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What the new Aged Care Act means for small providers
The Aged Care Act 2024 commenced on 1 November 2025 and reset the regulatory floor. Here's what changed and what it means if you're a small or newly-registering provider. Information only, not legal advice.
What changed
Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme. The strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards took effect, the Aged Care Code of Conduct applies to providers and workers, and provider registration carries conditions you must continue to meet.
Why your old policies are now out of date
Policies written for the Home Care Packages rules reference a framework that no longer applies. Terminology, obligations and the Standards themselves have changed, so an un-updated suite is stale by construction.
What to prioritise
Start with the non-clinical foundations you can put in place immediately — governance, risk, incident and complaints management, financial governance, and your HR and Code of Conduct policies. Then address clinical and service-delivery policies with appropriate clinical input.
Keeping up as the rules keep moving
The rules are still being amended through 2026 and into 2027. Our free Aged Care Rules change-log summarises what changed each month in plain English, and our policy packs give you an aligned starting point you can adopt today.
Frequently asked questions
When did the new Aged Care Act start?
The Aged Care Act 2024 commenced on 1 November 2025, after being deferred from 1 July 2025.
What replaced Home Care Packages?
The Support at Home program replaced Home Care Packages and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme from 1 November 2025.