What is the role of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission?
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In short...
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission regulates government-funded aged care. It monitors quality and safety, receives complaints, checks provider compliance and can take enforcement action when providers do not meet their obligations.
The details...
What is the role of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission?
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is the independent national regulator of Australian Government-funded aged care.
Its role is to uphold the rights of older people and protect their safety, health, wellbeing and quality of life. It regulates residential aged care, Support at Home providers, workers and other organisations involved in delivering funded aged care.
It registers and monitors aged care providers
Providers must be registered for the types of aged care services they deliver.
The Commission monitors whether providers, their responsible people and their workers are meeting requirements under the Aged Care Act, including:
conditions of registration
the Aged Care Quality Standards
the Aged Care Code of Conduct
the Statement of Rights
worker screening and suitability requirements
incident-reporting obligations.
The Commission can assess a provider through audits, monitoring, information requests, complaints and incident reports.
It checks the quality and safety of care
The strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards describe what safe, rights-based and high-quality aged care should look like.
They cover areas such as:
person-centred care
dignity, respect and privacy
choice and independence
clear service agreements
workforce skills and planning
safe clinical care
food and nutrition in residential care
complaints and feedback
governance and risk management.
The Commission assesses relevant providers against these standards and can require improvements when obligations are not being met.
It handles complaints
Older people, family members, carers, workers and other concerned people can complain to the Commission about:
unsafe or poor-quality care
neglect or abuse
missed services
disrespectful conduct
privacy breaches
inappropriate restraint
medication concerns
incorrect charges
failure to follow a care plan
a provider or worker not meeting their legal obligations.
A complaint can be made openly, confidentially or anonymously. It can relate to a provider, worker or responsible person.
The Commission may:
ask the provider to respond
obtain care records or other evidence
help resolve the complaint
require corrective action
refer serious matters for regulatory investigation
monitor whether improvements are made.
You do not have to complain to the provider first where the concern is serious or you do not feel safe doing so.
It oversees serious incidents
Registered providers must identify, manage and report certain serious incidents through the Serious Incident Response Scheme.
These may include:
unreasonable use of force
neglect
psychological or emotional abuse
unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct
stealing or financial coercion
inappropriate restrictive practices
unexpected death in certain circumstances
a person going missing from care.
The Commission reviews incident notifications and may take further action where the provider’s response is inadequate or broader risks are identified.
It enforces the Aged Care Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct sets minimum expectations for how providers, workers and responsible people must behave.
It requires conduct that supports:
dignity and respect
personal choice
honesty
safe and competent care
freedom from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The Commission can investigate alleged breaches of the Code.
It can take enforcement action
The Commission is not only an advice or complaints service. It has regulatory powers.
Depending on the seriousness of the issue, it may:
issue directions or compliance notices
impose or change registration conditions
require a provider to take corrective action
restrict the services a provider can deliver
issue banning orders against unsuitable workers or responsible people
suspend or revoke provider registration
seek civil penalties or other legal remedies.
The action taken should reflect the seriousness, likelihood and consequences of the risk.
It protects the Statement of Rights
Since 1 November 2025, the Aged Care Act has included a Statement of Rights.
Providers must act consistently with rights including:
dignity and respect
autonomy and choice
privacy
equitable access
safe and quality care
communication in an understandable form
support to make decisions
maintaining relationships and community connections
raising concerns without retaliation.
The Commission uses these rights when assessing complaints and provider conduct.
What the Commission does not do
The Commission does not:
choose a provider for you
manage your individual Support at Home budget
allocate aged care funding
conduct your aged care needs assessment
provide emergency workers
replace police, ambulance or medical services
provide personal legal or financial advice.
My Aged Care manages assessments, approvals and provider referrals. Services Australia manages financial assessments and contribution rates.
Call 000 where there is an immediate medical or safety emergency.
How do I contact the Commission?
You can contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on 1800 951 822.
You can also lodge a complaint online or in writing. Complaints may be confidential or anonymous.
Free independent support is also available from the Older Persons Advocacy Network on 1800 700 600.
The practical summary is:
The Commission registers and monitors aged care providers, checks compliance with quality and conduct standards, handles complaints and serious incidents, and can take enforcement action when care is unsafe or people’s rights are not respected.
What should I do next?
Contact the Commission when a provider has not resolved a quality, safety or rights concern, or when you prefer to go directly to the regulator.
Helpful Local Home Help resources
Takeaways
- The Commission is the national aged-care regulator.
- It handles complaints and monitors compliance.
- Urgent danger still requires emergency or police help.
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About the Author
Local Home Help Editorial Team
This article was created by Local Home Help to help Australian families better understand aged care and home support options in plain English.
Our content is based on publicly available information from:
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My Aged Care
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Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
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Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
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Provider pricing schedules and operational experience within the aged care sector.
Local Home Help is an independent consumer information platform and does not provide medical, legal or financial advice.
Important information
Aged care rules, fees, eligibility requirements and program arrangements can change. The information on this page is general guidance only and may not apply to every person or situation.
Before making a financial, legal or care decision, check the latest information with My Aged Care, Services Australia, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, or another appropriate official source.
Local Home Help does not provide legal, financial, medical or clinical advice.
Source data
Last reviewed
20/7/26, 9:08 pm