by Donna Cross & Carrie Akhurst
If you're feeling overwhelmed due to the amount of information about the reforms coming your way, you're not alone. Many people feel like a tsunami of information is hitting them.
Over the past couple of months, we have facilitated workshops with the Department of Health and the Commission in rural, regional and remote areas, helping providers to get reform ready. We know that getting across the volume of content around change is a challenge.
Identifying priorities, actionable steps, resources, and support is important to keep your team and governing body informed and engaged and will help you ride out this wave of reforms.
Take heart and acknowledge your achievements as you and your team implement changes, no matter how small those wins are.
Our CDCS team will continue to monitor the content being released and any grant opportunities that might help you through this reform process.
Keep an eye out for upcoming blogs and videos from us to help you and your team unpack and action the new requirements.
Latest CDCS Videos & Blog Posts
To respond to the needs of those working in the industry, CDCS has a range of blog posts on our website and videos that are freely available on our YouTube channel.
You can use any of our YouTube videos for your staff training and feel free to embed the videos in any of your training resources.
How good was your organisation’s emergency plan?
In Australia, emergencies like cyclones, floods, wild fires, extended days of extreme temperatures and infectious disease outbreaks like the flu, pose significant risks to older people receiving aged care services. Whether you provide home care or residential care, responding effectively during a crisis is crucial—but what happens after the immediate danger has passed is just as important.
Industry News
All Sector Updates
National worker registration scheme feedback
The Australian Government is inviting 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.
Providers and care staff have the opportunity to provide feedback via a short survey. It is particularly important for First Nations providers and those providers who employ a large number of culturally competent staff to support their client base to read the consultation paper and respond and complete the survey.
Fact sheet for providers – Aged care worker screening from 1 July 2025
The Department of Health have released a fact sheet that outlines provider responsibilities for aged care worker screening with the introduction of the new aged care Act. The fact sheet helps providers understand what will remind the same and what will change from 1 July 2025.
Making sure your workers can work in aged care
Providers must have governance systems and processes to ensure their aged care workers can work in aged care. The Commission has released a fact sheet that explains a provider’s responsibilities for:
- screening workers
- preventing breaches to banning orders
First Nations storyboard and poster – Aged care and your rights
The Commission has developed a storyboard to help clients understand their rights when accessing aged care services.
They have also released a poster on client rights which providers can tailor to their location.
Advance Care Planning Storyboard
CDCS worked with the Commission to develop a number of storyboards aimed at First Nations and CALD communities. These storyboards help clients and staff understand key concepts. This storyboard focuses on the topics: end-of-life, end-of-life planning conversations and advance care planning.
Review of Emergency Response Plans – Strengthened Quality Standard 2.10
All aged care providers are required to have emergency and disaster management plans, with regular emergency events occurring across the country, as demonstrated by the most recent cyclone hitting south-east Queensland.
Most providers have plans in place, but once things have settled down it is important that those emergency and disaster management plans are reviewed and any adjustments made from the learnings as part of continuous quality improvement.
For residential providers this resource may be useful for preparing and reviewing your emergency response plans.
Aged Care Nurses Wages – guidance document
This guidance document provides information for aged care providers on the Fair Work Commission aged care award wage increase for nurses.
Legislation Updates
Provider registration policy
For those wanting to understand more about the Commission’s process and principles for registering providers of Australian Government-funded aged care services you’ll find the Commission’s policy in their resource library.
New financial and prudential standards guidance material
Residential providers will already be aware of the financial and prudential standards however, some home care providers will also be respondent to these standards. The Commission has released a document outlining provider responsibilities.
COVID Updates
See the department website for any updates.
Home Care Updates
Support at Home Program Provider Transition Guide
This document gives guidance on the actions Home Care Package providers and Short-Term Restorative Care providers should take to be operationally ready to transition to the Support at Home program.
Support at Home: Claims and Payments Business Rules Guidance
This document gives business guidance on claims and payments for providers who will be operating under Support at Home from July 2025.
Subsidy increase in the Home Care Packages Program
The Home Care Packages subsidy will rise on 1 March 2025. This will help cover any reasonable increases to prices resulting from providers paying their nurses increased award wages
National summary of Home Care Package prices – 31 December 2024
To further improve the transparency of Home Care Package pricing for senior Australians, their families and carers, the Department of Health publishes national median prices for common home care services, care management and package management. This data covers the quarter ending 31 December 2024.
Support at Home program handbook
This document outlines the core components of the Support at Home program design and arrangements from 1 July 2025.
Regional, Rural and Remote Home Care Workforce Support (RR&R HCWSP) – Program Manual 2024-2025
This document explains what the RR&R HCWSP is and how it operates.
Residential Care Updates
Food, Nutrition and Dining Resources
The Commission has developed a number of resources to help residential providers deliver quality meals that are nutritionally sound, appropriate, enjoyable and an improved dining experience for residents. This link will take you to a summary document of available resources.
Liquidity calculator for registered providers in the aged care sector
This calculator informs registered providers of the minimum level of liquid assets they are required to hold calculated based on Quarterly Financial Report (QFR) financial statements.
Department and Commission Newsletter Links
If you haven't subscribed for Department updates, you can do so by clicking here to subscribe.
If you’re not already signed up, we recommend clicking through and signing up for the Commission’s valuable newsletter.
CDCS Roundup for Busy People Newsletter
If you have others in your team who would benefit from our monthly aged care roundup for busy people – they can sign up here.
Industry Training, Webinars & Events
CHSP 2025 – 27 extension and reforms update
The Department of Health and Aged Care are hosting a webinar for Commonwealth Home Support Program providers to understand the changes that will be introduced with the new Aged Care Act.
When: Thursday 13 March, 2:00pm – 3:00pm (AEDT)
Register here
CALDWays Courses
CALDWays is part of the Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care NSW & ACT (PICAC) team who deliver free face-to-face or online training to residential and in-home care providers. They have a range of free training courses on their site that providers and their staff can access which are designed to educate aged care staff on various topics on culturally inclusive service delivery.
NATSIFAC Program Reform Readiness webinar
This webinar will help National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care providers understand how the new Aged Care Act will impact them. Topics will include new worker screening requirements, the single assessment system and what the new Act means for providers.
When: Thursday 20 Mar 2025 2:00 pm to 3:30pm AEDT
Register here
Ongoing workshops provided by the ACQ&SC
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission develops a range of educational resources and workshops for aged care providers, in-home services and residential services that assist in understanding what compliance looks like.
You can find these courses listed on the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s website under the Education tab.
Funding Opportunities
Funding Opportunities | Name of Grant | Closing Date |
|---|---|---|
| GO5304 | Aged Care Services – Specialist Dementia Care Program This grant is for eligible providers in the Western Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network regions. It supports people with very severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia who cannot be cared for in mainstream aged care homes | 24 April 2025 |
| GO7393 | Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) Emergency and Critical Need 2024-25 This grant is to assist CHSP providers with financial support to respond to unforeseen and exceptional circumstances. The funding categories are detailed in the Grant Opportunity Guidelines. | 30 April 2025 |
| GO7524 | Aged Care Capital Assistance Program – Residential-based Aged Care Services and Staff Accommodation Up to $300 million has been made available to fund infrastructure projects that will maintain or improve access to quality residential-based aged care services in MM2 to MM7 locations and MM1 locations where these services will provide specialised or targeted care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In addition, staff accommodation projects that support residential-based aged care service provision in MM2 to MM7 locations are also an eligible activity. | 20 May 2025 |
For more information on any of these grants, refer to the GrantConnect website.
SDAP – Services Development Assistance Panel
Don’t forget, if you are an aged care provider (residential or community care) operating in rural or remote locations, you may be eligible for support through the Service Development Assistance Panel (SDAP).
CDCS has been a panel member since the inception of this program in 2010 and has supported over 40 aged care services with compliance, business development, training and resource development.
Get an idea of what can be done with SDAP.
Further information is available on the Department’s website, including the application form, or by emailing sdap@health.gov.au.
Jobs in Aged Care
Position | Organisation & Location | Closing Date |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinator Home Care – Community | Alice Springs – MacDonnell Regional Council | 20 April 2025 |
| Gapuwiyak – East Arnhem Regional Council | Until filled | |
| Aged Care and Disability Services Operations Coordinator | Gapuwiyak – East Arnhem Regional Council | Until filled |
| Milingimbi – East Arnhem Regional Council | Until filled | |
| Milingimbi – East Arnhem Regional Council | Until filled | |
| Milingimbi – East Arnhem Regional Council | Until filled | |
| Umbakumba – East Arnhem Regional Council | Until filled | |
| Umbakumba – East Arnhem Regional Council | Until filled | |
| Yuendumu – WDNWPT Aboriginal Corporation | Until filled | |
| Yuendumu/Mt Liebig – WDNWPT Aboriginal Corporation | Until filled | |
| Aged Care Coordinator | Yuendumu/Mt Liebig – WDNWPT Aboriginal Corporation | Until filled |
NOTE: If you have a position that you would like us to promote, please hit ‘reply’ to this email so we can include it in the next newsletter and/or post on our Facebook page: CDCS – Culturally Directed Care Solutions.
New In The TQP Members Resource Area
You’ll find a full list of the updated policies, procedures and other helpful resources that have been updated in the last month below. We're committed to helping your organisation meet compliance and deliver quality outcomes.
If you don't have access to the TQP and you’re looking for comprehensive, industry-specific policies, procedures and work instructions that have been used successfully by dozens of aged care providers, helping them to easily pass quality reviews and stay compliant, then take a look at the Total Quality Package.
Resource updates in the last month
TQP Live Training & Replays
TQP Members get complimentary access to regular LIVE training and education sessions. These are aimed at the coordination and management level and address trending issues and topics. Recordings are available in the TQP to revisit whenever you need – just like having your very own ‘Aged Care Netflix!’
We hope you have found this edition helpful; feel free to share it with others who may be interested. If you have any feedback or questions, please let us know by emailing us at info@cdcs.com.au.
Please get in contact with us if you need support and we’ll catch up with you again next month.
Donna, Carrie & the CDCS Team
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