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Under the new Aged Care Act 2024 (new Aged Care Act), flexible care services are now called Specialist Aged Care Programs. These include:
- National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program
- Commonwealth Home Support Program
- Transition Care Programme
- Multi-Purpose Services Program.
These programs are for people who need a different care approach to mainstream residential and home care services.
We assess and monitor flexible care services in line with:
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care (NATSIFAC) Program funds organisations to provide culturally appropriate care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This means Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can receive care close to their home and community. The NATSIFAC Program has a flexible mix of:
- residential care
- day care
- respite care
- community-based care.
You can find more information at National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program.
Commonwealth Home Support Program
The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) provides entry-level (basic) support for older people who need help to stay at home.work with older people to help them keep their independence and stay as well as possible.
CHSP services include:
- help around the house
- transport
- meals
- personal care
- social support
- nursing and allied health
- planned respite care.
You can find more information, including about what the Aged Care Act 2024 means for you, at Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP).
Transition Care Programme
The Transition Care Programme (TCP) provides short-term care for older people to help them get better after a hospital stay. This is called restorative care. It helps people:
- stay independent at home
- avoid the need for long-term care
- delay going into an aged care home for as long as possible.
TCP provides up to 12 weeks of transition care.
People can receive this care:
- at home
- in a residential care setting
- in a combination of both settings.
You can find more information at Transition Care Programme.
Multi-Purpose Service Program
The Multi-Purpose Service Program (MPSP) provides integrated health and aged care in rural and remote Australia. It provides hospital and aged care services through the one organisation, in places that don’t have both a hospital and an aged care home.
You can find more information about the Multi-Purpose Service Program on the department’s website.
Our role
The Commission registers new providers and considers renewal applications from current providers. We register all providers in one or more categories based on the types of services they deliver.
Each registration category groups services together based on:
- common characteristics
- risks associated with the services they provide
- provider obligations (what they must do) to reduce those risks.
We regulate providers based on their category (or categories) and the obligations they have to meet.
This includes monitoring providers to make sure they:
- uphold the Statement of Rights
- follow the Aged Care Code of Conduct
- screen workers
- meet their other obligations.
Providers registered in categories 4, 5 and 6 are audited against the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards (the Quality Standards) to inform decisions about their registration and renewal of registration.
We don’t audit providers in categories 1–3 against the strengthened Quality Standards, but we do monitor them. We can take regulatory action if we find there is a risk of harm to older people.
We also respond to complaints and serious incident notifications.
Our Regulatory Strategy 2025–26 explains our risk-based, proportionate approach to regulating the aged care sector. It applies to all registered providers of Australian Government-funded aged care.
We use a range of regulatory, monitoring, compliance and enforcement tools to make sure providers, responsible persons and aged care workers meet their obligations and deliver safe, quality aged care in a way that upholds older people’s rights.
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