CHSP Provider Hub

The National Sector Support and Development Network was able to ask the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission questions for clarification. The response below was provided.

1. How can providers be expected to meet the new Aged Care Quality Standards when aspects of the broader system do not support timely access to services?

The intent of the strengthened Quality Standards is to ensure older people receive safe, person-centred and coordinated care.

While providers are not responsible for fixing systemic constraints outside their control, they are expected to identify risks, take reasonable steps to mitigate those risks, document actions taken, and work collaboratively with older people and other parts of the system. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s regulatory focus is generally on how providers respond to identified risks within their sphere of influence rather than holding them accountable for system-level issues.

The Commission is also here to help suitable providers come into the market or expand or change their offering. We want to see growth in the sector of appropriate providers to achieve more choice and options for older people.

2. What could SSDs do over the next 12 months to create the greatest impact?

Sector Support and Development activities have an important role in helping providers translate the new Aged Care Act 2024 requirements into practical service improvements. Areas likely to have the greatest impact include:

• Supporting providers to understand and implement the strengthened Quality Standards through practical examples and peer learning.
• Building capability in governance, risk management and continuous improvement, particularly for smaller providers.
• Helping providers strengthen consumer engagement and co-development approaches to person centred care.
• Supporting workforce capability, particularly in relation to quality, safety and culturally safe service delivery.
• Sharing evidence, emerging practice and lessons learned across the sector to reduce duplication and lift overall capability.

The most effective Sector Support and Development activities will likely be those that focus on improving quality and outcomes for older people while assisting providers to navigate a period of reform.

3. How does the Statement of Rights apply where staff feel unsafe?

The Statement of Rights is a critical foundation of the Aged Care Act 2024 and reinforces the rights of older people to safe, quality and fair funded aged care services that treat them with dignity and respect. However, these rights sit alongside obligations to provide safe services and maintain a safe workplace for workers. All providers must make sure that their workers have appropriate qualifications, skills and experience to deliver aged care services.

Providers are not expected to place workers in situations where there are unmanaged risks to their health or safety. Where behaviours from an older person or family member create safety concerns, providers should have processes to assess and manage those risks, engage with the individual and their supports, document concerns, and consider alternative approaches where appropriate.

The Commission’s expectation is not that providers must continue delivering services regardless of risk. Rather, providers should seek to balance the older person’s rights with their responsibilities to ensure safe care and safe working environments.

4. Where does the Commission see the greatest gaps in the current regulatory approach to CHSP?

The Commission’s greatest focus whilst walking alongside providers in regulating CHSP services since 1 November 2025 has been building a clearer picture of provider performance and emerging risks across the CHSP sector, while supporting providers to strengthen their understanding of quality requirements and governance responsibilities.

Recognising the diversity of CHSP providers and the need to maintain service access, particularly in regional and remote communities, the Commission is placing a strong emphasis on improving provider understanding of quality expectations, strengthening governance and risk management capability, and supporting providers to identify and address issues before they become significant compliance concerns. This reflects a proportionate, risk-based regulatory approach that seeks to protect older people while helping providers build the capability needed to deliver safe, high-quality services.

5. Category 5 registered CHSP and SAH organisations – do they only need to address Standard 5.1 in the self-assessment tool?

Providers are not required to submit a self-assessment to the Commission prior to an audit. When the Commission initiates an audit, providers are asked to submit information and evidence via the Commission’s Audit Evidence Collection Tool (AECT). After the provider-level component of the audit is complete (Commission has reviewed submitted AECT and undertaken interviews with the governing body and senior management), the Commission then asks the provider to submit additional information and evidence via the Commission’s Care Delivery Evidence Collection Tool (CDECT).

When completing these tools, providers only need to submit information and evidence relevant to their service offering which the Quality Standards apply. The requirement depends on the registration category:

• Category 5 – Nursing and transition care providers must comply with strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards 1–5 (all applicable outcomes), not just Outcome 5.1.
• Category 4 – Personal and care support in the home or community (including respite) providers generally need to meet Standards 1–4, plus Outcome 5.1 (Clinical Governance) if they provide care management or restorative care management services.

Please encourage use of the digital guidance tool, the home of the Strengthened Quality Standards Guidance, registration guidance and provider handbook. The digital guidance tool allows providers to easily view the Commission’s guidance online or download a personalised PDF based on their service characteristics.

Furthermore, the Commission will soon be publishing a guide to help providers complete the AECT and includes information about how it’s assessed, what the Commission expects and how it’s used.

Thank you to Gary from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commision for providing this information.