Your monthly update from The Grampians Sector Development Team!
AGED CARE REFORM
New Aged Care Act to commence from 1 November 2025
The start of the new Aged Care Act and Support at Home program has now been deferred until 1 November 2025.
This deferral ensures:
Provider operations and systems are ready.
Workers are trained and supported.
Older people accessing care are prepared.
The Support at Home program, which supports older people to remain healthy, active and socially connected to their community, will commence with the new Act. Until then, the Commonwealth Home Support Program, Short-Term Restorative Care Program and Home Care Packages Program will continue to support older Australians who wish to continue living at home until November.
This now means the following for the Commonwealth Home Support Programme:
The two-year extension from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2027 will continue with grant funding for providers. CHSP providers should continue to sign and return their grant agreement offers as soon as possible.
CHSP services have been re-mapped to the new service catalogue to align with the Support at Home program and the Act when it commences.
CHSP clients must still be assessed as eligible for the CHSP to receive government-subsidised CHSP services.
Read about the announcement:
New Aged Care Act to start from 1 November media release
Open letters from Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, Sam Rae MP:
Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) – Sector Readiness webinar slides
The Department of Health, Disability & Ageing hosted this webinar on 12 June 2025. The following was covered within the webinar:
Changes to the CHSP from 1 July 2025 including: the introduction of a Child Safety Annual Statement of Compliance and a Financial declaration with new statement of compliance.
CHSP provider obligations under the Aged Care Act, including deeming and registration categories.
The role of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission with CHSP providers from 1 July 2025.
Resources to support CHSP providers now and from 1 July 2025.
You can access the webinar slides HERE The recording of the webinar will be made shortly via the same link.
Priority actions for providers before and after November
To help providers prepare for the introduction of the new Aged Care Act from 1 November 2025, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has released a priority actions list.
This list explains the key steps you must take under the new Aged Care Act and the new Support at Home program. Including:
Informing residents and home care participants about their rights and protections.
Updating service agreements, digital systems and complaints processes.
Making sure your workforce is trained and understands new obligations.
Changing over to the Support at Home program (for home care providers).
Meeting new financial and regulatory requirements.
Check out the range of training and resources on the department’s website to stay on track for 1 November.
The Provider Governance Policy explains the principles of good governance and their expectations of registered providers’ governance arrangements. It outlines:
Why providers need good governance to deliver safe, high-quality care to older people.
What registered providers need to do to meet their obligations under the aged care legislation.
How we regulate provider governance.
The Commission will provide a range of guidance materials to support the policy in the lead up to November 2025.
Understanding the Aged Care Act webinar recordings
The Grampians Sector Development Team recently undertook 2 webinars with Russell Kennedy Lawyers looking at different aspects of the Aged Care Act. These aspects covered:
Understanding the Aged Care Act: Complaints, Feedback & Whistleblowers
Understanding the Aged Care Act: Provider Obligations
You can access these recordings on the Grampians Sector Development Teams 'In Home Aged Care Program page' HERE
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has released a draft Audit Evidence Collection Tool (AECT).
Organisations or persons must complete the Audit Evidence Collection Tool (AECT) – Registration as part of the initial registration audit. This is compulsory for organisations or persons applying for registration in categories 4, 5 and 6 from 1 November 2025.
The registration audit helps the Commission to understand if an organisation or person can conform with the related strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.
The Commission will then use this tool to collect evidence about:
The systems and processes you will establish.
How you will deliver high-quality care to older people.
The Commission are publishing this resource in draft form to assist providers to prepare for the new Act. This content remains draft and will be updated after the Aged Care Rules come into force.
Stage 1 of The Act & Support at Home Communication Toolkit now available
Stage 1 of The Act & Support at Home Communication Toolkit is now available on the Grampians Sector Development Team website.
This release includes the below templates:
Aged Care Act Communications Toolkit:
• New Aged Care Act Overview • New Regulatory Framework & Registration • High Quality of Care • Eligibility • Code of Conduct • Statement of Rights • Statutory Duties
From 1 November 2025, registered supporters can help older people make and communicate their own decisions about aged care, if they want or need support.
A new guide is available to help you understand how representative relationships in My Aged Care will transition to the new registered supporter role.
The guide covers:
supported decision-making and the role of registered supporters
what older people and their existing My Aged Care representatives can do before 1 November
opting out of a registered supporter relationship before 1 November
The Aged Care Quality Commission has created a Quality Standards Resource Centre providing access to a range of resources to extend your understanding of the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.
The centre brings together resources from across the sector. All materials have been validated to make sure they are:
contemporary
relevant
practical
evidence-based.
Resources are linked to the strengthened Quality Standards, which take effect from 1 November 2025. The materials support providers, governing body members and workers to deliver safe, quality care.
The resources are reviewed regularly. You can search for resources by using key words, or filtering by standard, outcome, audience and theme.
Already receiving services and will transition to the new arrangements from 1 November.
Already receiving services and considering switching to the new fee arrangements when the new Aged Care Act starts from 1 November 2025.
We encourage you to share these tools with older people receiving or enquiring about aged care services.
WELLNESS & REABLEMENT
“Reablement – Practical Strategies”
Quite often the question is asked, how can I work in a reablement way with clients? What does a reablement approach look like in practice?
Keepable have developed some guides for staff to gain an understanding about 5 core reablement strategies that they can implement when working with clients. 5 Reablement Strategies for Aged Care Success
They have grouped reablement ideas into 5 key strategies:
The Grampians Sector Development Team are hosting a series of Artificial Intelligence sessions exploring how AI within the world of Aged Care. There are two sessions available as listed below:
AI Transformation Overview
Wednesday 18 June 2025 @ 9am - 11am AEST
Online Via Teams
During this webinar you will:
Discover the limitless potential of AI.
Discover how artificial intelligence is enhancing productivity, transforming industries, and unlocking new opportunities to be efficient.
Understand more about the incredible benefits AI offers, from automating routine tasks to driving innovation.
Learn how AI is being implemented right now, and how it will be soon.
Explore the challenges and risks associated with AI, including ethical concerns, job displacement, and data privacy issues.
AI Bootcamp: From Zero to Hero
Wednesday 25 June 2025 @ 9am-11am AEST
Online Via Teams
This session will harnesses the revolutionary power of Artificial Intelligences ability to transform your work environment. This is a hands-on skills development session on AI’s many uses.
Whether you're an industry professional or just curious about AI, these session are your gateway to understanding and mastering the future.
To register for either session please visit the Grampians Sector Development's Training page HERE
Volunteer Training - Documentation and Reporting
The Grampians Sector Development Team is offering an educational session specifically for volunteers supporting CHSP services – Delivered Meals, Social Support etc.
This session will be presented by Kate Pascale & Associates and will be targeted toward the role of volunteers. The session will be presented virtually, via Zoom, so participants will need access to appropriate technology.
Volunteers: Documentation & Reporting - 6th August 2025
This course will look at what, who and when you should be documenting information.
We will provide an overview of the practices for documenting and reporting and why this skill is so important in our everyday work. We will explore what should be documented and reported and discuss the use of templates used in your workplace and recording verbatim language. We will also consider when things can go wrong and the importance of having clear documentation that can be reviewed.
Professional Development for Direct Care & Social Support Staff: June - November 2025
The Grampians Sector Development Team are excited to share the upcoming calendar of events of Professional Development for Direct Care Staff – supporting both in-home services and social support activities.
The training will be delivered by Kate Pascale & Associates and will be held virtually via the Zoom platform.
