About the Inspector-General of Aged Care
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommended that the Australian Government establish an:
- Inspector-General of Aged Care
- Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care to support the Inspector-General’s work.
Establishing the Inspector-General and supporting office requires legislation. The proposed Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill (the Bill) must be passed by Parliament to become law. We anticipate this will occur in second half of 2023.
On 22 March 2023, the Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill was introduced to Parliament. This marks a significant step in the process of improving transparency and accountability across the aged care system.
Mr Ian Yates AM discusses this achievement in the video below.
I’m Ian Yates, the Interim Inspector-General of Aged Care.
I am honoured to take on this role and to have the opportunity to work with older Australians and the aged care sector to understand their experiences of aged care.
Through harnessing your knowledge and experience, my Office will be able to investigate the issues affecting aged care and recommend solutions which will drive positive change.
Through tackling long-standing and pervasive issues within the aged care system, I am confident we can steer a course towards an aged care system that meets the diverse needs of older Australians, their families and carers.
An aged care system that is accountable and transparent, and which the community can have confidence in.
The Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill, which has just been introduced to Parliament, is an integral part of achieving this.
The Bill will establish the Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care as an independent statutory body and provide the Inspector-General with the necessary powers to perform their role.
The Bill before Parliament has been informed by the views of the public and the aged care sector.
Submissions were received through December and January from a broad cross-section of aged care stakeholders. We received strong support for the Bill, and we thank you for your willingness to engage with the consultation and reform process.
Now the Bill is before the Parliament, we anticipate it commencing in the second half of this year.
Once established, the Inspector-General and Office will be separate from the Department of Health and Aged Care and the other government bodies responsible for administering and regulating aged care.
This will safeguard the Inspector-General’s independence and guarantee them the impartiality required to monitor, investigate and report on systemic issues across the aged care system without fear or favour.
In the meantime, as the Interim Inspector-General, supported by the Interim Office, I will continue to lead establishment of the new Office and my team and I will start delivering the work of the Inspector-General as far as we can. Watch this space…
To find out more about the Bill or keep up to date on its progress, you can visit the Department’s website and search for Inspector-General of Aged Care.
I thank you in advance for your support and look forward to working together to achieve better outcomes for older Australians receiving aged care, their families and the broader community.
Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care
The Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care will be an independent agency. It will oversee the Australian Government's administration, regulation and funding of aged care, including:
- the Department of Health and Aged Care
- the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
- the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority
- other services or bodies in the aged care system regulated or funded by the Australian Government.
The office will support the Inspector-General to give independent oversight of the aged care system through reviews, ongoing monitoring, and reports.
Once established, the Inspector-General of Aged Care will have its own website and be independent from the department.
Why it is important
The Inspector-General will play a critical role in driving improvement across the aged care system by:
- looking at it from end to end, calling out systemic issues and recommending improvements
- providing increased accountability and transparency through reporting to Parliament, including on the progress of the implementation of Royal Commission recommendations.
The Inspector-General will also oversee and review the complaints management frameworks of the aged care system – that is, how complaints are managed by:
- government agencies
- approved providers
- other aged care bodies funded or regulated by the Australian Government.
The Inspector-General will not have the power to investigate individual complaints related to aged care.
This will remain the responsibility of the agency or body that is the subject of the complaint in the first instance.
To find out more about how to make a complaint, you can visit the My Aged Care website.
If you need support, please contact the Older Persons Advocacy Network.
The Interim Inspector-General of Aged Care
The Inspector-General cannot be appointed until the supporting legislation has come into effect as this will create the position. We expect this will occur in the second half of 2023.
Until this happens, an Interim Inspector-General of Aged Care will operate under administrative arrangements.
On 13 December 2022, it was announced that Mr Ian Yates AM had been appointed as the Interim Inspector-General of Aged Care. Mr Yates commenced in this position on 30 January 2023.
As Interim Inspector-General, Mr Yates will undertake a range of key functions, which is expected to include:
- engaging with stakeholders to assist with developing a review program for systemic investigations
- identifying priorities for the Inspector-General
- delivering education and raising awareness of the roles and functions of the interim and statutory Offices, and
- considering opportunities to report to Parliament, including on the implementation of Royal Commission recommendations
An interim office has also been established within the Department of Health and Aged Care to support the Interim Inspector-General.
Biography – Mr Ian Yates AM
Mr Yates brings substantial experience and expertise across aged care to the role of Interim Inspector-General over a decorated career.
Mr Yates spent 20 years as Chief Executive of the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia, the national peak consumer body for older Australians. Mr Yates’ relationship with COTA extends back to 1989, when he was Chief Executive of COTA SA before commencing in the national leadership role in 2002. Prior to his role as Interim Inspector-General, Mr Yates held various positions including:
- Chair of the newly established Council of Elders
- Member of the National Aged Care Advisory Council
- Member of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council
- Member of the Aged Care Financing Authority.
Mr Yates has represented older Australians on other key federal government and sector advisory bodies including:
- the ATO Superannuation Industry Stewardship Group
- the ASIC Consumer Advisory Panel
- the Advisory Board of the Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR)
- as Chair of the Management Committee of the Australasian Journal on Ageing
- as Director of Liveable Housing Australia
- as a Board member of the Aged Rights Advocacy Service.
Mr Yates also previously held senior positions in public health governance and essential services in South Australia, and served on the Flinders University Council for 20 years. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2005 and is an Honorary Doctor and Emeritus Deputy Chancellor of Flinders University.
For more information on Ian’s appointment, you can read the Minister’s media release.
Public consultation
Progress Report on the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
The Minister for Aged Care and Sport, the Hon Anika Wells MP, has requested the Interim Inspector-General prepare a progress report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission by 31 July 2023.
Due to the short timeframe, this initial report will be stage one of a two stage process. Stage two will involve a more comprehensive report informed by extensive and detailed engagement with stakeholders, once the statutory office has been established. More information about this process will be available on our website, when available.
The Interim Office is undertaking tightly targeted stakeholder consultation to support production of the initial report. If you would like to know more, please reach out using the contact information below.
Exposure Draft – Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill
Public consultation on the draft Bill closed on the 27 January 2023.
All feedback received during the public consultation has been considered to help inform the Bill.
Find out what we've heard.
Find more on the aged care reforms by visiting the Aged Care Engagement Hub.
Office of the Interim Inspector-General of Aged Care Roundtables
The Interim Inspector-General convened a series of roundtables in Canberra from 14 March to 20 March 2023.
The roundtables comprised of representatives from key stakeholder groups, such as:
- Consumers
- Providers
- Workforce and Unions
- Research, Academia, and Professionals
The purpose of the roundtables was to:
- provide participants with a progress update on establishment of both the Interim and statutory offices
- outline the roles and functions of the Interim and statutory Inspectors-General
- provide a forum for discussion of key issues in the aged care system.
We received valuable intelligence and information through this consultation, and will be using the feedback to help inform the development of priorities for consideration by the Interim Inspector-General, and later, the Inspector-General.
Future consultation opportunities with the Interim Inspector-General will be publicised when available.
Resources
-
Interim Inspector-General of Aged Care Consultative Committee Communiqué – June
- Consultation on an exposure draft of the Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill – Summary
- Consultation on an exposure draft of the Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill
- Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill 2022 – Exposure draft
- Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill Exposure draft consultation – What we've heard
- Interim Inspector-General of Aged Care Consultative Committee communiqué – March
Contact
For more information, please contact the Office of the Interim Inspector-General of Aged Care.
