CHSP Provider Community of Practice Hub

Department of Health and Aged Care Updates - Late December 2023

The Department held a webinar on the New Aged Care Act and Support at Home Update on 14 December 2023. It is recommended that all CHSP Providers watch the recording and view the slide deck as it provided important information on:

• current consultations
• the Aged Care Act Exposure Draft
• the New Regulatory Framework
• Strengthened Quality Standards
• the Support at Home Overview and Staging

Here are some points that the team took away from the webinar:

• New Aged Care Act consultation - closes 16 February 2024. It is important to provide feedback on the Act as this informs the Support at Home program and its implementation. When CHSP transitions to Support at Home in 2027, this will be the first time that CHSP Providers come under the Act.
• New Regulatory Framework - Consultation Paper 2 outlined 6 categories, containing the service list. These categories have changed since the release of Consultation Paper 2, and may impact on whether your services come under the quality standards or only the Code of Conduct.
• The Strengthened Quality Standards final draft has now been been published. Each of the 7 standards includes: an expectation statement for older people; the intent of each standard; outcomes that providers would be assessed against; and actions - which are how providers might demonstrate achievement of the outcome. Between January and June 2024, guidance and education activities to assist with implementation will be released.
• Timing
  • July 2024 - Single assessment system commences
  • July 2025
    • Support at Home replaces Home Care Packages and Short Term Restorative Care
      • New funding model
      • New Assistive Technology & Home Modifications (ATHM) Scheme
    • CHSP
      • Continued grants
      • Review settings for alignment where possible
      • Pricing indexation for the 2024-2025 year
  • No earlier than July 2027
    • CHSP Transitions into Support at Home
    • Single program
    • Participants can choose to have a single provider or access services from multiple providers
    • Same funding model across all providers
    • Single ATHM program
• Pooled funds is being explored
• They are no longer proposing a flexible pool of funds for when participants need additional services. Instead they are now proposing that people can retain unspend funds of up to $1,000 for unexpected expenditure
• There will be price caps for each service
• Reassessment is needed when the participant needs change significantly
• Thin market grants
  • Proposed grant model
    • competitive process to apply for grant
    • 3-5 year terms
    • Flexible use with minimal reporting
    • Ad hoc grants also available
  • Draft eligibility criteria to apply for grant
    • Fewer than 500 clients across registered site or
    • Deliver in MMM 3-7 or
    • Deliver services to CALD communities or
    • Deliver to First Nations communities or
    • Deliver specialised services to other cohorts (LGBTIQ, Forgotten Australians, homeless, veterans, socially disadvantaged).
  • Draft assessment criteria
    • Costs exceed revenue that could be generated through fee-for-service prices
    • Organisational expertise
    • Contribution to the community
• Questions and Answers
  • Seeking feedback on timeframes/phasing - eg Quality standards
  • Sole traders - register for particular services - proportionate application of standards. Expect post 2027.
  • Existing HCP - continue as is, just get quarterly payments from 2025.
  • CHSP providers will be deemed into the new model