Introduction
As a provider of aged care services, you can request, in writing, for your registration to be suspended. This can be done by completing the Request for registration suspension form (request form).
If your registration is suspended, you will not receive Commonwealth funding for the duration of the suspension period. However, you still need to comply with your obligations during the suspension period, including your financial and prudential obligations.
If you wish to have your registration revoked, do not complete this form. You should instead complete the Request for registration revocation form.
If you wish to continue providing funded aged care services, and only wish to make changes to your registration, you should not complete this request form. You should instead complete the Application for variation of registration form if you want to:
- register in a new provider registration category
- remove a category from your registration
- vary or revoke a Commission imposed condition of variation
- have the Commission impose a new condition.
If you are registered in Category 6: Residential care, you can also:
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add an approved residential care home to your registration (this can include applying to have a new residential care home approved)
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remove an approved residential care home from your registration
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vary the total number of beds covered by the approval of a residential care home
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revoke the approval of a residential care home.
This guidance material will help you to complete a request form. It includes:
- information regarding the registration suspension process
- references to specific provisions in the Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025 (these references are for guidance only and a question in the request form may relate to other provisions or laws)
- explanatory notes to help you understand the intent of a question so that you can provide an accurate and relevant response
- guidance on the evidence expected to support you to complete your request (this is in addition to the guidance given in the request form for some questions).
This guidance material does not provide explanatory notes or additional guidance on the evidence expected for questions in the request form that are clear and self-explanatory. This will be specified where applicable.
Before you make a request
Before you request a suspension of your registration, make sure that you understand what is expected of you. This guidance material and the following resources will help you:
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Provider Handbook: information about the Commission’s Registration Model, provider obligations, how the Commission enforces obligations and more
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Types of aged care services: information about the different types of aged care services and programs that providers can deliver
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Provider governance responsibilities: information about the governance responsibilities of a registered provider.
Making a request using the request form
You will not be able to make changes to the request form once it is submitted. If you need to change any information given in your request form, send an email to registrar.applications@agedcarequality.gov.au explaining the circumstances. Include your contact details in the email.
You may withdraw your request to suspend your registration at any time before the Commission makes a decision on it. To withdraw your request, send an email to registrar.applications@agedcarequality.gov.au. Include your contact details in the email.
Completing the request form
Check that you have completed all fields and answered all questions that are relevant to you. Ensure your responses:
- are clear and contain detailed information
- demonstrate a strong understanding of the requirements for a decision to suspend a registration
- demonstrate your commitment to continuity of care (outline the impact that the suspension will have on the older people you provide services to)
- detail your understanding of the Statement of Rights and how to act compatibly with it if your registration is suspended
- provide information that is specific to you or your organisation
- do not rely on artificial intelligence or prefabricated responses
- demonstrate you have understood this guidance material and applied it to your own circumstances.
During the request process
During the request process, we will assess whether you have appropriate arrangements in place to ensure the continuity of care for any affected older people that you are delivering funded aged care services to. Your request to suspend your registration will only be approved if you can demonstrate that you have appropriate arrangements.
If more details are needed to assess your request, the Commission may request further information from you before making a decision on your request.
If a refusal of your request to suspend your registration is being considered (e.g., due to any continuity of care arrangements not being appropriate), the Commission will inform you. This will give you an opportunity to address the concerns with your request outlined in that communication. If necessary, the Commission may contact you more than once for different matters before a decision is made on your request.
Registration decision
Once a decision is made on your request to suspend your registration, the outcome will be notified to you via a Notice of Decision. This includes the period of the suspension.
If your request is approved, the Provider Register will be updated. This may include the Provider Register data published on the Commission’s website.
If your request is not approved, you can request to have the Commission reconsider it. More information about the reconsideration process can be found here.
Section 1: Registered provider details
Questions 1.1 to 1.4
Explanatory Note
No additional guidance is provided for these questions. Refer to the request form for instructions.
Section 2: Suspension details
Questions 2.1 to 2.3
Explanatory Note
It is important that we understand all the circumstances around your request to have your registration as a registered provider suspended.
The dates that you provide in your response to questions 2.2 and 2.3 are the dates that you intend for the suspension of your registration to take effect. However, the suspension of your registration is a decision that will be made by us. If we decide to suspend your registration, the dates of the suspension period may be different from the dates you have specified.
Evidence
Your response to question 2.1 may include:
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external factors affecting your delivery of aged care services (e.g., job market changes in the areas you operate or an associated provider ceasing their services)
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internal factors affecting your delivery of aged care services (e.g., financial management issues or difficulties you have in fulfilling all of your responsibilities)
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whether your motivations to deliver aged care services have changed (e.g., you are considering delivering non-aged care services only)
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how you will resume the delivery of funded aged care services once the suspension period ends
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other relevant matters.
You may include attachments to support your response (e.g., evidence of organisational changes, financial management difficulties, or lack of suitability of responsible persons to deliver funded aged care services).
Section 3: Older people affected by suspension
Questions 3.1 to 3.3
Explanatory Note
Your response to these questions helps us to understand the extent of any effect that a suspension of your registration will have on older people who access related services from you (if any). It will also inform us about your plans to manage any risks associated with those services not being provided for the duration of the suspension period.
We will only make a decision to suspend your registration if there are appropriate arrangements in place to ensure continuity of care for older people that you are delivering funded aged care services to (if any).
Evidence
For question 3.1, your response should be based on the number of older people you are currently delivering funded aged care services to.
For question 3.2, provide a reasonable estimate of how many older people will be affected if the suspension is approved. This estimate may be informed by the number of older people:
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specified in your response to question 3.1 who will experience a difference in their usual service delivery
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who are not currently accessing funded aged care services from you but have made plans to.
For question 3.3, your explanation should include:
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the processes you followed to determine the number you gave for questions 3.1 and 3.2
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an assessment of the impact on each affected older person or group of older people
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your processes for mitigating against the risk of any adverse impacts, including any contingency arrangements
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any other relevant information.
You may include attachments to support your response.
Question 3.4
Explanatory Note
Your response to this question needs to demonstrate that you:
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understand all the notice requirements under the Aged Care Act 2024 that relate to stopping any of the funded aged care services you currently deliver for the period of the suspension
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have arrangements in place to ensure you meet those notice requirements.
Depending on your circumstances, you may need to provide notice of various matters to different parties which may include:
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us
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the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
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older people you deliver services to
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others.
Questions 3.5 to 3.7
Explanatory Note
We will only make a decision to suspend your registration if there are appropriate arrangements in place to ensure continuity of care for older people that you are delivering funded aged care services to (if any).
These arrangements must be compatible with the Statement of Rights.
Evidence
Your response to question 3.5 will be about any older person that will transition to a new provider.
Your response should describe how you will:
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support the older person in that transition so they can obtain the care they need (e.g., identifying alternative providers, making the older person aware of them, and empowering the older person in their choice of what services they access)
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engage with that other provider (e.g., in relation to the timing of transition arrangements and the sharing of records relating to an older person such as care plans).
Your response to questions 3.6 and 3.7 will be about all older people referred to at questions 3.1 and 3.2, regardless of whether they will continue to access services from you during the suspension period, or transition to a new provider. Your response should describe how you will:
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identify all relevant factors affecting the continuity of care for older people (e.g., assessing ongoing care needs, including consulting with older people to understand their needs and perspectives)
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identify risks during the suspension period and managed them (e.g., ensuring that you have sufficient finances to continue delivering services throughout the suspension period in the absence of Commonwealth funding).
You should provide at least 3 deidentified examples of continuity of care plans for older people affected by a revocation of your registration (e.g., separate plans for categories 4, 5 and 6). You may also include other attachments to support your response.
Question 3.8
Explanatory Note
An older person residing at an approved residential care home has security over their tenure at the home. This means that a provider cannot take action to make the older person leave the home, or imply that they must leave the home, except under specific circumstances.
You must act compatibly with an older person’s security of tenure at an approved residential care home and requirements under the Aged Care Act 2024.
When assessing your request to suspend your registration, we need to understand how you will ensure affected older people will:
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have security of tenure at a home maintained; or
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be transitioned to other appropriate services.
Evidence
If an older person is being transitioned to another provider, your response may include how you will:
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ensure the removal of the older person from the home is permitted under the Aged Care Act 2024 and related laws
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ensure suitable and affordable alternative accommodation is available to the older person with another provider who can suit their needs or in a place more suited to their long-term needs
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assess the older person’s needs
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notify the older person (including making their rights clear to them)
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prepare a continuity of care plan for the older person.
If an older person is not being transitioned to another provider during the suspension period, your response may include details about your:
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plan to continue operating the approved residential care home during the suspension period and after it ends. Use the dates you provided at questions 2.2 and 2.3 for this purpose.
You may include attachments to support your response (e.g., continuity of care plans).
Question 3.9
Explanatory Note
You must have adequate cash-on-hand (liquidity) to meet your financial and prudential obligations. These include an obligation to refund an older person’s accommodation payment or refundable accommodation deposit when ceasing services to that person.
When assessing your request to suspend your registration, we need to understand how you will ensure that you meet your financial and prudential obligations during the suspension period.
Evidence
Your response may include:
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the process you will use to identify and calculate the payments and refunds that you are required to make if older people transition to other providers (e.g., refunds of accommodation deposits)
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a description of how those payments and refunds will be made (e.g., timing or if you need to liquidate assets)
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your understanding of any related notice requirements (not just notifications to us)
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any other relevant matters.
You may include attachments to support your response (e.g., your Liquidity Management Strategy, bank statements, a current statement of financial position, documents about lines of credit).
Section 4: Declaration
Questions 4.1 to 4.5
Explanatory Note
No additional guidance is provided for these questions. Refer to the application form for instructions.
