There are six draft guidance documents on the new strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission hosting a webinar attended by more than 3,500 to launch the release.
The documents include the Standards Guidance and Worker Guidance, the evidence mapping framework, the audit methodology, the pre-audit preparation tool, the request for information, and the glossary of terms.
The Commission is now asking for feedback from stakeholders with consultation closing on 30 April 2024, only two months before the new Aged Care Act, which will contain the Strengthened Standards, is due to take affect.
The new Strengthened Standards have been reduced from eight to seven Standards, and while the current Standards have 42 requirements, the new Standards have only 33 demands.
The aim of the Strengthened Standards is to improve clarity, reduce duplication, align terminology, incorporate the Statement of Rights, and make them simpler, easier to understand, and measurable.
Service types will be grouped into six registration categories based on common characteristics and associated risks. Quality Standards will only apply to providers in categories 4-6 so those delivering home care, residential care, and nursing and complex care management.
"A majority of the requirements of the Strengthened Standards are actually clarifying current expectations, with less than a quarter of the new requirements aligning to current requirements and legislation and the remaining 10% or so representing new requirements," Ingrid Leonard, Assistant Secretary Department of Health and Aged Care told the webinar.
The 2023 pilot of the Strengthened Standards of 40 audits across 32 providers in both residential aged care and home care found the new audit process to be "more transparent and easier to understand and older people receiving care and their supporters were also positive about the process," Lisa Peterson PSM, Assistant Commissioner, Sector Capability and Regulatory Strategy, ACQSC, told the webinar. Learning from the pilot have been incorporated into the Final Draft version of the Strengthened Standards.
A final step in the audit process around reviewing the audit "went down very well" during the pilot, Lisa said.
Simon Christopher, Acting Assistant Secretary, Harmonisation and Regulatory Strategy Branch, Department of Health and Aged Care, said the ACQSC will be talking to providers from mid-March about deeming over to the new system.
Attendees heard that the new Strengthened Standards will take effect as soon as the new Act is passed. However, Janet Anderson, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner said the Commission will "support" providers that are not yet compliant if they can demonstrate they are doing their best to move to the new Strengthened Standards.
Consultation on the Strengthened Standards can be found here.
The documents are available here.
