Overview
The Commission has created a new COVID-19 Subcontracting arrangement notification form. It is for approved providers that engage the services of an external organisation to assist with the expansion of their existing aged care services in response to COVID-19 aged care needs.
This form has been designed so that approved providers give the important information to the Commission and to guide approved providers to consider their existing responsibilities when entering into these arrangements.
You must ensure that you have informed the subcontracted organisation that you are telling us about your subcontracted arrangement. Under Australian Privacy law, specifically the Australian Privacy Principles, organisations or agencies must only collect personal information in a lawful and fair way.
Although in practice, the information must be collected from the person directly and not from third parties, there are situations where organisations and agencies are allowed to collect information from third parties. For example, where the person would reasonably expect it or where they have consented to their personal information being shared.
In this form you are asked to provide the personal information of persons employed, or otherwise engaged, by the third party organisation so that the Commission has sufficient understanding of your Governance arrangements to be satisfied that you understand and can comply with your responsibilities as an approved provider.
You are required to confirm that you have obtained consent to provide us with personal information of the third party personnel.
For more information, see the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) Guidelines, Chapter 3.
Approved providers should think about the following matters to ensure appropriate oversight is undertaken by the approved provider:
- What relevant experience does the subcontracted organisation have in the delivery of care, either aged care or other form of care?
- Does the subcontracted organisation have sufficiently experienced staff, including management staff, to effectively deliver aged care?
- Who within your organisation will be responsible for providing oversight of the third party organisation, and what support/monitoring systems will you implement.
- What personnel checks has the subcontracted organisation undertaken in relation to its direct and indirect care staff?
- Thinking about the roles of persons employed by the third party organisation, would any of them meet the definition of key personnel as per section 8B of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Act? If so, you need to tell us about them.
- What will the timeframe for this agreement be? If you anticipate that these arrangements will continue indefinitely, you need to actively monitor these arrangements and notify the Commission should they change in a way that may materially affect your suitability.
COVID-19 subcontracting arrangement notification form
Tell us about your sub-contracted arrangements by using the COVID-19 Sub-contracting arrangement notification form.
If you have any questions about this form, email us at the following address and we will respond via return email within two business days: materialchange@agedcarequality.gov.au.