Month: November 2025

Australia’s aged care system experienced a major overhaul on November 1, 2025, with the launch of the new Aged Care Act. This rights-based framework aims to prioritise older Australians in their care choices.

Responding to the Royal Commission’s severe findings on neglect and abuse, the reforms promised increased transparency, improved quality standards, and greater support for ageing populations. Central to these changes is the shift from Home Care Packages (HCP) to the “Support at Home” program, which provides financial help to assist seniors in staying in their own homes rather than moving into residential facilities. However, while the intention is admirable, emerging evidence indicates these financial packages are unintentionally causing more harm than good for those trying to age independently, increasing financial pressure and restricting essential services.

“No Worse Off” Principle

Under the old HCP system, older Australians received tiered funding, ranging from basic to comprehensive levels, to cover services such as personal care, domestic help, and allied health. The 2025 reforms maintain a “no worse off” principle for existing recipients, ensuring their contribution arrangements aren’t hiked. For new entrants, however, the Support at Home program introduces means-testing and price caps on non-clinical services, with clinical care, such as nursing, now free. On paper, this sounds equitable: subsidies tailored to income, promoting choice and dignity. Yet in practice, the packages fall short, forcing seniors into heartbreaking trade-offs.

Surge in Costs for Everyday Supports

The most glaring issue is the surge in costs for everyday supports. Basic assistance, such as showers, meal preparation, or wound care, has seen price increases of 20-30% under the new pricing model, outpacing inflation and eroding the value of allocated funds. Advocates report that a Level 2 package, once sufficient for weekly cleaning and transport, now barely covers half those needs, leaving recipients to choose between a hot meal or a safe bath.

This isn’t abstract; it’s real hardship. One Sydney senior, quoted in recent reports, lamented, “Do I eat tonight or get help to the toilet tomorrow? It’s no way to live.” For low-income households, these gaps translate to isolation, untreated health issues, and increased hospital admissions, ironically driving up system-wide costs.

Administrative Bureaucracy

Compounding the problem is administrative bureaucracy. The reforms’ emphasis on personalised plans requires extensive assessments and provider approvals, leading to months-long delays in package activation. Workforce shortages, already acute, mean fewer providers can deliver services at the capped rates, further shrinking options.

Meanwhile, the means test discourages asset sales for care funding; families rushing to liquidate homes now face “shocking hidden costs” like restored means testing post-reform, potentially clawing back subsidies. Far from empowering independence, these financial hurdles are funnelling vulnerable elders toward residential care—the very outcome the reforms sought to avoid.

Financial Pitfalls

While the Aged Care Act introduces vital protections, such as mandatory staffing ratios and safeguards against abuse, its financial mechanisms require urgent recalibration. Without addressing these pitfalls, the Support at Home program risks becoming a barrier rather than a bridge to dignified aging.

Policymakers must listen to frontline voices: adjust pricing, streamline access, and bolster funding to truly honour the promise of home-based care. For the million-plus Australians over 65, the stakes are nothing less than their freedom to age on their own terms.

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Author: Cathy Kerr BANurs, GDAET, Cert IV Training and Assessment.

Cathy brings over three decades of expertise to the field of nursing education, with a distinguished career as a registered nurse, educator, and now aged care consultant. Her extensive experience spans clinical practice, training, and consultancy, where she has dedicated herself to improving care standards and supporting both ageing individuals and healthcare professionals. With a deep understanding of the sector’s challenges and opportunities, Cathy combines her nursing background with a passion for education to drive positive outcomes in aged care.

While your competitors plan to “get serious about training in January,” their staff will return to compliance gaps, expired certifications, and a backlog, rendering them “too busy.” Meanwhile, providers who launch strategic training plans now are capitalising on a 72% surge in festive-period training completions—turning holiday downtime into their most productive training period of the year. By January 20th, they’ll have trained teams, closed compliance gaps, and built momentum that carries them through 2026. The window to join them closes December 20th.

The Data You Can’t Ignore

Course completions during the Christmas-New Year period have exploded:

• 2023-24: 3,128 completions
• 2024-25: 5,395 completions (a 72% increase)
• 2025-26: Projected to exceed 10,000

This isn’t a trend—it’s a fundamental shift in how leading providers approach workforce development.

Want to get started now? Click Here

Want to learn why you should start now? Please read this important 2-minute article⬇️

Why December is Your Secret Weapon

Support workers are already working. Your overnight and weekend staff aren’t idle—they’re looking for meaningful ways to use their downtime. With mobile-accessible training, they can complete modules between check-ins and during quiet hours.

New hires can start learning before they start working. January recruits can complete induction modules between accepting their offer and day one, arriving already familiar with your policies and the NDIS framework.

Compliance doesn’t take holidays. Worker screening checks and mandatory training windows don’t pause for Christmas. The providers hitting 10,000+ completions have figured out that December is actually the best time to close gaps—when the usual “too busy” excuses disappear.

The Cost of “We’ll Start in January”

Here’s what actually happens:

January becomes February (backlog to clear). February becomes March (full operational capacity, training bumped). March becomes April (Q1 review shows missed targets, compliance gaps creating real risk, NDIS Commission queries arriving).

Providers who launched in December? Already trained, compliant, and hitting the ground running.

What Makes This Period Work

• Reduced operational noise: Fewer meetings and competing priorities mean genuine focus
• Intrinsic motivation: New year mindset creates natural receptivity to learning
• Flexible scheduling: Irregular holiday rhythms create productive pockets of time
• Organisational goodwill: Holiday-period development builds loyalty that carries into 2026

The Strategic Imperative

This isn’t about squeezing more from your team—it’s about:

• Reducing operational risk through year-round compliance
• Improving retention by demonstrating investment in development
• Enhancing competitive positioning with a better-trained workforce
• Building capability that directly impacts service quality and growth

The question isn’t whether you can afford to launch before Christmas. It’s whether you can afford not to.

Built for Your Organisation

Generic training doesn’t work because every NDIS business is different. Our LMS lets you brand it with your logo, embed internal policies, and create custom modules, all at no extra cost. It’s mobile-friendly and is available 24/7. We’ve even added gamification (badges, leaderboards) to keep teams engaged.

Whether you’re onboarding new staff, upskilling managers, or running organisation-wide refreshers, our account managers support you every step of the way. The training adapts to your workflow, reducing admin burden while ensuring everything ties directly to compliance outcomes.

The Window is Closing

Launching a training program requires preparation, customisation, communication, and buy-in. Start today, and you can be ready before December 20th. Wait until January, and you’ve missed the opportunity entirely.

The 10,000 projected completions this festive period represent thousands of support workers becoming more skilled, compliance gaps being closed, and downtime being transformed into professional growth.

Will your organisation be part of that story?

Ready to turn festive downtime into a competitive advantage? We’re ready to help you! Contact us today to launch before December 20th—because the best time to start training your team isn’t in January. It’s right now.

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Author: Matthew Crawford, PGCert(Bus)

Matt has over a decade of experience in B2B sales and business development and with a passion for human services, is deeply committed to driving meaningful solutions within the disability sector. His commitment to improving service quality and his deep understanding of client needs make him a trusted partner in advancing the capabilities of organisations that support people with disability across Australia.

World Diabetes Day is on November 14, 2025!

World Diabetes Day serves as a reminder of the importance of raising awareness, improving care, and supporting individuals living with diabetes. It’s a day that brings together healthcare professionals, organisations, and communities around the world to discuss prevention, management, and the importance of education.

We have shared some inspiring real-life stories of people living with Diabetes to help you understand what Diabetes can look like. It doesn’t discriminate and can affect anyone at any time:

https://www.health.qld.gov.au/newsroom/features/living-with-diabetes-stories-of-the-everyday-realities-of-life-with-a-chronic-condition

So, what’s it all about?

World Diabetes Day was created by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to shine a light on the growing diabetes epidemic. It’s about understanding the risk factors, encouraging early diagnosis, and making sure people have access to the care they need.

So, how is the NGO Training Centre helping to raise awareness and support people in the community with Diabetes?

At the NGO Training Centre, we know that education is key.

Our Diabetes courses give Disability Support Professionals and Aged Care Workers the confidence to:

• Recognise symptoms and risk factors early
• Support individuals with day-to-day management
• Respond to emergencies like hypo- or hyperglycaemia
• Promote healthy lifestyle choices that make a difference

Our flexible online courses enable staff to learn at their own pace, ensuring quality, compliance, and confidence in their care.

This World Diabetes Day, let’s keep the conversation going. Together, we can raise awareness, empower our workforce, and support healthier futures for ageing individuals everywhere.

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Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills. 

The Australian Government has today shared some exciting news! Mr. Graeme Head AO has been announced as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

The NDIA Board, led by Chair Kurt Fearnley AO, carefully chose Mr Head for a 3‑year term after an extensive national recruitment process. With decades of experience in public administration and social policy, we are hoping that Mr Head is well-equipped for this important role. He previously served as the inaugural National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Quality and Safeguards commissioner from 2018 to 2021, which should see him in good standing for this role.

As the new CEO, Mr Head will oversee the day-to-day operations of the agency, including managing the NDIS. He will also collaborate closely with the NDIA Board to ensure the scheme continues to support and empower people with disability and their families.

Mr Head’s appointment comes after the current CEO, Rebecca Falkingham PSM, has completed her term, which she has held since October 2022. He will officially start on 24 November 2025.

Mr Head shared his enthusiasm, saying:

“I am very excited to be given the opportunity to play this significant role in the NDIA as key reforms to the Scheme are being shaped and rolled out.”

We’re eager to see how Mr Head builds on the great work already underway to make the NDIS safer, fairer, and more accessible for those who need it the most.

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Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills. 

Speech Pathologist and member of our Governance Team!

Lilly is a Speech Pathologist and Disability Program Manager with over 20 years of experience in direct and management roles within the disability sector. She has specialist skills in implementing best practice, person-centred approaches to supporting communication skills in children and young people, including Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems.

Lilly is a dedicated professional committed to creating useful information, resources, and training materials to ensure that everyone working in the sector has the right tools and knowledge to offer the best possible support to individuals. 

Courses:

• Working with Children and Young People (9-18 years)
• Supporting Children and Young People to Communicate
• Keeping Children and Young People Safe

Learn more about all our brilliant Subject Matter Experts on our About Us page.

The new Aged Care Act 2024 introduces important changes designed to strengthen transparency and accountability across the aged care sector. One of the key updates is the introduction of the term ‘associated providers’, referring to organisations that deliver funded aged care services on behalf of a registered provider.

What This Means for Providers

From 1 November 2025, registered aged care providers are required to notify the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission about their associated providers; both at the time of registration and renewal, and whenever there are changes to associated provider arrangements.

This new measure ensures that the Commission has a clear understanding of all organisations contributing to the delivery of aged care services, helping to maintain high standards of safety, quality, and continuity of care.

Responsibilities of Providers

Under the new Act, providers must have robust systems and processes in place to ensure their associated providers:

• Deliver services that are safe, high-quality, and compliant with all legislative and regulatory requirements.
• Meet the same care and governance standards expected of registered providers.

These requirements give the Commission greater visibility into third-party relationships that can influence the quality of care and support ageing individuals receive.

Regulatory Guidance Now Available

To help providers understand their obligations, the Commission has released a Regulatory Bulletin outlining:

• Who qualifies as an associated provider
• Who does not fall under this category
• Reporting and compliance requirements for providers using associated providers, and
• Expectations and obligations placed on associated providers themselves.

The bulletin provides practical guidance to ensure providers, and their partners, are prepared to meet the new requirements under the Aged Care Act 2024.

Find Out More

For more details, visit the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission website and review the latest Regulatory Bulletin on associated providers.

If you have questions or need further information, contact the Commission at:
📧 [email protected]
📞 1800 951 822 (Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm)

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The NGO Training Centre is committed to supporting aged care providers with up-to-date industry insights and education programs that strengthen workforce capability and service quality.

We have individual Aged Care courses, plus Business Training Packages, developed by sector experts to meet all new Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards and ensure you and your workforce are empowered to deliver the best quality care.

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Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills. 

In a move designed to better capture the purpose and value of temporary support arrangements, the NDIS has updated its description of Short Term Accommodation (STA), which will now be known as Short Term Respite or STR.

The change isn’t just in name. From the accommodation itself to the support provided and the vital role of informal carers in sustaining ongoing care relationships, it also provides a shift in focus.

The decision was made following extensive consultation with participants, their families, and caregivers. According to the NDIA, most people said that Short Term Respite better represents the heart of what the support delivers: a chance for participants and their primary informal supports to take a short, restorative break from their usual care arrangements.

While some stakeholders expressed concern about the word “respite,” many carers and families said it was familiar, meaningful, and aligned with their lived and living experience. After weighing all the feedback, the NDIA concluded that ‘Short Term Respite or STR’ was the clearest and most widely understood term.

“This change recognises the value of informal supports and the importance of helping families sustain their caring role,” the Agency said in a statement accompanying the update.

What’s New and What’s Staying the Same

For providers, Short Term Respite continues to serve the same functional purpose as STA, but with refined guidelines that clarify who can use it, what it includes, and how funding can be applied.

The updated Short Term Respite Guideline now outlines:

• Who can use the support: Participants who live with, or receive daily support from, their primary informal carers for more than six hours a day.
• What it includes: Everyday support and standard accommodation (for the participant, and if needed, their support worker).
• Where it can be used: In a range of settings, from a hotel or short-stay rental to the participant’s own home, if that helps provide a meaningful break.
• What it’s not for: Building new skills, holiday accommodation, or event attendance, those needs are covered by other supports.

Importantly, Short Term Respite is designed to give participants and their carers time apart and is not intended to teach new skills or deliver therapeutic programs. Providers should ensure their services reflect this intent.

Like its predecessor, Short Term Respite remains a flexible support funded through a participant’s core budget. Participants retain choice and control, but providers must ensure supports are in line with the new guideline and consistent with what the participant would typically receive at home.

Most participants will continue to be funded for up to 28 days per year, with no more than 14 days taken at a time. Providers are reminded to charge only for the supports actually delivered, ensuring transparency and fairness in billing.

The shift to Short Term Respite isn’t just about semantics. It reinforces a fundamental principle of the NDIS: supporting informal networks and maintaining sustainable care relationships.

By naming the support for what it truly offers, which is ultimately ‘respite’, the NDIA is acknowledging the essential, ongoing role that families and carers play, while ensuring the scheme continues to support both participants and those who care for them.

What Providers Need To Do Now

Providers are encouraged to:

• Review and update service descriptions, agreements, and marketing materials to use the term Short Term Respite.
• Familiarise themselves with the new Short Term Respite Guideline.
• Discuss the change with participants and their carers to ensure clear understanding of what’s included — and what’s not.
• Align booking, pricing, and billing practices with the clarified rules around flexibility and funding.

For more information, visit the updated Short Term Respite Guideline on the NDIS website or speak with your local NDIS contact. With all these changes, we will continue to provide you with regular updates, so please stay tuned for more!

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Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills.