Aged Care
Aged care workforce management in Australia
From 1 July 2025, aged care in Australia operates under a substantially new legal framework: the Aged Care Act 2024, the Support at Home program, and the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. For providers managing rosters and worker compliance in this sector, the practical implications are significant.
Teiro is used by providers working across NDIS and aged care. This hub covers the compliance topics that matter most for workforce management: the Support at Home billing model, award pay rates, worker screening obligations, SIRS incident reporting, and the quality standards that govern how you manage your workforce.
What's in this hub
Everything you need on aged care workforce compliance
Support at Home Program
The replacement for Home Care Packages from 1 July 2025. Eight service groups, new billing model via Services Australia, and what it means for your rostering and record-keeping.
Read the guide →Become an Aged Care Provider
ACQSC approval, quality standards, worker screening, SIRS obligations, and the systems you need in place from day one as an approved provider.
Read the guide →Aged Care Award Pay Rates
MA000018 classification tables, work value case adjustments, and how rates differ between the Aged Care Award and SCHADS for home care workers.
Read the guide →Aged Care Work Value Case
Staged pay increases above award minimums from the Fair Work Commission work value decisions. What they mean for direct care workers and when each stage applied.
Read the guide →Worker Screening Requirements
National Police Check for aged care vs NDIS Worker Screening Check for disability. Which applies when, and what to do for workers delivering services in both sectors.
Read the guide →SIRS Incident Reporting
Serious Incident Response Scheme obligations: Priority 1 (24 hours), Priority 2 (30 days), incident categories, and how shift records connect to your reporting obligations.
Read the guide →Aged Care Quality Standards
The Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards (7 standards, from 1 July 2025). Standard 5 covers the workforce and has direct implications for how you manage rostering and compliance.
Read the guide →Award Classification
SCHADS Award (MA000100) vs Aged Care Award (MA000018): which applies to which workers, what happens when a worker delivers services in both sectors, and misclassification risk.
Read the guide →Quick reference
Support at Home vs NDIS at a glance
For providers delivering services in both sectors, the two frameworks run in parallel with different regulators, different funding bodies, and different worker screening requirements.
| Aspect | NDIS | Aged care |
|---|---|---|
| Primary legislation | NDIS Act 2013 | Aged Care Act 2024 (commenced 1 July 2025) |
| Regulator | NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission | Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) |
| Home-based funding | Participant plan with support categories and NDIS price limits | Support at Home: 8 service groups, provider claims via Services Australia |
| Funding administration | Plan-managed, self-managed, or agency-managed (NDIA pays) | Provider delivers and claims; Services Australia pays approved provider |
| Worker screening | NDIS Worker Screening Check (national) | National Police Check (no NDIS Worker Screening required) |
| Incident reporting | Reportable incidents to NDIS Q&S Commission | SIRS: Priority 1 within 24 hours, Priority 2 within 30 days |
| Worker pay floor (home care) | SCHADS Award MA000100 | SCHADS Award MA000100 (home care); Aged Care Award MA000018 (residential) |
Worker screening: a critical difference. Aged care workers require a current National Police Check, not an NDIS Worker Screening Check. Workers delivering services across both sectors need both. Requiring aged care-only workers to obtain an NDIS Worker Screening Check is unnecessary. See the worker screening guide for full details.
Background
What changed on 1 July 2025
Three significant changes commenced on 1 July 2025. The Aged Care Act 2024 replaced the Aged Care Act 1997, shifting to a rights-centred framework with stronger obligations on approved providers. The Support at Home program replaced the Home Care Packages program and Short-Term Restorative Care. And the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards replaced the previous 8 standards with a revised 7-standard framework.
The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) was not replaced on 1 July 2025. CHSP is scheduled to transition to Support at Home on 1 July 2027. Providers delivering CHSP services continue under that program until then.
For providers managing rosters, the key operational changes are the new billing model under Support at Home (8 service groups, claims via Services Australia) and the workforce obligations under Standard 5 of the Strengthened Quality Standards.
Built by Teiro
Rostering and compliance for care providers
Teiro is workforce management software built for disability and aged care providers. Worker compliance tracking, incident management, shift records, and client documentation work the same way regardless of whether you are delivering under the NDIS or Support at Home.
The content in this hub is not legal advice and does not replace official regulatory guidance. It is designed to make the rules easier to understand and apply in practice.
Sources: Aged Care Act 2024, Support at Home Manual (Dept. of Health and Aged Care), Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. health.gov.au