Residential services

This guidance on the Serious Incident Response Scheme is for residential aged care providers. The Scheme comes into effect on 1 April.

Australians have a right to live free from abuse and neglect as a matter of human rights, current law and reasonable community expectation. These rights, which do not diminish with age, include the right to live dignified, self-determined lives, free from exploitation, violence and abuse. In addition, consumers of Commonwealth-funded aged care services have specific rights and expectations for safe and quality care and services. 

This fact sheet provides guidance to providers of aged care on an effective incident management system, the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS). The Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) is a new initiative to help prevent and reduce the risk of incidents of abuse and neglect in residential aged care services subsidised by the Australian Government.

This fact sheet provides guidance to providers of aged care on the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS), a new Government initiative to help reduce the risk of abuse and neglect for people living or staying in a residential aged care home. Australians have a right to live free from abuse or neglect. The SIRS will strengthen aged care systems to reduce the risk of abuse and neglect. It will also help to build providers’ capability to respond to serious incidents promptly and decisively, and to ensure that aged care consumers have the support they need.

This fact sheet provides guidance to aged care consumers, on their right to safe and quality care and to live without abuse or neglect. The Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) is a new Government initiative to help reduce the risk of abuse and neglect for people living or staying in a residential aged care home. The scheme requires aged care providers to identify, record, manage, resolve, and report all serious incidents that occur or are alleged or suspected to have occurred, in a residential aged care service.

This fact sheet provides updated information for providers of aged care on effective infection prevention and control capability. This is critical to the safe, effective delivery of personal and clinical care in aged care. This is particularly the case during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

This fact sheet includes information on:
- What is the infection prevention and control (IPC) lead?
- What are the requirements of the IPC lead?
- Where can I find out more about the requirements and timing of implementation of the IPC lead(s)?
- Which approved providers need to appoint an IPC lead?

Practical guidance to support COVID-19 outbreak management planning and preparation in residential aged care facilities

To support the aged care sector, the Commission has developed a range of storyboards that are designed to illustrate key behaviours and priority issues. The Storyboards and User Guides for this series are combined into one resource. The storyboards are particularly helpful in supporting people whose English or literacy levels may be a barrier when it comes to accessing content and are relevant to all providers and consumers, their families and representatives across the aged care sector. 

‘Minimising Restraint – Residential Aged Care Facilities’ storyboard