Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission capability review

About the review

The review assessed whether the ACQSC has the appropriate resources, workforce and skills to:

• meet its legal and regulatory responsibilities
• accredit aged care providers
• deliver education activities to ensure older people using aged care services are safe and treated well
• investigate complaints to ensure providers comply with the Aged Care Quality Standards and take action, if required
• work closely with aged care providers
• promote an aged care experience that our community expects, and older people deserve.

The ACQSC will continue to perform its regulatory functions as normal while the government considers the review’s recommendations.

Why it is important

The government commissioned the review in response to recommendation 104 of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

It will help ensure that the ACQSC can effectively regulate the aged care sector in the context of the new Aged Care Act, so that:

• aged care services adhere to the Aged Care Quality Standards and are accountable
• older people get access to best-practice aged care
• older people, their families and carers have a pathway to address concerns with their aged care.

Who will be affected

The findings will be used to build on the ACQSC’s capacity to regulate the aged care sector to ensure it provides safe and high-quality aged care to older people. 

Timing of the review

The review started in October 2022 and took 6 months to complete.

Final report

The final report outlines 32 recommendations to strengthen the ACQSC as the national aged care regulator. 

The government is carefully considering all recommendations.

Government response

Consultation 

The consultation process resulted in: 

• 62 public submissions
• more than 50 targeted stakeholder consultations with peak bodies and key aged care stakeholders.

Learn more

For more information, see: 

• the review’s terms of reference
• the consultation questions.

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