About the QFR
As a part of broader initiatives to improve financial reporting and strengthen prudential compliance for approved aged care providers, the QFR:
- enables the department to track, monitor and benchmark the sector
- provides information for the Star Rating system to help senior Australians make informed choices
- helps with policy planning and development
- enables direct care minutes to be monitored and informs the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) funding model.
All approved providers must submit a QFR and the annual Aged Care Financial Report (ACFR).
Scope of the QFR
There are five parts to the QFR.
Part 1: Viability and prudential compliance questions
Responses to these questions are used as forward-looking indicators to identify providers who have viability and prudential concerns.
Part 2: Quarterly Financial Statements
This financial information is used by the department to understand sector performance and will be communicated back to the sector.
Part 3: Residential care labour cost and hours reporting
The department uses this information to contribute to Star Ratings and inform costing studies for the new AN-ACC funding model.
Part 4: Home care labour cost and hours reporting
Increased reporting requirements bring greater transparency and accountability to the home care sector by better aligning reporting requirements with residential care.
Part 5: Quarterly Food and Nutrition report
The quarterly food and nutrition report in the QFR replaced the food and nutrition Basic Daily Fee (BDF) supplement report. All residential care services must now report on food and nutrition.
Reporting requirements
What you report in the QFR depends on the type of service you deliver.
Residential aged care service providers complete:
- viability and prudential compliance questions
- quarterly financial statements, at the approved provider level
- residential care labour cost and hours reporting, at the facility level
- quarterly food and nutrition report for each approved residential aged care service.
Home care service providers complete:
- viability and prudential compliance questions
- quarterly financial statements, at the approved provider level
- home care labour cost and hours reporting, at the Aged Care Planning Region level.
Providers of Multi-Purpose Services (MPS) and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFACP) services complete:
- quarterly food and nutrition report for each approved residential aged care service.
State and territory government providers complete:
- residential care labour cost and hours reporting, at the facility level
- home care labour cost and hours reporting, at the Aged Care Planning Region level.
- quarterly food and nutrition report for each approved residential aged care service.
Providers who solely deliver Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) services do not have to submit a QFR.
Due dates
The quarter 3 QFR for the 2022/23 financial year will be available for submission from 1 April 2023 through the Forms Administration data collection portal.
The QFR must be submitted 4 times throughout the financial year. Legislated submission dates for the 2022/23 financial year are as follows:
- Quarter 1: report due 4 November 2022 (reporting period 1 July 2022 - 30 September 2022) COMPLETED
- Quarter 2 report due 14 February 2023 (reporting period 1 October 2022 – 31 December 2022) COMPLETED
- Quarter 3 report due 5 May 2023 (reporting period 1 January 2023 – 31 March 2023)
- Quarter 4 report due 4 August 2023 (reporting period 1 April 2023 – 30 June 2023)
Resources and training
The Forms Administration helpdesk is available to assist with the completion and submission of the QFR. Providers can call the helpdesk on (02) 4403 0640 or email enquiries to health@formsadministration.com.au.
Technical information is available through webinar presentations, videos and guidance:
- QFR quarter 2 webinar video (December 2022)
- QFR quarter 2 webinar slides (December 2022)
- QFR definitions
- QFR user guide
- QFR technical webinar video (June 2022)
- QFR technical webinar slides (June 2022)
- QFR update and QA webinar slides (August 2022)
- QFR update and QA webinar video (August 2022)
- QFR frequently asked questions
For feedback or questions email ffbconsultation@health.gov.au