Other parts of your application

To save on repeating information here, you may make reference to responses and evidence given for other questions in your application that are relevant to your commitment, capability and capacity. However, ensure that you reflect on how those other areas of your application directly relate to the chosen provider registration category and intended service types. 

Applying for multiple provider registration categories 

If you are applying to add multiple provider registration categories, parts of your response and evidence given for one category may be applicable to another category. Accordingly, there may be similarities between your responses for different categories. However, you should ensure that your responses are specific to the relevant category and intended service types.

Evidence of commitment, capability and capacity 

Evidence of your commitment may include:

• early engagement with the aged care community in your location relevant to the provider registration category and intended service types
• investment in property, plant and equipment specific to the provider registration category and intended service types
• agreements or negotiations with associated providers in anticipation of being registered in the chosen provider registration category
• advertisements for recruitment of staff (e.g., registered nurses)
• business plans (e.g., immediate actions you will take if you are registered in the chosen provider registration category)
• training resources (e.g., on acting compatibly with the Statement of Rights)
• other things that relate to establishing yourself as a provider of aged care services in the chosen provider registration category.

Evidence of your capability may include:

• documents relating to the suitability of your staff to deliver your intended service types (e.g., having a nursing team experienced in delivering residential clinical care)
• the systems used to support service delivery (e.g., business management software)
• policies and procedures to support service delivery (e.g., an infection prevention and control policy or policy for respecting the cultural background of older people)
• plans for maintaining the quality of aged care services over time (e.g., if there is an increase to how many older people you deliver aged care services)
• other things that relate to your ability to deliver aged care services, independent of external influences. 

Evidence of your capacity will first require an awareness of external constraints that impact your ability to deliver quality and safe aged care services. This may include:

• availability of workforce (e.g., difficulties in attracting registered nurses into aged care)
• location (e.g., if you intend to operate in a remote area)
• potential for sources of funding to be reduced or ceased entirely (e.g., if a parent company decides to withdraw financial support)
• potential increases in operating expenses (e.g., cost of clinical care equipment or fees charged by an associated provider)
• a reduction in clientele and therefore revenue (e.g., due to a competitive local market for aged care services). 

Evidence of how you will respond to such constraints may include: 

• arrangements for the use of agency staff or on call professionals when needed
• workforce recruitment and staff retention strategies
• contingency plans to acquire alternative funding or credit
• business continuity plans

• other things that relate to your ability to overcome external constraints on your ability to deliver aged care services. 

Right-based approach and the Statement of Rights

Your responses must also include how you will:

• embed a rights-based approach in the design of your operations and delivery of services to older people
• monitor and evaluate your activities to ensure that you are acting compatibly with those rights.

A rights-based approach is an approach to delivering funded aged care services that recognises and is compatible with an older person’s right to:

• independence, autonomy, empowerment and freedom of choice when making decisions about themselves
• equitable access to services
• receive quality and safe funded aged care services
• have their personal privacy and information respected
• have communication centre on them and their preferences, and the ability to raise issues without reprisal
• have advocates, significant persons and social connections.

For more information about the Statement of Rights, click here.