News

The Morrison Government is helping aged care workers get vaccinated as part of an $11 million grant program.
Applications are now open for aged care providers to apply for the funding following recommendations mandatory vaccinations be introduced.

The program was established in recognition of the individual circumstances of aged care workers now subject to the new requirement.

National Cabinet endorsed the decision of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for all residential aged care workers by mid-September 2021, when they are required to have at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Residential Aged Care COVID-19 Employee Vaccination Support Grant will allow casual residential aged care workers to be paid under the following two categories via their employer:

• A fee of $80 per staff member, per dose, for going off-site for vaccination; and
• Paid sick leave if unwell after vaccination and the staff member has no other leave entitlements – a day’s paid leave (at a rate of $185).

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Support for mandatory vaccination of residential aged care workers

A list of new and updated resources – including apps, audio and video resources and other publications – about aged care.

Read more:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Information for residential aged care providers – emergency leave (.pdf)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Information for permanent aged care residents – emergency leave (.pdf)

Aged Care Assessment Supplementary Guidelines for Younger People (.pdf)

Summaries of My Aged Care System Changes (link)

Quick Reference Guide: How to access and use the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) portal (.pdf)

My Aged Care Quick Reference Guide – How to access and use the Quality Indicators application (.pdf)

Refundable Accommodation Deposit Support Loan Guidelines (.pdf)

Where aged care workers can get a COVID-19 vaccine – Poster (.pdf)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – National aged care guidance – aged care visitation guidelines (.pdf)

Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) Manual (.pdf)

The Australian Government is working closely with the states and territories to implement the National Cabinet decision to mandate that at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by administered by mid-September 2021 for all residential aged care workers.

In an effort to ensure national consistency, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has considered the key parameters and endorsed the approach to defining who the relevant directions will apply to and the targeted exemptions that may be available.

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Mandatory vaccination of residential aged care workers

COVID-19 Vaccination to become mandatory for Residential aged care workers

Mandatory vaccination of residential aged care workers (.pdf)

In response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, and the findings of the independent review of legislative provisions governing the use of restraint in residential aged care, the Australian Government has introduced measures to clarify and strengthen the regulation around the use of restrictive practices in residential aged care and short-term restorative care in a residential care setting.

These measures are contained in legislative amendments to the Aged Care Act 1997 and Quality of Care Principles 2014 which commence from 1 July 2021, and which clarify the limited circumstances in which restrictive practices can be used in relation to a consumer, including for use in an emergency.

In addition, the amendments:

• introduce the term ‘restrictive practices’ to describe all forms of ‘restraint’
• make changes to the types and definitions of restrictive practices that may be used or applied and align these with those used in the disability sector under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2018 and National Disability Insurance Scheme (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018. These definitions include chemical restraint, environmental restraint, mechanical restraint, physical restraint, and seclusion
• clarify existing provider requirements regarding consent, monitoring and evaluation, and that any restrictive practice is used as a last resort
• include provisions for strengthening regulation of use of restrictive practices to enable the Commission to issue a regulatory notice when non-compliance with the amended Quality of Care Principles is identified.

Read more:

Janet Anderson – Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner – Board Chair and CEO Letter (.pdf)

RB 2021-13 Regulation of restrictive practices and the role of the Senior Practitioner, Restrictive Practices (.pdf)

Exposure draft: Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response No. 1) Principles 2021 (.pdf)

Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response No. 1) Bill 2021 (.pdf)

Strengthened restrictive practice requirements for residential aged care facilities

Minimising the use of restrictive practices

Independent review of legislative provisions governing the use of restraint in residential aged care (.pdf)

Early experiences of the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) have been shared by residential aged care providers at a virtual roundtable with the Commission.

Ten providers drawn from regional and metropolitan Australia participated in a roundtable convened by the Commission on 9 June. They shared their feedback about SIRS implementation challenges, ideas for improvement, and early benefits from the scheme. Provider peak organisations were also represented.

Read more:

SIRS provider roundtable outcomes summary (.pdf)

In just a few days’ time, the updated and expanded National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program) will commence.

From 1 July, approved providers of residential aged care are required to report quarterly on new or revised quality indicators across 5 crucial clinical areas. From this date, you must start collecting the following data, as detailed in the Department of Health’s National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program Manual – 2.0 – Part A

Read more:

National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program Manual – 2.0 – Part A (Final version) (.pdf)

National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program Manual 2.0 – Part C (.pdf)

National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program FAQs (.pdf)

Information Sheet for Clinical Care Teams (.pdf)

Information Sheet for GPs and Allied Health Professionals (.pdf)

Information Sheet for Consumers and their Families (.pdf)

Information Sheet for Board Directors and Senior Executives (.pdf)

QI Program poster (.pdf)

QI Program data elements summary (.pdf)

QI Program Data Recording Templates (.xlsx)

Residential aged care providers (and multi-purpose services) providing permanent residential aged care who also support participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) have responsibilities under both the Aged Care Act 1997 and the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013.

One provider responsibility addressed by both Acts relates to worker screening checks. Under aged care legislation, an approved provider has to comply with police certificate requirements, while under NDIS legislation, a registered provider has to comply with the NDIS Worker Screening Check requirements for workers in risk-assessed roles. A risk-assessed role is a worker or volunteer who provides direct delivery of care to an NDIS participant.

Recognising that there was unnecessary duplication in these responsibilities, Federal Parliament has amended aged care legislation effective from 16 June 2021 to enable an aged care provider to accept a clearance obtained through the NDIS Worker Screening Check process as an alternative to the police certificate requirements for a particular worker.

Read more:

Recognising NDIS worker screening – for aged care providers that are registered NDIS providers (.pdf)

Recognising NDIS worker screening – for aged care providers that are not registered NDIS providers (.pdf)

Police certificate or a NDIS worker screening clearance for aged care workers (.pdf)

Worker screening requirements (registered NDIS providers)

Police Certificate Guidelines for Aged Care Providers (.pdf)

The Morrison Government is extending emergency leave arrangements for people living permanently in residential aged care who want to temporarily relocate with family to reduce their risk of contracting COVID-19.

The 12-month extension means the emergency leave provisions are now in place until 30 June 2022.

Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said the extension allows aged care residents to continue to take emergency leave during unpredictable COVID-19 outbreaks, rather than using their limited social leave entitlements.

“We want to provide certainty and reassurance to residents who wish to temporarily relocate and stay with family at times when COVID-19 is a risk in their aged care residence,” Minister Colbeck said.

“The Morrison Government is providing two tiers of support available through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) for people taking emergency leave.

“This includes personal care and nursing services, as well as entry level supports, such as meals and transport.”

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Emergency leave extension for aged care residents

Minister Colbeck has announced an extension to the emergency leave provision for permanent aged care residents for a further 12 months, until 30 June 2022.

This will allow aged care residents to continue to take emergency leave during unpredictable COVID-19 outbreaks, rather than using and potentially exhausting their social leave entitlements. The continued availability of emergency leave will provide certainty and reassurance to residents who wish to temporarily relocate to stay with family at these times.

Aged care homes will continue to be paid residential care subsidy when residents are on emergency leave, ensuring neither residents nor providers are disadvantaged.

Read more:

Emergency leave for aged care residents extended to 30 June 2022

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Information for permanent aged care residents – emergency leave (.pdf)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Information for residential aged care providers – emergency leave (.pdf)

Mandatory Vaccinations for Aged Care Workers

The National Cabinet agreed to mandate that at least the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine be administered by mid-September 2021 for all residential aged care workforce.

The National Cabinet agreed that COVID-19 vaccinations are to be mandated for residential aged care workers as a condition of working in an aged care facility through shared state, territory and Commonwealth authorities and compliance measures.

This is the third time AHPPC has considered this matter. They will continue to look at the issue to ensure we do not encounter any unintended consequences as an outcome of this decision.

The Commonwealth will support this decision though an employee vaccination support grant.

Residential Aged Care COVID-19 Employee Vaccination Support Grant

Residential aged care workers will be supported to be vaccinated through an $11 million program to enable them to attend off-site vaccination centres and GPs.

Under the grant, Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) will be paid for the following three categories of eligible expenditure:

• Casual staff going off-site for vaccination – a flat fee of $80 payable per staff member, per dose;
• Paid leave for casual staff who become unwell after vaccination and do not have other leave entitlements – one day’s paid leave (at a rate of $185) for up to a quarter of the provider’s total number of casual staff; and
• Facilitation of off-site vaccination for employees – up to $500 per site in flexible vaccination facilitation costs per site, which may be used for activities like: transport services, arranging groups of staff to be vaccinated and or any other reasonable expenses that incentivise staff to get vaccinated.

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MEDIA STATEMENT: 28 Jun 2021