Ensuring compliance with Australia’s aged care regulations is essential for delivering high-quality care and maintaining the trust of residents and their families.
With the introduction of the Aged Care Act 2024, effective from 1 July 2025, aged care providers must familiarize themselves with updated requirements to remain compliant.
This comprehensive checklist outlines key compliance areas under the new Act and demonstrates how we support aged care providers in meeting these obligations.
1. Understand the new Aged Care Act
The Aged Care Act 2024 introduces a rights-based approach that puts the needs, safety, and dignity of older people at the centre of care.
If you haven’t already, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the new Act and what it means for your service delivery, reporting responsibilities, and governance.
This includes being across changes like revised definitions of neglect and abuse, updated obligations for providers, and stricter enforcement powers for regulators.
2. Strengthen governance and leadership
Under the new framework, boards and senior leaders are more accountable than ever. Your governance structure needs to support informed decision-making, quality improvement, and ongoing compliance.
This means ensuring your leadership team understands their legal responsibilities, reviews risks regularly, and fosters a culture where compliance and care quality go hand in hand.
3. Align with the updated Aged Care Quality Standards
The strengthened Quality Standards—also launching on 1 July 2025—will expect more from providers in ]terms of personalised care, clinical governance, and consumer engagement.
Now is the time to review your current systems and align them with the new expectations. This includes updating care policies, training programs, and ensuring your team understands what’s changing and why.
4. Review your workforce capability and training
Compliance isn’t just about paperwork—it’s about having the right people in the right roles. Make sure your staff have the qualifications and training required to meet current and future obligations.
This includes police checks, NDIS Worker Screening (if relevant), ongoing skill development, and clear documentation of competencies.
Your team should feel confident and supported, especially as expectations around clinical care and cultural safety increase.
5. Engage residents and support their rights
The new compliance framework places a strong focus on dignity, choice, and participation. Residents should have a say in their care plans, feel respected, and know how to provide feedback safely.
Make sure your systems support regular, two-way communication, with tools in place to document preferences, changes, and concerns.
Demonstrating consumer engagement will be essential during audits and assessments.
6. Maintain clear documentation and reporting systems
Robust record-keeping is a pillar of compliance. That means up-to-date care plans, accurate incident records, and timely submission of required reports (such as 24/7 RN coverage or serious incident notifications).
Good documentation isn’t just about compliance—it helps your team deliver safer, more consistent care and identify areas for improvement early.
7. Be proactive about risk and continuous improvement
Finally, effective providers don’t wait for compliance issues—they plan for them.
You’ll need a risk management strategy that identifies key operational risks (like workforce shortages or medication safety) and actively monitors for red flags.
Regular internal audits, feedback loops, and action plans will help you stay on top of your compliance game and demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement.
How We Can Help
Navigating the complexities of the Aged Care Act 2024 can be challenging. That’s why at Accessable Agency, we offer tailored support to aged care providers to ensure seamless compliance including:
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Provision of Qualified Staff: We supply pre-vetted, experienced aged care professionals, including registered nurses, personal care assistants, and support workers, ensuring your facility meets staffing qualifications mandated by regulatory standards.
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Flexible Staffing Solutions: Our services include temporary, part-time, full-time, and casual staffing options, allowing you to maintain appropriate staff-to-resident ratios, a critical component of compliance.
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Ongoing Training and Development: We offer continuous professional development opportunities for our staff, ensuring they remain updated on best practices and regulatory changes, thereby supporting your facility’s adherence to current standards.
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Support in Compliance Audits: Our knowledgeable team can assist during compliance audits by providing documentation and evidence of staff qualifications and training, demonstrating your commitment to regulatory adherence.
By partnering with us, you can focus on delivering exceptional care to your residents, confident that your staffing needs are managed in alignment with compliance requirements.
For more information on how we can support your compliance efforts, please visit our Employers Page or contact our team directly through our Contact Page.
