residents about the assessment. This is so the residents can meet us and share their experiences.
You can contact us anytime about the quality of care or any aspect of a provider's service.
You can also subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
