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About Certification - Fact Sheet 1

Fact sheet detailing information about certification of residential aged care services

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What is certification?

Residential aged-care services which are able to provide suitable accommodation and care are granted certification by the Department of Health and Ageing.

Under the Aged Care Act 1997, only certified services are able to charge accommodation bonds or accommodation charges, or also to receive accommodation supplements for residents who are unable to make accommodation payments.

A decision to certify a service will consider:

1. the standard of the buildings and equipment being used to provide residential care;
2. the standard of residential care being provided; and
3. the applicant's record, if any, as a provider of aged care — including compliance with carer responsibilities and adherence to its obligations when it has received payments from the Commonwealth.

Who decides if a service is suitable to be certified?

The Secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing decides if a service is to be certified, although in practice these statutory powers have been delegated to the Assistant State Manager in each State and Territory.

Who can assess a service for certification?

The Secretary or the delegate may require a service to be assessed by an authorised, independent person or body. Currently such work is performed by C. H. Group Pty Ltd.

The assessor uses an assessment tool, the 1999 Certification Assessment Instrument, which the Secretary has approved.

The Secretary will use the results of an assessment, and other considerations required under the Act, to decide whether a service can be certified.

When are new services assessed?

New services can be assessed by the Department's approved certifiers before occupancy or after residents have moved in. The decision on when to seek assessment rests with the approved provider (operator) of the service. The only condition is that all relevant approvals to occupy the building and operate the service, including State, Territory and local government approvals, must be obtained before assessment.

Are existing services reassessed?

The certification status of an existing service may be reviewed at any time (Act, Section 39-4). This can include assessment of any aspect of the service that is thought relevant to its continuing suitability for certification.

Services may also be assessed as a condition of a capital grant or as part of the approval process for the allocation of places, such as funded beds.

Is an assessment needed after upgrading or refurbishment?

Assessment is not mandatory after building upgrading or refurbishment, unless it is a condition of a capital grant. However, the Department will ask for copies of relevant local authority approvals as evidence of a service’s continuing suitability for certification.

The department may ask a service that has undertaken building works to be reassessed to confirm that it remains suitable for certification. The Department will bear the costs of the assessment.
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