Compliance Resources
Aged Care Compliance Glossary
Comprehensive definitions of key aged care compliance terms under the Aged Care Act 2024. From SIRS to quality standards to prudential compliance, understand the language of aged care regulation.
A
ACQSC (Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission)
The independent national regulatory body responsible for assessing and monitoring aged care provider compliance with the Aged Care Act 2024 and the Aged Care Quality Standards. The ACQSC conducts assessment contacts, investigates complaints, and can issue compliance notices or enforceable undertakings to providers.
Aged Care Act 2024
The primary legislation governing aged care in Australia, covering both residential care and Support at Home services. The Act establishes the Aged Care Quality Standards, mandates the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS), requires responsible persons, and sets out obligations for providers regarding prudential compliance, care minutes, complaints, and workforce qualifications.
AN-ACC (Australian National Aged Care Classification)
The Australian National Aged Care Classification is the funding model for residential aged care. It classifies residents into 13 classes based on assessed care needs (cognitive, functional, and medical complexity), each with a corresponding daily subsidy rate. Care minutes targets are measured at facility level against AN-ACC classifications.
Assessment Contact
A regulatory visit conducted by the ACQSC to assess a provider's compliance with the Aged Care Quality Standards and legislative obligations. Assessment contacts involve onsite inspections, document review, and interviews with staff and residents. Providers must prepare evidence packs demonstrating compliance against the standards and outcomes applicable to your registration category.
Associated Provider
An organisation that delivers funded aged care services on behalf of a registered provider. It may or may not hold its own registration. The relationship concerns service delivery, rather than ownership or influence alone; the registered provider retains responsibility for the services delivered on its behalf.
B
Behaviour Support Plan
A documented strategy for managing a resident's challenging behaviours. It must be developed in consultation with the resident, family, and clinical staff, and must identify triggers, agreed strategies, and review timeframes. Behaviour support plans are a key component of person-centred care and restrictive practice minimisation.
C
Care Minutes
The total amount of direct care provided to residents, measured in minutes per day per resident. Mandatory facility-level care minute targets began on 1 October 2023 and increased to a 215/44 sector average on 1 October 2024. Each home's target is set from its residents' AN-ACC classifications. The sector-wide average target is 215 care minutes per resident per day (including 44 RN minutes), but each home's target varies with its resident mix. Care minutes tracking is essential for compliance and funding justification.
Clinical Governance
The overarching system of accountability and responsibility for clinical and safety standards in an aged care facility. Clinical governance encompasses clinical leadership, quality assurance processes, incident management, infection prevention, professional development, and evidence-based practice to ensure safe, high-quality care.
Code of Conduct
Eight required behaviours for registered aged care providers, their responsible persons and aged care workers within scope. The Code addresses rights, dignity, privacy, safe and skilled care, integrity, action on concerns, freedom from harm, and prevention and response. The Commission publishes the full wording and coverage guidance.
Complaints Management
The formal process for receiving, documenting, investigating, and resolving complaints from residents, families, and staff. Providers must have robust complaints policies that ensure timely resolution, feedback to complainants, and use of complaint data to drive quality improvements.
Compliance Notice
A formal enforcement instrument issued by the ACQSC requiring a provider to remedy a breach of the Aged Care Act 2024 or Quality Standards within a specified timeframe. Failure to comply with a compliance notice can result in significant penalties or suspension or revocation of registration.
F
Funding & Claims
The financial processes and reporting requirements for aged care funding. Providers must accurately claim funding from the Australian government based on resident classification, care minutes, and compliance with conditions of funding. Errors or misrepresentations can trigger audits and reclaim demands.
G
Governing Body
The board, committee, or management structure responsible for strategic leadership, oversight, and accountability in an aged care provider organisation. The governing body must ensure the provider meets all obligations under the Aged Care Act 2024 and Quality Standards, including financial management, risk oversight, and compliance monitoring.
I
Incident Management
The systematic process for identifying, reporting, investigating, and learning from adverse events and near-misses in aged care settings. Incident management supports quality improvement, prevents recurrence, protects residents, and generates evidence for compliance with safety standards. Some incidents must be reported under SIRS.
Infection Prevention and Control
The systematic measures implemented to prevent and minimise the spread of infectious diseases in aged care facilities. This includes hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, immunisation, personal protective equipment protocols, outbreak investigation, and staff training. IPC is essential for resident safety and quality of care.
L
Liquidity Requirements
Financial solvency thresholds that aged care providers must maintain under the Aged Care Act 2024. Providers must hold sufficient liquid assets and maintain adequate cash flow to meet operating costs, resident accommodation, and care obligations. Failure to maintain liquidity can trigger regulator intervention.
N
National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program)
The mandatory national program requiring all residential aged care providers to collect and submit quarterly data across 14 quality indicators — covering areas such as pressure injuries, restrictive practices, falls, medication management, workforce, and consumer experience. Data is published on My Aged Care and used in Star Ratings, quality improvement, and ACQSC assessments.
O
Open Disclosure
The transparent communication process required when an adverse event or unexpected outcome occurs in aged care. Open disclosure involves acknowledging what happened, explaining the circumstances, expressing regret, and outlining corrective actions. It supports trust, accountability, and resident safety.
Organisational Governance
The overall structure, processes, and accountability mechanisms through which an aged care provider is managed and controlled. Organisational governance encompasses board oversight, risk management, compliance frameworks, financial stewardship, and ethical decision-making aligned with aged care values.
P
Priority 1 Incident
Under SIRS, a reportable incident is classified as Priority 1 if: (1) it has caused injury or discomfort requiring treatment that only a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, psychologist or social worker can provide; (2) there are reasonable grounds for reporting to police; (3) the incident involves unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct; (4) the incident involves an unexpected death; or (5) the incident involves an unexplained absence of a consumer from care. An unexplained absence must meet the reportable-incident definition during service delivery. A reportable absence is Priority 1 under Rules 165A-25; Rules 16-5(11) requires reasonable grounds to report the absence to police. Priority 1 incidents must be notified to the ACQSC within 24 hours.
Priority 2 Incident
Under SIRS, a reportable incident that does not meet Priority 1 criteria is classified as Priority 2. Priority 2 incidents must be notified to the ACQSC within 30 calendar days. Timely reporting allows regulatory oversight and support.
Prudential Compliance
The financial and solvency obligations imposed on aged care providers to ensure they can meet resident care and accommodation obligations. Prudential compliance includes maintaining liquidity ratios, holding adequate reserves for refundable accommodation deposits (RADs), managing debt, and reporting financial information to regulators.
Q
Quality Standards (Aged Care Quality Standards)
Seven Strengthened Quality Standards apply according to registration category (categories 4–6) and services under the Aged Care Act 2024 (effective 1 November 2025): (1) The Individual, (2) The Organisation, (3) The Care and Services, (4) The Environment, (5) Clinical Care, (6) Food and Nutrition, and (7) The Residential Community. Standards 6 and 7 apply to residential care. These standards drive person-centred, safe, accountable aged care.
R
Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD)
A RAD is an upfront accommodation payment. Where the 1 November 2025 retention arrangements apply, providers deduct 2% per year calculated daily for up to five years; that retention is not refunded and no retention top-up may be required. Refund the remaining balance after retention and agreed deductions within the applicable timeframe, with interest where required. Other accommodation cohorts retain their applicable rules.
Registered Nurse (RN) Coverage
The requirement that residential aged care facilities maintain adequate registered nurse staffing and availability to meet resident care needs. Mandatory care minutes began on 1 October 2023 and RN targets increased to a 44-minute sector average on 1 October 2024; since 1 July 2023 homes must have 24/7 RN coverage, subject to exemptions. Homes must also meet their assigned RN care minutes target (sector-wide average 44 minutes per resident per day). RN coverage ensures residents have access to qualified clinical assessment and decision-making.
Responsible Person
A person who meets section 12 of the Aged Care Act 2024 because of their responsibilities or influence at a registered provider. The definition includes specified executive, nursing management and day-to-day operational roles, with distinctions for government providers. It applies across registered care settings, not only residential care. Suitability review and applicable screening requirements are separate responsibilities.
Restrictive Practice
Any practice or intervention that has the effect of restricting the rights or freedom of movement of an older person (Aged Care Act 2024 s 17). The Aged Care Rules 2025 (s 17-5) list five types: chemical restraint, environmental restraint, mechanical restraint, physical restraint and seclusion. Use must be a last resort and meet the applicable safeguards in the Rules.
S
SIRS (Serious Incident Response Scheme)
The mandatory national scheme requiring all registered aged care providers — including residential and Support at Home — to identify, respond to, investigate, and report serious incidents. SIRS has two priority levels: Priority 1 incidents (24-hour notification) and Priority 2 incidents (30-day notification). Providers must have robust incident management systems, investigation processes, and corrective actions.
Self-Assessment
The provider-led evaluation process to determine compliance with the seven Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. Providers conduct self-assessments regularly, documenting evidence, identifying gaps, and planning improvements. Self-assessments prepare providers for ACQSC assessment contacts and demonstrate commitment to continuous quality improvement.
Standard 1: The Individual
A foundational principle under the Aged Care Quality Standards ensuring older people maintain autonomy, independence, and decision-making power over their care and personal affairs. This includes choice in care delivery, activities, dining, and residential arrangements, balanced with safety and best practice considerations.
Suitability Assessment
Section 13 suitability matters include experience in providing aged care, banning orders (including NDIS banning orders), indictable convictions, civil penalty orders, insolvency, adverse findings or enforcement action by listed bodies, fraud or dishonesty findings, disqualification from managing corporations, worker screening where prescribed, and other matters in the Rules. Providers assess responsible-person suitability at least yearly and responsible persons must also meet worker screening requirements.
W
Whistleblower Protection
Legal protections for qualifying disclosures about suspected aged care law contraventions. Eligibility depends on the statutory requirements, including the recipient and reasonable grounds for the suspicion. Protections include safeguards against victimisation and restrictions on sharing identity information, subject to legal exceptions. Providers must maintain disclosure systems and policy.
Workforce Compliance
The comprehensive framework ensuring all aged care workers meet required qualifications, screening, training, and conduct standards. Workforce compliance includes criminal history checks, health assessments, code of conduct adherence, professional development, and fitness-to-practise evaluations. Compliance protects residents and supports safe, quality care.
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