Aged Care Reform in 2025

On the 1^st July 2025, the Australian Federal Governments Aged Care Act 2024, requires providers to further strengthen their stakeholder engagement through regulated advisory board structures for:

• Quality care & consumers, already in place since December 2023 and
• From 1^st July 2025 – Workers

The Advisory Board Centre, the leading professional body for the advisory board sector, has been proactive in supporting the reforms so providers can move beyond mere compliance and implement impactful advisory structures that make a positive difference for individual consumers and the aged care community at large.

The Advisory Board Centre, with the support of its Best Practice and Ethics advisory board, established an Aged Care advisory board in 2022 to oversee the development of best practice protocols specifically for the aged care sector.^[1]

In addition, further advocacy work has been done with stakeholder engagements including consultation with government representatives, the Aged Care and Quality Safety Commissioner, industry body representatives and aged care providers.

As a result, the Advisory Board Centre developed a credential specifically for Aged Care including a suite of bespoke best practice resources and methods.  Since 2022, it has also established an Aged Care Advisory Group who meet quarterly to discuss implementation models and case studies to learn and benchmark methods.  The early impact signs of the advisory body structures have been positive and has implications for the health sector in general.

The Aged Care Advisory Group has made several key observations:

• Advisory bodies have provided feedback that has led to direct improvements and innovations that may not have been previously identified. The structure and function of advisory bodies varies across organisations, as there is no standard approach and models evolve over time enabling ‘fit for purpose’ approaches.
• Directors have demonstrated openness to integrating best practices and receiving feedback, and it is recognised that the consumer and quality care advisory body model is ideal for stakeholder engagement and strengthening governance systematically. A positive relationship has formed between the governance board and the advisory body Chairs, pointing to a maturing function.
• Best practice guides have been used to structure meetings and conversations, providing diverse perspectives and choices to inform decision-making, drive sustainable growth and innovation, and ensure safe, quality care for residents.
• Providers value the Chair’s independence in maintaining focus and offering diverse perspectives and expertise to strengthen their governance system and maximise the advisory body model’s value.

Cynthia Payne, a founding member of the Aged Care Advisory Group comments:

“The introduction of the Worker Quality Care advisory body will strengthen stakeholder engagement. The most important stakeholders to Australian Aged Care providers are Older persons and the workforce. Governing Bodies will improve their strategic positioning and competitiveness by effectively deploying a best practice framework and harnessing the ‘Worker Voice’ further improving care and services. There has never been a more critical time to create an empowered and engaged workforce.”

Louise Broekman, Founder of the Advisory Board Centre states:

“It is exciting to see the impact these advisory bodies are having in the aged care sector. Best practice is being taken seriously and the results we are seeing through our network of Certified Chairs is compelling.”

The Advisory Board Centre welcomes ongoing consultation with aged care industry leaders and professionals to support the sector with best practice — learn more about the Aged Care Certified Chair Executive Program here 

[1] Toby Hall, former Group CEO of St. Vincent’s Health Australia, Chair’s the Board which includes credentialed and experienced advisors Cynthia Payne, Lynn Bailey, Sandy Deans and Susanne Le Boutillier.