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The Federal Government has announced its intention to establish a Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) in the aged care sector in early 2021 to help reduce incidents of abuse and neglect in Australian Government-subsidised residential aged care services.

Subject to parliamentary processes, from 1 April 2021, the current compulsory reporting requirements in residential aged care will be replaced by SIRS.  The legislation to support SIRS was introduced in parliament in late 2020.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission rejects claims in today’s The Australian newspaper that the Commission did not act appropriately in relation to Victorian aged care providers that failed to meet required safety standards during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in that state.

Commissioner Janet Anderson PSM said the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission had used the full range of its regulatory powers where there was an immediate and severe risk to care recipients as a result of the outbreak.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s Sector Performance Report for July-September 2020 highlights the Commission’s focus on containing COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care facilities, including by stepping up infection control monitoring spot checks.

The Commission prioritised these spot checks to assess whether providers of residential aged care services had taken all necessary steps to ensure that their staff were trained and proficient in infection control practices and procedures, and were appropriately using personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, face masks, face shields and gowns. 

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is calling on all aged care providers to enable and support their residents to be visited safely by family members and friends – especially over the holiday period when we are all looking to reconnect with people who matter to us.

Commissioner Janet Anderson PSM has clearly communicated to aged care providers her expectation that they will continue to focus on minimising the risks and

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission remains strongly engaged with aged care services experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 and is exercising all of its powers as the aged care regulator to ensure the safety of residents and staff.

The outbreak at St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Victoria has been devastating for residents and families, and the Commission has been working intensively with the approved provider of the service which operates under the auspices of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.

Site visits to aged care services by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission have increased significantly this year.  

The Commission, as the national regulator, has conducted more than 1,100 site visits to aged care services since January, including 410 visits to check infection control practices.

The Commission modified its regulatory program in March 2020 to focus additional effort where it is needed most to ensure that providers are doing everything possible to keep aged care consumers safe.

The high number of COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care homes in Victoria has reinforced the need for everyone working in the aged care sector to be alert and work collaboratively in responding to individual outbreaks.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission remains strongly engaged with aged care services experiencing an outbreak, exercising all our powers as the aged care regulator to minimise the risk to consumers and staff. As we monitor and support these services, the Commission is working closely with the Commonwealth Department of Health, the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre and Victorian health authorities.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is aware of media reports regarding alleged delays in the provision of a report from the NSW Health Clinical Excellence Commission on Newmarch House.

This statement confirms that the Clinical Excellence Commission report on Newmarch House was not commissioned by or for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, and we had no part in its development or its release to Newmarch House or to Anglicare.

On 7 August, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Janet Anderson PSM, wrote to Senator Katy Gallagher to add additional information to the record of the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19 hearing on 4 August 2020.