About SDAP
Panel members – qualified and experienced professionals – work with your service to improve the way you deliver and administer aged care to address challenges like:
- clinical care
- financial and workforce planning
- governance and regulation
- policies and procedures
- training.
This program also provides culturally appropriate support to all First Nations aged care services.
Eligibility
If you’re an aged care service provider, you can apply if you meet one or both of the below:
- You’re located in a small rural town or remote area (Modified Monash Model 4 to 7).
- You provide services to a significant number of First Nations peoples anywhere in Australia.
This includes:
- providers who deliver residential aged care services under the Aged Care Act 1997
- home care through the Home Care Packages Program
- providers funded under the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program.
Providers in rural and remote areas delivering aged care services under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) may be eligible.
Why it is important
Aged care service providers in rural and remote areas face challenges such as:
- higher cost of providing services
- limited access to professional services
- lower supply of skilled workers
- keeping up with changes to the aged care system.
Extra support can help these service providers build capacity and improve the quality of their aged care services to comply with standards and legislative requirements.
Support available
Panel members work with you to improve the way you deliver and administer services. They do this through offsite mentoring and onsite training.
You can access support in 3 main areas – provider capacity and support, sector development and infrastructure project management.
Provider capability and support
This support helps you to comply with aged care legislation, quality standards and program guidelines. It can include help to:
- build capability in providing quality aged care services
- meet legislative and regulatory responsibilities
- enhance staff and management capabilities
- gain effective financial management and governance.
Sector development
This support can help you to:
- reposition your business or adopt changes to the aged care system
- deliver workshops to enhance workforce and training
- attend one-day, in-person workshops to over 250 eligible remote aged care providers across Australia
- run education and awareness activities suited to different service types and delivery models
- plan and develop options to deliver a blended care model.
Infrastructure project management
This support helps you to comply with relevant building requirements and support the infrastructure planning and delivery of your capital projects. It can include help to:
- project manage building works within your service
- engage with communities and stakeholders
- review and assess buildings and infrastructure
- develop and review building concept plans.
The Rural and Remote Aged Care Management Training Program
The Rural and Remote Aged Care Management Training Program provides training to aged care managers working in rural and remote settings throughout Australia.
There are no pre-requisites for the course other than to be working as rural and remote aged care managers, including coordinators and any relief staff.
The program is delivered by experienced trainers who can show the participants what they need to do, and the processes they can employ, to ensure that they meet their responsibilities to consumers, communities, and organisations.
The program is divided into three parts:
- a webinar covering foundational topics and pre-readings
- A five-day face-to-face workshop
- right weeks post workshop 1:1 mentoring/support averaging two hours a week.
To register, see the Barbara Schmidt and Associates website.
Resources and support
Introduction to Aged Care – Video series
We created a video series to help aged care services build organisational and staff capability. The animated videos aim to:
- attract workers to the aged care sector
- induct new staff
- help new and existing aged care staff understand aged care concepts.
Introduction to Aged Care – Videos and facilitator guides
The following resources may be helpful:
- Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC)
ORIC supports organisations incorporated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006. They provide corporate governance training courses and corporate governance resources. - Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Find out about the Aged Care Quality Standards for providers and view aged care quality resources.
How to apply
Read and complete the SDAP Application Form
For further information email sdap@health.gov.au if you have any questions or contact your local Department of Health office to discuss your support needs
After you apply
We consider applications based on need and available funding. We will let you know if you’re successful.
If successful, we will:
- ask panel members for a quote
- assess the quotes based on their ability to meet your needs and value for money
- let you know who the successful panel member is.
The panel member will contact you to discuss the project.
Panel members
If you are a panel member, read the Panel Member Booklet for information about your responsibilities and SDAP processes. The booklet is designed to be read with your Deed of Standing Offer.
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