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Celebrations are well underway across Australia as we mark National Seniors Month!

It is a time to recognise, celebrate and value the remarkable contributions of ageing individuals in our communities.

From community events in Queensland, to intergenerational programs in Victoria, art and storytelling in New South Wales, and wellness initiatives across Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT, the spirit of appreciation is thriving nationwide. This month is a powerful reminder of the importance of positive ageing, which includes living well, staying connected, and continuing to thrive at every stage of life.

At the NGO Training Centre, we are proud to support aged care organisations and their dedicated teams who make this possible every day. Through our online training programs, we help workers deliver the highest standard of care in line with the new Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards and the Aged Care Act 2024.

Our goal is to build a capable, confident, and compassionate workforce. One that delivers care with respect, dignity, and choice, empowering ageing individuals to live life to the fullest.

As celebrations continue this month, we join the nation in honouring the generations who have shaped our communities and reaffirm our commitment to supporting those who care for them. You can find out what events are happening in your state or region – it could be a lot of fun! Check your local government website or local council websites for event details.

Together, let’s celebrate positive ageing and a future where every ageing individual is valued, supported, and thriving. And, if you’re interested in our incredible aged care Strengthened Standards compliant courses, click the buttons below for more information!

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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. 

On behalf of the entire team at the NGO Training Centre, we are absolutely thrilled to congratulate our founder and fearless leader, Jasminne, on being awarded “Employer of the Year” at the Gold Coast Women in Business Awards 2025!

This recognition is a reflection of something we’ve known all along – Jas is not only an exceptional businessperson, but also an extraordinary employer, leader, mentor, and human being. Her unwavering dedication to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and empowering workplace culture is what truly sets the NGO Training Centre apart.

As Jasminne said so perfectly in her own words:

“The team culture, and leadership culture we have built at the NGO Training Centre is special, and my team and I invest in this every day. This recognition is 100% a team result, and I know, that we all take great pride in this.”

That team-first mindset is just one of the many reasons we admire Jas. Her leadership is authentic, people-centred, and purpose-driven – everything we stand for as an organisation. She leads with heart, listens with intent, and constantly challenges us to grow both personally and professionally. The positive work culture we enjoy every day is a direct result of her commitment and vision.

It’s no surprise that her contribution has now been formally recognised on such a prestigious platform. The Gold Coast Women in Business Awards is an event that celebrates innovation, resilience and excellence, and Jasminne embodies all of that and more.

To Jas – thank you for being the heart of the NGO Training Centre. You are the kind of leader who makes coming to work a joy, who builds people up, and who constantly reminds us what’s possible when we lead with passion and integrity. We are incredibly proud to stand beside you and to share in this milestone.

And to the entire NGO Training Centre team, this is your award too! Jas is the first to say that this recognition reflects all of us and the collective culture we’ve built together.

Congratulations, Jas – you inspire us every single day.

With love and pride,
Your NGO Training Centre Team

Starting November 1, 2025, aged care providers must follow new worker screening rules to protect ageing Australians. These rules cover all aged care workers, including subcontractors, associated providers, or digital platform staff. Non-compliance may lead to regulatory action, reputational harm, and risks to people.  Here’s a quick guide to the five core requirements and how providers can prepare.

1. Police Certificates & NDIS Clearances

All workers must have a police certificate (issued within 3 years) or a NDIS worker screening clearance (issued within 5 years). This applies to employees, contractors, health professionals, and kitchen, cleaning, or admin staff. Workers hired through third parties or paid by providers for self-directed care are also included.

Action: Verify certificates or clearances before work begins. For pending clearances, ensure supervision and a statutory declaration are in place.

2. Statutory Declarations

Statutory declarations are required for workers who:

• Lived overseas after age 16.
• Are awaiting a police certificate or NDIS clearance.
  These declarations confirm no precluding offences but don’t replace the need for valid clearances.

Action: Supervise workers with pending clearances and complete declarations before work starts.

3. Precluding Offences

Certain convictions, like murder, sexual assault, or (for some programs) crimes involving dishonesty or child abuse, disqualify individuals from aged care roles.

Action: Review police certificates carefully, develop policies for assessing non-precluding offences, and ensure workers report new convictions.

4. Record Keeping

Providers must maintain detailed records for each worker, including name, date of birth, address, clearance details, and statutory declarations. Records must be kept for 7 years, even if the worker leaves.

Action: To streamline compliance, create a centralised register with reference numbers, issue/expiry dates, and verification details.

5. Future Screening Reforms

From mid-2026, a national aged care worker screening check will align with the NDIS model, offering ongoing monitoring and cross-sector recognition.

Action: Stay updated on reforms and plan for ICT system upgrades to support the new process.

Why It Matters

These reforms improve protections for ageing Australians and align with the Aged Care Quality Standards, including the Code of Conduct, Serious Incident Response Scheme, and more. By acting now, providers can ensure compliance, boost safety, and prepare for future changes.

Stay proactive! Review your processes, train staff, and maintain robust records to meet these obligations and protect those in your care. For up-to-date information and training, your staff can enrol in these NGO Training Centre courses:

The Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards – Part 1

The Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards – Part 2

The Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards Bundle (Parts 1 and 2)

Or for organisations needing to train their aged care staff, take a look at our variety of Training Packages we offer for any sized provider, from 1 to 1,000+ team members. Make your organisation’s training more effective, easier, and more affordable than ever!

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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.

Registered Nurse, Clinical Education, ICU – and member of our Governance Team!

With over 30 years of experience delivering exceptional nursing care to diverse patient populations with complex co-morbidities, Kirsten possesses extensive expertise across a wide range of nursing disciplines. As a leader in the ICU, she has honed skills in care planning and clinical judgment, significantly improving patient satisfaction and outcomes.

Proficient in complex problem-solving and relationship building, Kirsten has played a key role in staff training and enhancing holistic care standards. Her approach combines critical care expertise with compassionate patient advocacy, fostering recovery and education.

Kirsten has crafted specialised Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and Supporting Participants Living with Dementia courses for the NGO Training Centre for Disability Support Professionals, further demonstrating her commitment to advancing care and education in specialised fields.

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

Australia’s aged care sector is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Come 1 November 2025, the new Aged Care Act 2024 and Support at Home program will launch, prioritising person-centred care, cultural safety for First Nations peoples, and long-term sustainability. But amid these reforms, workforce shortages, funding tweaks, and tech breakthroughs are shaking things up. Here’s the latest:

1. New Aged Care Act 2024: A Rights-First Revolution

Launching on 1 November 2025, this act replaces the outdated 1997 and 2018 laws with a robust, rights-based framework. It emphasises residents’ dignity, choice, and tailored needs, including a Statement of Rights for culturally safe care—especially vital for First Nations communities. Plus, whistleblower protections are beefed up to encourage transparency. The goal? Safer, fairer care for all.

2. Support at Home Program: Empowering Independent Living

Also kicking off 1 November 2025, this initiative swaps out Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care for a streamlined program supporting up to 1.4 million Australians by 2035. Expect shorter wait times, home mods for accessibility, and a “no worse off” guarantee for current users. However, new entrants might face higher co-payments, sparking some debate on affordability.

3. Workforce Boosts Amid Ongoing Shortages

The government is investing $2.5 billion over five years for aged care nurses’ wage hikes (rolling out in January and October 2025), plus $291.6 million for sector-wide reforms. Yet, projections show a shortage of 1,490 registered nurses in 2024-25 alone, with experts warning of up to 110,000 gaps by 2030 without bolder action like migration pathways and tech aids.

4. Sector Strains: Waits, Mergers, and Money Woes

Home care assessment wait times have doubled since 2014-15, leaving over 121,000 people in limbo. To stay afloat, financial squeezes and regs fuel consolidations—think Australian Unity snapping up MyHomecare Group.

5. Tech Innovations Lighting the Way

Bright spots include NeuronsVR, a VR therapy tool revolutionising dementia care by immersing residents in sensory-rich experiences that boost mood, recall, and social ties. Meanwhile, the Aged Care Clinical Information System (ACCIS) Standards standardise data for more personalised, culturally attuned support.

As November nears, these changes promise a brighter future for aged care—but tackling shortages and waits is key.

Check out our courses and training packages for all your Standards-compliant aged care training needs, or contact our friendly, supportive and expert team to discuss further – we’d love to hear from you!

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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.

Each year, on World Mental Health Day 10th October, we are reminded that there is no health without mental health.

It’s an excellent opportunity to raise awareness, create conversation, and take action to make quality mental health care accessible for all. The green ribbon – the international symbol for mental health awareness – reminds us of this.

The 2025 theme, set by Mental Health Australia, is “Connect with your community.”

Connection to people, places, and purpose gives humans a sense of belonging and resilience.

When we feel safe, seen, and supported, we are better able to thrive, both personally and professionally.

Globally, this year’s campaign also highlights the urgent need to support the mental health and psychosocial well-being of people affected by humanitarian crises.

During disasters, conflicts, and public health emergencies, one in five people experiences a mental health condition. Supporting the emotional well-being of people during these times not only saves lives but also helps individuals and communities to recover and rebuild.

🧠 Mental Health Training at the NGO Training Centre

At the NGO Training Centre, we recognise that mental health is central to quality care in both disability and aged care services. Our training helps staff across all sectors build understanding, resilience, and confidence when supporting those who need it the most.

Our Mental Health & Positive Outcomes pathway offers evidence-based, accessible online learning. We provide a range of excellent courses written by our qualified subject matter experts. These include:

• Introduction to Mental Illness
• Trauma Informed Care
• Suicide Prevention
• Personality Disorder
• Schizophrenia (Parts 1 & 2)
• Stopping the Cycle of Shame

These courses can be completed individually or as part of the full Mental Health & Positive Outcomes Pathway.

Are you an organisation? We have a very cost-effective solution for you. Our mental health content is included in our broader NGO Lite Plus and Pro Plus training packages, supporting a holistic approach to care and wellbeing.

You can contact our friendly and supportive team for more information, or have a yarn with our chatbot, Ally, using the button at the bottom right of your screen.

💚 Together for Mental Health

On this World Mental Health Day, let’s reconnect with our communities, strengthen our compassion, and continue building workplaces where mental health is recognised, valued, protected, and supported.

🌿 Join us in supporting mental health for all.

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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. 

We had an absolutely brilliant week at the Ageing Australia National Conference 2025 and we are grateful for the opportunity to speak to so many incredible people.

An enormous thank you to EVERYONE we met during the Conference.

Special mentions go to Dianne from Moonta Health and Aged Care Service in South Australia, Angela from Churches of Christ in Queensland, and Josh from Shepparton Retirement Village, who won our daily prize draws after popping in to our booth to chat to our team! It was lovely to meet you all, and everyone else who called past to say hello! THANK YOU!

If you’d like to find out more about the new Aged Care courses and training packages we had on show at the Conference, please get in touch with our friendly team to book a demonstration using the form below!

We’re absolutely thrilled, proud, and grateful to announce that the NGO Training Centre has won the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards for September 2025 in the Education & Training category!

Our General Manager, Marc (pictured, left) and Head of Business Sales, Jackie, were delighted to represent us at the awards evening this week, with Marc accepting the award from Cr Joe Wilkinson (pictured, right) on behalf of our entire team. This win is a testament to the passion, dedication, and innovation that drives our mission to provide the best quality training to the Australian disability and aged care sectors – and to the loyalty of all our incredible customers, for which we are sincerely grateful.

This monthly win also means we’re now in the running for the Annual Gold Coast Business Awards later this year – and we couldn’t be more excited!

We also send our congratulations to all the other winners and nominees – the quality of businesses across the Gold Coast is truly inspiring. We’re proud to be part of such a vibrant, thriving business community.

THANK YOU!

We are proud to announce that NGO Training Centre is an Ageing Australia Associate, and will be exhibiting our new Aged Care training resources at the upcoming Ageing Australia national conference this 30th September – 2nd October!

Ageing Australia is the national peak body for aged care, representing providers of retirement living, seniors housing, residential care, home care and community services. Ageing Australia advocate for their members, providing expert advice, resources and tailored services to ensure they deliver exceptional care to older Australians.

Find out more about Ageing Australia and the upcoming national conference: https://conference.ageingaustralia.asn.au/

Or get in touch with our friendly team using the form below to find out more about our new Aged Care training courses and packages!

Today, September 23rd, we honour International Day of Sign Languages and the vibrant deaf communities worldwide!

The International Day of Sign Languages in 2025 theme is “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights”. This theme highlights that human rights are not fully realised for deaf people without their fundamental right to use sign language. The day aims to promote the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of deaf communities and to encourage global efforts to ensure that deaf people can “sign anywhere”. 🌍

Did you know?

Did you know there’s a new Deaf Flag? It’s a meaningful symbol for deaf communities, embodying unity, recognition, and the ongoing effort for equal rights.

In 2023, the XX General Assembly of WFD officially embraced the Deaf Flag. Let’s spread awareness by proudly flying this flag, sharing the hope for a world where deaf people can sign freely wherever they are! (https://wfdeaf.org/deaf-flag/)

The Deaf Flag was designed by Arnaud Balard, a French deafblind artist.

What’s in the flag?

• Turquoise: the colour turquoise is recognised as the colour associated with the deaf community.
• Dark Blue: the colour dark blue is reminiscent of the UN’s colour palette and represents Deafhood and Humanity.
• Yellow: the colour yellow represents the influence and promotion of signing, giving us Enlightenment and Hope.
• Hand: the direction of the hand depicted on the flag captures the fluidity and grace of sign language.

Recognise and celebrate

Over 30,000 Australians with total hearing loss and 1 in 6 with partial deafness use sign languages like Auslan. This day celebrates their rich linguistic and cultural diversity, alongside 70 million deaf people globally using over 300 unique sign languages!

Join us in recognising the strength of deaf communities and promoting sign languages everywhere.

We offer some excellent courses aimed at Disability Support Professionals, including ‘Communication‘ and ‘Supporting Children and Young People to Communicate‘ . These courses are designed to increase awareness and provide valuable support for people with communication challenges.

🔗 Further reading:

• Deaf Connect
• Australian Aboriginal sign languages
• Deaf Australia

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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.