This New Year brings with it the Winds of Change. Many community aged care providers say that over the past 15 years or so, the only constant for the sector has been change. Fortunately, this means service providers are now experienced in change management, and in responding to new demands within their operating environment. In 2014, providers will need to call on those skills once again.
The Australian Government has decided to change the name of the Community Care Common Standards (2010) to the Home Care Standards (2013), and has made a number of changes to the Quality Reporting Program, about which service providers have been notified. These include the development and maintenance of a Plan for Continuous Improvement, which may be requested by the Department of Social Services at any time. The newly created Australian Aged Care Quality Agency will be the sole body responsible for the quality monitoring of all aged care services, whether they be delivered in an aged care home or in the person’s own residence. The Quality Agency commenced this function relating to residential aged care services on 1 January 2014, and from 1 July 2014 will also be responsible for all home care services funded by the Commonwealth.
Service providers who have chosen to adopt the world’s most widely used Quality Management Standard, ISO 9001will be aware that the 2008 version of this international Standard is currently under revision. To enable people to keep up to date with the proposed changes and their implications for your quality management system, SAI Global has made the Committee Draft (ISO/CD 9001) available to the public. Go to sales@saiglobal.com to order a copy. The full Draft International Standard is likely to be produced during the first half of 2014, and will then be open to public comment prior to its finalisation and publication.
The Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Act 2012, and the Privacy Regulation 2013 made under the
Privacy Act come into force on 12 March 2014. The changes to the Act include 13
new Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) that will regulate the handling of
personal information by government agencies and businesses. The changes also
introduce new laws on codes of practice about information privacy. The Office
of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has resources available to
assist organisations to prepare for these privacy reforms. Providers can keep
in touch with the OAIC by subscribing to their update mailing list (OAICnet), or
go to the website www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-act/privacy-law-reform
