Commissioner’s message
During August I had the opportunity to meet with providers and older people in Cessnock, Toowoomba and Ballarat, as part of our Regional Roadshow Pilot. In total, 93 provider representatives attended the sessions and I’d like to extend a huge thank you to Calvary Cessnock, St Vincent's Care Services in Toowoomba and Nazareth House in Ballarat for hosting the Commission. I really enjoyed these opportunities to hear directly from providers and get a sense of how they’re experiencing the reformed Aged Care Act 2024. It was also great to meet some of the residents and hear directly about their experiences.
Providers told me they’re seeing a positive shift in their interactions with us, which is pleasing, but we also heard about the administrative burden on providers, and confusion and anxieties around Support at Home changes. It illustrates we have more work to do both on our internal processes as well as more information and education to better support the sector through these reforms.
Our Corporate Plan 2026–27 is now available on our website. I encourage you to have a look at the plan, which sets out our priorities, strategic direction and measures of success for the year ahead.
Key focus areas for the Commission include:
- embedding the intent of the new Aged Care Act
- strengthening culturally safe care
- responding to sector risks through intelligence and data
- enhancing organisational capability
- improving outcomes through our complaints system.
It also introduces our new vision and purpose, which place older people’s choice, dignity and respect at the centre of our work.
I spoke about the Commission’s focus on sector risk priorities in 2026–27 at the recent CEDA (Committee for Economic Development of Australia) event, ‘Shaping the future of aged care’. Sector risk priorities enable us to target areas where action can have the greatest impact on the safety, wellbeing and rights of older people.
For 2026–27 we have identified the following 4 sector risk priorities:
- aged care rights in practice
- sexual safety and sexual rights
- de-escalating changed behaviours
- delivery of culturally safe care by mainstream providers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
For example, we're doing research to better understand how providers apply rights-based care and how older people experience it. We’ve engaged research agency WhereTo to carry out the research on our behalf. They’ll hold interviews and group discussions with providers, workers, older people and supporters to talk about practical scenarios that explore how to balance rights, risks and other considerations when making decisions.
The research will help identify opportunities and challenges in providing rights-based care. It will improve our understanding of older people's experiences of aged care. The findings we get will help inform how best to guide, engage and regulate aged care providers, services and workers.
You will hear more about our approach with all the sector risk priorities in the coming months, including at our upcoming National Aged Care Provider Conference in October and webinars.
We want to support a positive food, nutrition and dining experience for older people in residential care. So, we’re extending the Menu and Mealtime Review Program in 2026–27. There will be an extra 300 reviews available. If you haven’t had a review, read on and register your interest.
I’m also pleased to introduce you to ‘Let’s talk about complaints’, a newsletter from Treasure Jennings, Aged Care Complaints Commissioner. It’s a regular newsletter to help older people, their families and supporters understand their rights and the complaints process. The article includes a link to the first edition. I encourage you to subscribe to the newsletter and to share it with your networks.
The first of our Clinical Insights blogs was published in August, from Dr Mandy Callary, Chief Clinical Advisor. It introduces the series and some of the important clinical topics affecting aged care. You can find out more about the blog in this issue.
We’ve also included links to resources for providers, older people and their supporters. We’ve published an easy read version of our Regulatory Strategy 2025–2026 to make sure everyone can access and understand it. You can find fees and fee waiver criteria for becoming a registered provider or renewing or varying your registration in our 2026–27 Cost Recovery Implementation Statement. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has published a fact sheet on the role of restrictive practices substitute decision-makers. And there are new OPAN modules on Alis about planning for diversity and supported decision making, as well as videos about rights-based practice.
Liz Hefren-Webb
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner
Last chance – register for NACPC26
We look forward to welcoming over 1,000 provider representatives at our upcoming National Aged Care Provider Conference (NACPC26) at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday 13 – Wednesday 14 October.
If you haven’t yet registered, please submit your registration request by Monday 7 September.
You can also update your registration to confirm a ticket to our Conference Dinner but please get in quickly.
Pre-conference workshops – final spots released!
Limited spaces are available to participate in our pre-conference workshops being held on Monday 12 October. The workshops are open to all registered providers attending the conference. Get in quickly to avoid disappointment! You can email agedcare@thinkbusinessevents.com.au to book your workshop.
Risk management in aged care workshop
Recognising providers engage with risk daily, the workshops will explore how the Commission assesses risk and share insights for prioritising your efforts to build organisational maturity and effective governance. We’ll discuss proactive risk management approaches and the links between governance and rights-based care. Using examples and activities, you will explore data analysis, communication and information sharing with older people and governing bodies. You will gain practical tools, ideas and resources you can apply in your own organisations to strengthen resilience and support quality outcomes for older people. You will have the opportunity to connect, collaborate and learn from peers across the sector.
Culturally safe care workshops
Two workshops will draw on best practice stories to help senior leaders provide culturally safe, person-centred care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Social and emotional wellbeing in care delivery (10.00 – 11.30 am): Hear best practice stories and learn more about the tools and care model for holistic, culturally safe care. This session will explore the role of senior leaders in adopting and practising culturally safe care.
The role of shared decision making (1.00 – 2.30 pm): Discover the potential of shared decision making in achieving more culturally safe care. Hear best practice stories and explore how the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities empower culturally safe care.
Find out more about the NACPC26 on our website
Updates and insights
Talking about complaints
The Aged Care Complaints Commissioner, Treasure Jennings, has launched ‘Let’s talk about complaints’. It’s a regular newsletter helping older people, their families and supporters understand their rights and the complaints process in aged care.
The newsletter includes practical information about aged care rights, how to raise concerns and make complaints. It will help older people feel more confident in speaking up.
In the first edition, Treasure talks about:
- her role as the independent Aged Care Complaints Commissioner
- Susan’s story – a case study that shows how the Commission can help when there’s an issue
- the Higher Everyday Living Fee (HELF)
- the importance of open disclosure.
The newsletter also highlights our public information program, Choice, dignity, respect – your rights in aged care. This program aims to increase awareness of aged care rights. It gives readers access to useful resources and information on support and advocacy.
Treasure has created the newsletter to keep older people informed and connected to information about:
- their rights
- how to speak up when something goes wrong.
You can read the first edition and subscribe at Let’s talk about complaints.
Federal Court declares aged care worker breached banning order
The Commission has welcomed a Federal Court decision finding that Gregory Scott Edwards breached a banning order by continuing to work in aged care after being prohibited from doing so. The Court found Mr Edwards worked 16 shifts across 2 aged care services between April and June 2024 despite being subject to a ban from 15 April 2024.
The decision reinforces the importance of compliance with banning orders, which are designed to protect older people receiving care. The outcome demonstrates the Commission's commitment to taking strong enforcement action where conduct may place older people at risk. The Court has adjourned the question of financial penalties and costs to a further hearing in December 2026.
Providers are reminded to maintain robust workforce screening processes and regularly check the Banning Order Register.
More information on banning order responsibilities and practical guidance is available in Regulatory Bulletin No. 2023-17
The Banning Order register is published on our website.
Support at Home pricing: Commission investigating a provider
Following a Support at Home prudential review, we’re investigating a provider who did not comply with consultation and service agreement requirements and had included care management costs in their service delivery prices. This means the provider isn’t complying with the Aged Care Act.
About the review
Earlier this year, we reviewed a Support at Home provider as part of a prudential review. We found the provider:
- included care management costs in their service delivery prices
- changed their prices without communicating with, or getting agreement from, older people.
Under the Aged Care Rules 2025, providers can’t include care management fees in their service delivery prices. Care management is funded separately. The Support at Home pricing Regulatory Bulletin explains the new pricing requirements.
Also, providers are expected to be transparent (open and clear) with older people. They should discuss and agree on prices with older people before charging them.
During the review, the provider also didn’t:
- cooperate with our investigators
- provide documentation and evidence
- address non-compliance.
Under the Aged Care Act, civil penalties (fines) can apply if providers don’t cooperate with us.
Action we’re taking
We’re now using our regulatory powers to investigate the provider’s practices, including how they set their prices. We’re also taking steps to force them to change their behaviour.
This case highlights clear regulatory obligations for providers. They should:
- make sure they don’t include care management costs in service prices
- make sure service prices are reasonable
- discuss and agree on prices with older people before making changes
- work with us, in line with the requirements under the Aged Care Act.
If we find a provider isn’t complying with pricing requirements, we’ll have them refund the amounts. We may also take further compliance and enforcement action if we need to.
New quarterly reporting for Star Ratings
Changes have been made to the Star Ratings reporting system. With the start of the new Aged Care Act on 1 November 2025, the Star Ratings Compliance rating algorithm was amended to include information about a residential care home assessment against the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.
At the same time, the commencement of our new regulatory model under the new Act required us to make significant changes to:
- our audit approach
- our IT systems and data processes
- workforce training and capability of our audit workforce
- our processes to support how audit outcomes are recorded and shared.
We worked closely with the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to refine how the new arrangements operate in practice. This included the flow from audit to registration and Star Ratings.
Following 1 November 2025, we monitored the early audits under the new Act to make sure the framework and settings were:
- operating as intended
- accurately reflected provider performance, policy intent and the expectations of older people.
We continued to undertake audits and communicate outcomes to providers as part of the registration process. Now that we’re confident the framework is functioning as intended, we’re implementing a regular reporting cycle from 25 August 2026. This means that Quality Standards assessment outcomes are being processed and reflected in Star Ratings shortly after we finalise our assessment reports.
Annual updates to provider fees and expanded fee waiver criteria
Our updated 2026–27 Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS) is now available on our website.
It provides information on our charging arrangements for:
- becoming a registered provider
- renewing registration
- varying registration.
The CRIS outlines the current fees, fee waiver criteria and the proposed annual updates we expect to apply later this financial year. Updates include:
- indexed fees (automatically adjusted prices to keep up with inflation)
- expanded fee waiver criteria for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) renewing their registration.
The Aged Care Rules 2025 (Aged Care Rules) outline the fees we charge and the fee waiver criteria. The Aged Care Rules must be amended before we can start charging and applying the new fees and fee waiver criteria for 2026–27.
We’ll let you know when the proposed changes will start.
For now, we’ll continue to charge and apply the current fees and fee waivers.
Upcoming prudential review for Category 6 providers
In September 2026, we’ll start a prudential review with selected Category 6 residential aged care providers.
We’ll do this review to understand:
- their financial and prudential governance and management practices
- liquidity management
- investment management
- refundable deposit practices.
A prudential review (previously called a prudential audit) helps us:
- educate providers about their financial and prudential responsibilities
- assess if you’re complying with the Financial and Prudential Standards and other prudential obligations that apply to your registration category.
We’ll review your:
- policies and procedures for financial governance and management
- process for managing refundable deposits.
Who we select for prudential reviews
We’ll start contacting selected providers in September. We might choose you for the review if:
- you’re a registered provider in Category 6
- your registration is due for renewal in 18 to 24 months
- you need information or support with your financial policies and procedures
- we think the review would benefit you.
If the review finds that you’re not complying with your obligations, we’ll work with you to fix the issues.
After the review, we’ll share a report with our findings and areas for improvement for providers to consider.
You can find more information on prudential reviews on our website.
Updated form for reporting responsible person details
Thank you for your feedback. We’ve listened to providers and updated the Responsible person details update form after recent changes to the Government Provider Management System (GPMS).
This form is a temporary solution. In the future, you’ll be able to manage these types of responsible person updates directly in GPMS.
Before you update any responsible person information, check how you need to report the change. Depending on the type of change, you may be able to update information directly in GPMS, or you may need to fill in a:
Use the Responsible person details update form to update any existing responsible person's:
- title
- name
- principal (main) responsibility
- job role
- position title.
You can find more information on how to make changes to a responsible persons’ details, and can download the updated form, on our Responsible person changes webpage.
Regulatory Strategy 2025–26 in Easy Read format
We’ve published an Easy Read version of our Regulatory Strategy 2025–26.
Our Regulatory Strategy includes key information about:
- our commitment to protecting older people
- how we hold providers and workers to account
- what we expect from providers and workers and how we’ll work with them.
It also explains what the sector, older people, their families and supporters can expect from us.
It's important our Regulatory Strategy is easy for everyone to find and understand.
We’ve published the Easy Read version with the full Regulatory Strategy 2025–2026 on our website.
Care Minutes Performance Statement reporting updates
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (department) is updating the way it monitors care minutes.
As part of their Aged Care Financial Report, residential aged care providers are required to submit to the department:
- a Care Minutes Performance Statement (CMPS)
- an external audit of the CMPS.
The new audit requirement makes sure reporting is accurate.
The CMPS includes:
- direct care labour worked hours
- direct care labour costs
- registered nurse (RN) coverage percentage
- quarterly occupied beds.
The first externally audited CMPS covers Q3 and Q4 of 2025–26.
We encourage you to engage an auditor early and keep your records up to date.
The department may recalculate care minutes supplements paid to aged care homes if the CMPS submission is different to information you reported in past Quarterly Financial Reports.
To learn more, see Care Minutes Performance Statement.
Support at Home Thin Markets grants Round 3 and evaluation
Round 3 of the Support at Home Thin Markets grants is now open. More than $311 million is available in 2026–27 to support eligible providers.
The grants provide flexible funding to eligible Support at Home providers who deliver aged care services in areas where there aren’t many services. The funding helps make sure that older people in rural and remote areas, and those who use specialist services, can receive the care they need at a reasonable price.
Providers may be eligible for a grant if they deliver:
- rural and remote services in Modified Monash areas 3 to 7
- specialised services in any region
- culturally responsive services to older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
You can still apply if you received funding in earlier rounds of these grants.
There are 2 available funding streams:
- Stream One: rural, remote and specialised services
- Stream Two: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services.
Opt-in: evaluation and extra funding under Stream Two
As part of Stream Two, providers can take part in a detailed evaluation. This will look at how effective the grant is, and the outcomes for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their Support at Home service providers.
There are 2 parts in the detailed evaluation – Part A and Part B. You can take part in one or both. If you choose to take part, you’ll receive extra funding in your grant agreement.
Part A:
- Apply by 8 September 2026 to help plan the detailed evaluation.
- Claim a participation payment of $10,000 per provider.
Part B
- Apply by 26 November 2026 to take part in the evaluation.
- Claim a participation payment of $50,000 per provider.
You can find out more about the grants and apply on GrantConnect. You can send your questions to Grant.ATM@health.gov.au
All other applications for Round 3 of the Support at Home Thin Markets Grants close 2pm (AEDT) 26 November 2026.
Grant to help cover higher leave costs for nurses
Applications are now open for the Aged Care Award Wages – Historical Leave Liabilities Increases – 1 August 2026 grant (GO8512).
The grant help providers cover the cost of their eligible nurses taking leave at the higher wage rates that started on 1 August 2026. The wage increases come from the Fair Work Commission's 1 August 2026 wage increase for eligible aged care nurses. The grant from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing offers one-off funding up to:
- 25% of the increase to leave entitlements for residential aged care providers
- 50% of the increase to leave entitlements for Support at Home, Commonwealth Home Support Program, Transition Care Program and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program providers.
Eligible Multi-Purpose Services providers will receive funding through existing agreements and should not apply for this grant.
Applications close 2:00 pm AEDT, 6 October 2026.
You can find out more and apply through GrantConnect.
Food and nutrition
More Menu and Mealtime reviews in 2026–27
A positive food, nutrition and dining experience is important for older people's health, wellbeing, quality of life and social connections.
To support this, we’re extending the Menu and Mealtime Review Program in 2026–27. There’ll be 300 extra reviews available for residential care homes that have not yet had a review through the program.
The menu and mealtime reviews support providers to:
- improve their residents' dining experiences
- meet their food and nutrition obligations under the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.
What happens during the review
An independent Accredited Practising Dietitian visits your residential care home to do the review. They’ll:
- assess your menus, dining environment and mealtime practices
- write a confidential report including recommendations on how to improve.
The reviews are free, but places are limited. We will prioritise expressions of interest from residential care homes:
- under the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program
- with a low score or without a score due to being a new or recently transferred service, on the Residents’ Experience Survey question, ‘Do you like the food here?’
- in rural and remote areas
- with 60 residents or less
- run by small providers (1–2 services) and medium providers (3–10 services).
You can find out more about the program or apply for a review:
- on our website
- by calling the Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline on 1800 844 044.
Clinical update
Clinical Insights from the Chief Clinical Advisor
The Commission’s Office of the Chief Clinical Advisor has launched a new monthly blog series, called Clinical Insights.
Clinical Insights will provide practical advice and information about clinical governance issues in aged care. It’s for providers, workers and older people.
The Office of the Chief Clinical Advisor plays a key role in:
- helping the sector understand their clinical governance obligations
- highlighting key issues, challenges and known sector risks
- providing best-practice clinical governance guidance that supports safe, quality care and good outcomes for older people.
The first blog post from Dr Mandy Callary, the Chief Clinical Advisor, is available now. It introduces the series and some of the important clinical topics affecting aged care.
The next blog will look at what research tells us about frailty. Dr Callary will explain how this research can encourage meaningful conversations with older people, their families and carers about managing frailty when delivering care.
You can read the blog on our website.
Reviewing eNRMC access
We encourage all residential aged care providers to regularly review the security and access controls of their electronic National Residential Medication Charts (eNRMC).
This follows a recent incident where an unauthorised worker created a false prescriber profile, made medication changes and altered medication charts without authority.
While no one was seriously harmed, it’s a reminder that safeguarding your systems isn’t just a privacy or IT responsibility, it’s also a patient safety issue.
We encourage all providers to:
- have strong governance and access controls
- conduct regular and proactive monitoring
- investigate any unusual activity.
We’ve also issued a clinical alert reminding residential aged care providers of their obligations to prevent the misuse of personal information, as set out in the Aged Care Act, the Aged Care Rules and the Aged Care Code of Conduct.
You can find more information in the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s Electronic Prescriptions Security and Access Policy.
New resource for restrictive practices substitute decision-makers
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (department) has published a fact sheet on the role of restrictive practices substitute decision-makers (RPSDMs).
Restrictive practices restrict an older person’s rights or freedom of movement. Restrictive practices can also affect the older person’s independence, wellbeing and quality of life.
Providers should only use restrictive practices as a last resort to prevent harm to an older person or others.
When a provider or approved health practitioner has assessed that the older person or others are at risk and the restrictive practice is necessary, before using it, they must:
- get informed consent from the older person
- document (record) the conversation and the consent.
If the older person doesn't have capacity to give informed consent to the use of the restrictive practice, an RPSDM can decide to give consent or not. The provider or approved health practitioner have to respect the RPSDM’s decision.
The department’s fact sheet explains:
- the role of the RPSDM
- what they need to think about before giving consent to a restrictive practice.
You can also find more information about restrictive practices in:
Webinars
Data and analysis in regulatory practice
15 September 2026, 2.00 pm to 3.00 pm (AEST)
This webinar is designed for providers, workers, older Australians and their families, and will cover how the Commission uses and reports data and analysis in our regulatory practice.
The session will explore:
- how we use data and analysis to be a risk-led and proportionate regulator
- how we report our data publicly
- how providers can use their own data to understand and manage risk.
You can register for this webinar on our website.
Partnering for sexual safety
22 September 2026, 2.00 pm to 3.00 pm (AEST)
Registrations will open 2 weeks prior via our website.
Recording available: Higher Everyday Living Fees (HELF): Ensuring transparency, choice and dignity for older people
The recording and slides from our 11 August webinar, Higher Everyday Living Fees (HELF): Ensuring transparency, choice and dignity for older people, are now available.
Panellists discussed the essentials of the Higher Everyday Living Fees including:
- providers' obligations when charging HELF in their residential aged care services
- communicating HELF agreements, service prices and bundles
- risks related to incorrect use of HELF, including financial harm, reduced choice and autonomy for older people.
Recording available: Incident reporting in context – what’s changed
The recording, slides and frequently asked questions from our 18 August webinar, Incident reporting in context – what’s changed, are now available.
The webinar looked the changes introduced by the new Aged Care Act and what they mean in practice. There was a discussion of practical case studies and information about how providers can use their Incident Management System (IMS) to identify, record, manage and respond to incidents while reducing the risk of recurrence.
Training and resources
OPAN eLearning modules now on Alis
More OPAN (Older Persons Advocacy Network) elearning modules are now available on our online learning platform, Alis.
Who’s missing: Planning for diversity
This course helps providers improve the way they plan for, deliver and report on building a diverse and inclusive environment for older people and aged care workers. It’s designed for people responsible for quality improvement, service planning or compliance.
Supported decision making in aged care
These modules outline what supported decision-making is in an aged care context. They focus on:
- how to apply supported decision making
- provider obligations
- the role of registered supporters
- how independent aged care advocates can help with supported decision
Statement of Rights: Is this rights-based practice?
This is a collection of short videos for providers to use in their own training. Each video presents a different situation in aged care. It asks viewers to decide if it shows rights-based practice and think about how it could be better.
Free Alis access
Alis is free for registered providers and their associated providers, workers and responsible people. If your organisation needs an Alis account, please complete this registration request form..
New and updated resources
Cost Recovery Implementation Statement
Mindfulness Colouring Sheets - You have the right to good aged care