Applying for the Support at Home Thin Markets Grant?
If you deliver specialised care to people with diverse backgrounds, you may need to have a valid Specialisation Verification or a pending application to be eligible. Use our Specialisation Verification Guidance for Providers to help with your Specialisation Verification application.
About
Providers who wish to claim specialised care offerings on My Aged Care must apply for Specialisation Verification. See How to apply below.
Specialisation Verification helps older people find verified providers on My Aged Care who offer specialised care for people with diverse backgrounds. This means they have met the criteria in the Specialisation Verification Framework and shown they have expertise in serving diverse needs groups.
Aged care providers may choose to offer specialised services for people:
- with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and characteristics
- who may identify with one or more of the groups defined as having special needs in the Aged Care Act 1997.
To apply, providers must show they give care that:
- is sensitive to the needs of these individuals
- goes beyond the standard obligations of the Aged Care Quality Standards.
Learn more about the stages of the initiative with the Specialisation Verification timeline.
Benefits
Specialisation Verification is important because it:
- ensures verified providers listed on My Aged Care offer specialised care over and above the Aged Care Quality Standards
- sets a standardised benchmark for specialised care
- helps people make informed decisions about care by improving the information about providers on My Aged Care
- recognises providers who are going over and above to specialise in the needs of specific diverse groups of older people
- helps attract workers with diverse backgrounds and life experiences by recognising skills and qualifications
How to apply
Aged care providers can apply for through the My Aged Care Service and Support Portal.
Providers must meet the criteria outlined in the Specialisation Verification Framework for one or more of the following groups:
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities
- people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- people who are financially or socially disadvantaged
- veterans
- people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
- care leavers
- parents separated from their children by forced adoption or removal
- lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or intersex people
- people who live in rural or remote areas.
Aged care provider organisations must apply for each outlet they wish to have verified. This can include one or more specialisations for assessment per outlet.
For help with applying, review the aged care provider guidance manual and detailed evidence requirements for providers.
Verified specialisations will remain valid for 3 years. They are published on My Aged Care Find a Provider profiles after the assessment team has verified the provider’s claims.
Why we need a framework
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommended that provider specialisation claims be reviewed to improve the reliability of the My Aged Care Find a Provider tool.
To address this recommendation, we:
- developed the Specialisation Verification Framework
- sought feedback from representatives of older Australians from special needs groups to help develop the framework
- allowed providers to test these findings.
The framework sets out the criteria for specialised care delivery. This shows how providers can give care that exceeds the minimum requirements.
The framework will help:
- embed a focus on diversity in the aged care system
- older people, their families, loved ones, friends, families of choice, community representatives and carers, to choose providers that meet their needs.
Diversity in older Australians
For more information about Australia’s diverse older population and the requirements aged care providers must meet to cater for them , see the:
Resources
Verification for specialised aged care services
Contact
If you have any questions about Specialisation Verification, complete our enquiry form.
