Better health and ageing for all Australians

Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance (OACQC)

Report on the Operations of the Aged Care Act 1997 (including the Complaints Investigation Scheme)

Background information about the Complaints Investigation Scheme (CIS). Detailed information about CIS can be found in the Report of the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997 (ROACA) which is published each year towards the end of November.

In this section:

Complaints Investigation Scheme

The Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme (CIS) commenced operations on 1 May 2007 and was established through changes to the Aged Care Act 1997 and the introduction of regulations under the Act – the Investigation Principles 2007. The CIS covers both residential and community aged care services subsidised under the Act. The CIS is a free service with offices in each state and territory.

The CIS is available to anyone with a concern, including care recipients, family members, care providers, staff members and health professionals. Complaints can be made openly, anonymously or on a confidential basis, and can be about anything that affects the quality of care for aged care recipients.

The CIS has the power to conduct investigations on its own initiative and issue Notices of Required Action, where an Approved Provider is found to be in breach of their responsibilities under the Act.

Reports on the Complaints Investigation Scheme

Detailed information about CIS can be found in the Report of the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997 (ROACA) which is published each year towards the end of November.

The Report of the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997 from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010 was released on 24 November 2010.

This report has a separate chapter on the CIS and contains a wide range of data for the relevant financial year such as the following:
    • Number and type of complaints (‘in scope’ and ‘out of scope’) received by the CIS, and their distribution across Australia.
    • Number of cases finalised during the year.
    • Most commonly reported issues.
    • Number of referrals made to external agencies more appropriately placed to deal with the matters raised with the CIS.
    • Number of site visits conducted to approved providers’ premises or aged care services during the course of a CIS investigation.
    • Breaches identified as a result of a CIS investigation.
    • Notices of required action issued where an approved provider had not already taken action to address an identified breach.
    • Information relating to the Aged Care Commissioner’s review of decisions made by the CIS and/or its processes when conducting an investigation.
Additional information is available on the number of alleged reportable assaults made to the Department of Health and Ageing, the number of aged care residents reported missing, and how many notices of non compliance and sanctions were issued during the year. This information is in a separate chapter in ROACA while detailed information on the sanctions imposed during the financial year is contained in an appendix to the report.

It should also be noted that as new requirements are introduced, government policies change, and/or feedback is provided, the information reported upon in ROACA on the CIS, including the report’s format, will also change to meet those demands for increased transparency and better reporting.

The link to the Reports on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997 is provided below:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-reports-acarep.htm
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