Finding Your Path
For many aged care providers, the sheer volume of reform, program change and new requirements can make it difficult to see the road ahead – let alone stay focused on why you began the journey in the first place.
In a recent discussion with Department leaders, I raised concerns about the pressure being experienced across the sector and the uncertainty created by what has, at times, been a very bumpy transition. I also challenged them to be clearer about the destination: What is the vision for Australia’s aged care system, and what is the North Star that will guide the sector towards it?
But this is also an important question for each of us.
What does a world-class, high-quality and equitable aged care system look like in practice? What does it mean for the people receiving care in your community? And how will your organisation navigate the barriers, competing priorities and constant noise while keeping what matters most at the centre?
Finding your path does not mean having all the answers today. It means being clear about your purpose, understanding where you are heading, and identifying the skills, training, systems and support your team will need to move forward with confidence.
The road may still be uneven – but a clear direction makes it much easier to take the next step.
CDCS brings together reform updates, program changes and practical guidance that matter most – distilled and put in context, so your team can spend less time chasing the details and more time focused on the people you care for. We hope you find this bi-monthly edition a helpful timesaver.
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.
Going ‘All In': Reconciliation and Our Commitment to First Nations Aged Care
What does it truly mean to be “all in”?.
Not in the sense of a game, with a clear endpoint or moment of victory – but as a lifelong commitment. A commitment to walk alongside First Nations peoples, to listen deeply, and to keep showing up, even when the work is difficult.
A CDCS update – Succession planning in action
When people hear the term succession planning, they often think about retirement, replacing a CEO, or finding the next manager. But in reality, good succession planning is much broader than that.
It is about ensuring continuity of care, maintaining organisational knowledge, and making sure services can continue to operate effectively when key people leave, move to another role, or simply decide it is time for a new chapter.
Can Support at Home funding pay for flights, ferries or taxis?
The use of aged care program funds for personal transport is a common question raised by providers.
Whilst it seems straightforward enough, I think it’s important to understand the challenges faced by providers operating in rural and remote areas of Australia and why these questions arise. Many older people living in these areas can access local transport for day-to-day services, but when they need to leave the community, commercial transport services may be the only practical option.
Why the Aged Care Code of Conduct matters more than ever
Most people working in aged care come to work because they want to help others, it’s not just a job. They want older people to feel safe, respected and supported to live the life they choose.
But providing good care is about more than completing tasks or following a care plan. It is also about how we treat people, how we communicate, and how we respond when something doesn't seem right.
This is where the Aged Care Code of Conduct comes in.
Industry News
All Sector Updates
Reform Progress – Permanent First Nations Aged Care Commissioner legislated
On 1 July 2026 the Government released its formal response to the Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner's report, Transforming Aged Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, and introduced a bill to establish Australia's first permanent, independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Commissioner within the ACQSC. The response follows consultations in which the Interim Commissioner, Andrea Kelly, met more than 1,000 Elders, families, carers and providers across 135 engagements. The new Commissioner is expected to have real regulatory reach on pricing fairness, refunds of overcharged fees, and closing the access gap for older First Nations people.
Reform Progress – Human override restored for aged care assessments
The Aged Care Amendment (Restoring Human Override for Aged Care Needs Assessments) Bill 2026 passed the Senate on 9 July. The bill restores an assessor's ability to override the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) where they believe it has under-identified a person's needs, and allows backdated reassessment for anyone assessed since 1 November 2025. This follows sustained sector concern – including from the outgoing Inspector-General of Aged Care about the IAT's limited human oversight. Worth flagging to your assessment and intake teams, particularly if any clients may be eligible for backdated reassessment.
Support at Home – Caps deferred but consumer protections increased
Formal price caps have been deferred, not implemented. They were originally due to start 1 July 2026, but on 19 May 2026 the government (Minister for Aged Care Sam Rae, with Health Minister Mark Butler) announced a deferral. More information on the changes and increased regulatory powers is in the home care section below and information for older Australians has been updated on My Aged Care.
AusAlert – National Test 27 July
A national test of AusAlert will happen on Monday 27 July 2026. During the test, all compatible mobile devices in Australia will receive an alert at the same time.
2pm AEST/ 1:30pm CST/ 12pm AWST
Anyone with a mobile phone – including most older Australians will receive a text message and warning noise. Those with a landline, may receive an AusAlert with spoken instructions. For some older Australians, alerts may feel distressing or confusing. Please brief your care workers so they can let people know and reassure them. If you use social media or website posts – a message about the national test may be helpful to inform people who may have missed other national messaging about the test.
Click here for more information
Legislation Updates
Aged Care Legislation Amendment (First Nations Commissioner and Other Measures) Bill 2026
Beyond establishing the new Commissioner role, this bill makes several technical fixes worth noting: it clarifies providers' obligation to refund overcharged fees and contributions, gives the regulator stronger powers to set fair prices, and adjusts the definition of “responsible persons” so elected local councillors are no longer automatically captured — a welcome fix for community-controlled and council-auspiced providers.
IAT human override bill passes Senate
The Aged Care Amendment (Restoring Human Override for Aged Care Needs Assessments) Bill 2026 passed the Senate on 9 July.
The Government had already announced it would allow human intervention in “outlier” IAT cases; this bill goes further, restoring assessor discretion more broadly.
The practical implementation detail (how the override will work day-to-day) isn't yet confirmed – CDCS will keep watching for departmental guidance.
Reports Due
| Report | Due Date | Applies To | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| QFR — Quarter 4 2025–26 | Approx. 4 August 2026 (35 days after 30 June quarter end) | Registered residential, Support at Home, MPS and NATSIFAC providers | CHSP-only providers do not submit the QFR. No extensions available — late submission can affect Star Ratings. |
| ACFR — 2025–26 financial year | 31 October 2026 | All registered providers with a standard financial year | Requires an audited General Purpose Financial Report (GPFR) alongside the ACFR. |
| Support at Home pricing review | Ongoing — review at least every 2 months | Support at Home providers (from 1 January 2026 requirement) | Publish most common price on My Aged Care and your own website using correct billable units. |
Home Care Updates
Support at Home – Caps deferred but consumer protections increased
Formal price caps have been deferred, not implemented. They were originally due to start 1 July 2026, but on 19 May 2026 the government (Minister for Aged Care Sam Rae, with Health Minister Mark Butler) announced a deferral – no new start date has been set. What this means:
- Providers still set their own prices but must publish standard prices on their website and in the My Aged Care “Find a provider” tool.
- The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) has new powers to order refunds where overcharging is found, take regulatory action against providers not issuing monthly statements, and publicly report on investigations and enforcement.
- A quarterly National Summary of Support at Home Prices will be published, showing median and range of prices by service type, so families can benchmark.
- Government is “encouraging” (not mandating) providers to limit price increases to no more than two per year.
- Personal care (showering, dressing, continence) is being reclassified as clinical care, effective 1 October 2026 — the ACQSC will specifically monitor pricing through that transition.
- A working group (Ageing Australia, OPAN, COTA, ACQSC) is being convened to define “reasonable pricing,” consult on the multi-provider model, and develop guidance for self-managed packages.
The Consumer protections for Support at Home prices – fact sheet for participants provides helpful information.
Updated CHSP Data Exchange Guide – CHSP
The Data Exchange (DEX) guide has been updated for providers to help you meet reporting requirements from 1 July onwards.
It includes:
- Part A – an overview of the DEX environment and guidance on using its functionality
- Part B – reporting requirements for each service group with examples.
Updated CHSP Manual
The manual was updated again in June. The summary of changes are listed on pp3-4 of the new manual
The updates include:
- guidance on issues arising from the changes under the Aged Care Act 2024
- updated National CHSP Unit Price Ranges.
View the updated CHSP Manual 2025-27.
Support at Home – End of Life Pathway expansion
Currently, eligible older people can receive $25,000 for end-of-life care across 12 weeks, with a maximum of up to 16 weeks if the person has funds remaining.
The government is changing the End-of-Life Pathway to provide a second round of funding for participants who live beyond the initial 12-week funding period. This will help ensure continuity of care for older people and their families at a critical time. This change will commence from early 2027. For more information visit the Department page.
The Support at Home Thin Markets 2026-27
(Round 3) Grant Opportunity (GO8502) is now open.
The grants provide flexible funding to eligible Support at Home providers delivering aged care services in thin markets.
Refer to the Funding Opportunities section (below) for more information.
NATSIFACP Update
NATSIFACP providers should have received correspondence from the Department about:
- An extension of the RN 24/7 exemption for residential NATSIFACP providers; and
- All NATSIFACP providers should have MAC client access as of July 1.
Keep an eye on your inbox for further correspondence from the Department’s NATSIFACP section.
Residential Care Updates
Guidelines — Staffing Star Rating now requires meeting both care minute targets
Since the May 2026 quarterly update, an aged care home now needs to meet both its total care minutes and registered nurse care minutes targets to achieve a Staffing rating of 3 stars or more — a tightened threshold from the previous algorithm. Worth checking your current QFR labour cost and hours data lines up with what's needed for your rating (Residential Care only). See here for the Star Ratings changes.
Quality Bulletin highlights fee rules – Residential Care
It also flags a new public information campaign encouraging older people to speak up about their rights, and confirms registrations are open for the National Aged Care Provider Conference 2026 (13–14 October, Brisbane). Read here.
Guidelines – Fee rules for Higher Everyday Living Fee (HELF)
The Commission's latest Quality Bulletin (#5-2026) reminds residential providers that a Higher Everyday Living Fee (HELF) can only be charged for genuine extra or premium services – not as a way to reduce standard care below Quality Standards.
Providers can't charge a HELF for standard services, and reducing standard care to push residents toward paid extras is a breach of the Aged Care Rules. For more information visit the Department Page.
Resource — Flu season vigilance in residential care
With winter respiratory illness activity building across Australia, the Australian Centre for Disease Control is reminding residential providers to be alert for possible influenza outbreaks, follow local outbreak protocols, and encourage vaccination for residents and staff who haven't yet had it this season.
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.
Industry Training, Webinars & Events
Department Training and Education Catalogue
This is a great resource with lists and links to training, learning modules and education resources across all program areas and regulatory reforms to help aged care providers and workers upskill.
It was updated in late May. Highly recommend you bookmark this page and download the catalogue to compliment your training plan.
Free coaching to support dementia respite care
The Dementia Respite Education and Mentoring (DREAM) program offers free expert dementia respite care coaching for aged care and health workers.
The training can help workers:
- gain confidence in providing dementia respite care
- apply learnings to real-life care situations
- learn from others in the sector.
Find out more about DREAM coaching.
Volunteer training resources
New volunteer training resources are available to help providers and volunteer managers deliver flexible training for aged care volunteers.
The resources provide guidance for nationally consistent training and are aligned to the new Aged Care Act. These resources may also be helpful for your staff as well as volunteers.
- Supporting Older People: Volunteer Learning Guide
- eLearning modules and other resources on DoHDA website and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission's website.
National Aged Care Provider Conference 2026 — 13–14 October, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
Themed “Rights and choice, every day: one year in.” Aimed at CEOs, responsible persons and senior leaders; registrations open now, capped at 2 in-person delegates per provider.
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.
Webinars
Book mark these pages if you haven’t already:
DoHDA – Aged Care Sector
https://www.health.gov.au/topics/aged-care/resources/webinars
ACQSC Webinars https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/get-involved/commission-webinars
Upcoming
- Personal care information sessions for Support at Home providers
Thu 23 Jul, 11:30 – 12:15 AEST
Recent webinars
- Residential Care Service List and Higher Everyday Living Fee.
- ACQSC – Strengthening behaviour support to reduce inappropriate use of restrictive practices – recording and slides
- ACQSC – Risk-based regulation in aged care – recording and presentation slides
- Multi-Purpose Service – Aged Care Reforms: Impacts on the MPSP and providers.
Funding Opportunities
Support at Home – Thin Markets Grants (round 3)
The Support at Home Thin Markets 2026-27 (Round 3) Grant Opportunity (GO8502) is now open.
The grants provide flexible funding to eligible Support at Home providers delivering aged care services in thin markets. Over $311 million is available in 2026-27.
Providers may be eligible to apply if they are delivering:
- rural and remote services in Modified Monash areas 3 to 7
- specialised services in any region, or
- culturally responsive services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
What the Thin Markets Round 3 grant can be used for
Grant funds must go toward goods and/or services directly related to delivering Support at Home services (per the Support at Home service list) and the AT-HM list. This includes unanticipated costs from fuel price increases and inflationary pressures, where these would otherwise be eligible.
Eligible expenditure includes:
- Labour costs
- Domestic travel and transport
- Consumables and supplies
- Minor capital costs
This round also includes an extra evaluation element for First Nations providers (Stream Two)
Stream Two is a new component of this grant program. It will support the delivery of specialised, culturally safe and responsive, trauma-aware, and healing-informed services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Support at Home participants.
More details are in the guidance and FAQs
Link to the Grants page is here
(There are 8 documents in total) – including the funding estimation tool.
Applications close at 2pm (AEDT) on 26 November 2026. However, providers are encouraged to apply early.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aged Care Services Officer and Cook | Ramingining, East Arnhem Regional Council | 31st July 2026 |
| Gapuwiyak, East Arnhem Regional Council | 8th August 2026 |
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
Below is a list of the updated policies, procedures, and other helpful resources in the last month. We're committed to helping your organisation meet compliance and deliver quality outcomes.
If 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 pass quality reviews easily and stay compliant, then take a look at the Total Quality Package.
Recent resource updates
TQP Live Training & Replays
TQP Members get complimentary access to regular 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 & the CDCS Team
Join Our Community
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the industry.
You'll receive our popular monthly newsletter: The Essential Aged Care Roundup for Busy People, and we will also let you know when CDCS has a new blog post or video.
(We won't flood your inbox! We send emails once a week, sometimes less and you can unsubscribe at any time.)
