* 24 November 2022 *
The Australian Government Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission is introducing a Code of Conduct for Aged Care on 1 December 2022 in response to a recommendation from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality & Safety.
The government states that the Code of Conduct will improve the safety, health, wellbeing and quality of life for people receiving aged care, and build public confidence and trust in aged care services. The Code sets out the legal requirements of aged care staff and their responsibilities to this vulnerable community, which are consistent with existing obligations under the Aged Care Age 1997, including the Aged Care Quality Standards.
Their website notes that staff have a responsibility to aged care residents and clients:
“People receiving aged care should always be treated well and feel safe.
As an aged care worker providing care, supports and services, you have the most contact with people receiving care.
Your behaviour affects how people feel about themselves and if they feel safe and supported.
You must always act in a way that is respectful, kind and consistent with the behaviours set out in the Code.”
Once the Code is in place, all aged care staff will be bound by it and if they subsequently contravene the Code of Conduct, they could be barred from working in the aged care sector.
At Vasey RSL Care, we already have our own staff Code of Conduct that all staff are required to read and agree to when they join the organisation, so from December, all staff will be required to read, understand and agree to both Codes.
The Aged Care Quality Standards Commission will also have powers to sanction aged care providers and revoke their provider status if they breech the Code of Conduct.
The Code is currently available online in draft format.
“There is nothing in The Code of Conduct that differs from what staff are already expected to do”, says Janna Voloshin, Vasey RSL Care CEO. “It reflects the existing legislation in the Aged Care Act (1997) and the Aged Care Quality Standards.
“We already have high standards expected of our staff, and while we believe this will be beneficial for the aged care sector as a whole, we do not anticipate any impact on our organisation or our residents or clients.”
Vasey RSL Care will be providing a new compulsory training unit for staff.