by: Mine Racho
The DVE Aged Care Compliance Webinar focused on upcoming reforms to Australia’s aged care sector, particularly the new Aged Care Act and Strengthened Quality Standards taking effect from 1 November 2025. These reforms aim to shift providers away from paper-based compliance toward demonstrating real-world quality of care, with greater emphasis on consumer rights, trauma-informed and culturally safe care, and staff competence. Compliance will now be assessed not just through documentation, but also through direct evidence of practices, outcomes, and staff behaviors.
Key areas of focus include governance, risk management, palliative care, and workforce capability. Boards and leaders must take a more active role in overseeing care quality, implementing risk registers, and responding proactively to issues such as falls, deterioration, and service gaps. Workforce training must move beyond tick-box modules to measurable competence, including scenario-based learning, regular feedback, and performance assessments. Special emphasis is placed on early, compassionate advance care planning, especially for under-managed conditions like dementia, supported by tools like the LDAC (After Death Audit).
Additionally, the Support at Home program launching in November will replace current home care models, expanding to eight levels of care and providing increased funding, including dedicated buckets for assistive technology and end-of-life care. Providers are encouraged to explore grants (e.g., ACCAP, SDAP) and adopt sustainable workforce strategies, such as career pathways and better rostering, to meet the growing complexity of aged care services. Ultimately, the message is clear: aged care must deliver not just compliant services, but meaningful, person-centered outcomes.
Here’s the list of links that were shared during the webinar.
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