Providers sometimes engage other organisations to provide aged care services. These services differ depending on your operating model and the type of care you provide.
If you decide to use an associated provider to deliver certain care and services, including specialised care, you must tell us. This helps us understand how you deliver care and services and means we’re better informed and can assess how you’re meeting your obligations.
We need to understand:
- why you’ve started this arrangement
- how you’ll manage the care these associated providers deliver for you, even if it’s a management company.
You’re still responsible for how associated providers perform on a day-to-day basis. You need to stay involved to meet that obligation. You’re also responsible for care delivered by any other parties the associated provider engages, for example, in a subcontracting arrangement. You can’t transfer legal obligations as a registered provider to an associated provider. Providers must notify us of specified changes to their associated providers including:
- the start of a new arrangement between you and an associated provider to deliver aged care services on your behalf
- the variation or extension of an existing arrangement between you and an associated provider
- the end of an arrangement between you and an associated provider.
You don’t have to notify us of changes to an agreement with an associated provider to:
- supply labour under a labour hire agreement
- deliver services that support your management or governance work
- deliver services other than residential care, personal and care support in the home or community, and nursing and transition care.
Individuals who meet the definition of aged care worker and associated providers are considered to be workers, not associated providers.
Our regulatory bulletin and frequently asked questions explains more about associated providers.
Add an associated provider
If you’re registered in category 4, 5 or 6 and you’re starting a new arrangement with an associated provider to deliver funded aged care services in those categories, you must notify us.
Notifying us that you’re adding an associated provider
To notify us that you’re adding an associated provider you must complete the:
- Change in circumstance notification form
- Add an associated provider form.
You can find these forms on Applications, requests and notifications.
You can find more information on how to complete a form in Change in Circumstance Guidance.
You must complete a form for each associated provider you’re adding to your registration.
Your notification must include:
- general details of the associated provider, including their ABN and entity type
- contact details for the associated provider
- whether or not the associated provider shares a parent company or legal relationship with you
- details of the arrangement with the associated provider
- the type of service they’ll deliver
- the roles and responsibilities of the associated provider within your organisation.
Remove an associated provider
If you want to remove an associated provider from your organisation, you must tell us when and why.
Notifying us of removing an associated provider
To notify us that you’re removing an associated provider you must complete the:
- Change in circumstance notification form
- Remove an associated provider form.
You can find these forms on Applications, requests and notifications.
You can find more information on how to complete a form in Change in Circumstance Guidance.
You must complete a form notification for each associated provider you’re removing from your registration.
Your notification must include:
- the associated provider details, including their ABN and entity name
- the date they stopped being an associated provider of your organisation
- why they stopped being an associated provider of your organisation
- how this change may affect your ability to deliver aged care services.
Changes to arrangements with an associated provider
If you’re varying (changing) or extending an existing arrangement with an associated provider, you must notify us.
Notifying us of changes to arrangements with an associated provider
To notify us of changes to arrangements with an associated provider you must complete the:
- Change in circumstance notification form
- Changes to arrangements with an associated provider form.
You can find these forms on Applications, requests and notifications.
You can find more information on how to complete a form in Change in Circumstance Guidance.
Your notification must include:
- the associated provider details, including their name and ABN
- date the change came into effect
- a description of the change to the current relationship.
