Your Aged Care update #02, 2023

Your Aged Care update #02: 2023 Reminder to have your say against the Inspector‑General of Aged Care Bill, Care minutes reporting requirements, free online training, and more

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Audience:
Health sector

Reminder: Have your say on the Exposure Draft of the Inspector‑General of Aged Care Bill

There is still time to have your say on the exposure draft of the Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill.

We invite aged care providers, sector representatives, peak bodies, older people, carers, families, and other interested stakeholders to review the draft Bill and consultation paper. You can submit comments or complete the survey on the Aged Care Engagement Hub by 5pm AEDT on Friday 27 January.

The Inspector-General will play a critical role in driving improvement across Australia’s aged care system. They will call out significant system-wide problems and make recommendations for improvement. The Inspector-General will also report to Parliament on the progress of the Royal Commission recommendations.

For further information on the Inspector-General of Aged Care visit the department’s website.

Have you registered for Alis?

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s online learning platform – the Aged Care Learning Information Solution (Alis) – is free for all employees of Commonwealth-funded aged care providers.

Alis provides engaging content to help people working in the aged care sector understand their obligations and provide safe, high-quality care. New modules are added regularly, and providers are encouraged to review Alis to ensure staff are up to date with the latest training and resources.

Recently added modules include:

  • SIRS in Home Services
  • Know your Code
  • Prudential Compliance – permitted use of refundable deposits.

Providers and individuals of services that are not Commonwealth-funded can pay to access Alis content, with pricing dependent on the number of enrolments.

For further information and to register visit the Commission’s website.

Aged Care Banning Order Register and Regulatory Bulletin

A banning order is an enforcement action that prohibits or restricts a person from being involved in aged care or from engaging in activities as an aged care worker or governing person of an approved provider.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission publishes the Aged Care Banning Order Register, which includes information on individuals who have been issued a banning order.

To assist providers, the Commission has released the Banning Orders Regulatory Bulletin. The Bulletin provides guidance on banning orders, the circumstances in which the Commission will make an order and the approach to deciding whether to do so. It includes information on the consequences of breaching an order, varying and revoking an order and publishing information on banning orders.

Find further information on the Commission’s website.

National Suicide Prevention for Seniors Program

Would you know what to do if someone you support was experiencing thoughts of suicide?

Anglicare’s Suicide Prevention for Seniors Program equips those who support older people with the knowledge to help prevent suicide.

The free national program includes a general suicide prevention online course followed by a workshop contextualising the training for older people. The 2 parts should only take a total of 3 hours to complete.

The program is funded by the NSW and Australian governments. To be eligible, you need to be working with older people and have internet access.

If you are interested, please email Anglicare at suicide.prevention@anglicare.org.au or visit the Anglicare website.

Reminder: Care minutes reporting due 14 February

The Quarterly Financial Report (QFR) for the December 2022 quarter (October‑December 2022) is due by Tuesday 14 February.

Reports must be submitted by this date for care minutes data to be accepted for Star Rating purposes. You will be advised in writing if you need to review or amend any data submitted. You must respond to, or action, the request by Tuesday 7 March.

Care minutes data submitted after the initial due date or re-submission date will not be included in the calculation of Star Ratings. This will result in a 1 Star Rating for the Staffing sub-category.

View resources to assist with QFR reporting:

For care minutes reporting support, email qfr@stewartbrown.com.au

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