Category: News

In November 2025, the federal government introduced ‘once-in-a-generation’ reforms: a new Aged Care Act and Support at Home program to prioritise the rights of ageing Australians.

Five months later, the system is not doing as well as initially imagined, with wait times doubled, costs surging, and over 100,000 older Australians remaining in limbo, whilst politicians from both sides call for urgent action and fixes.

This isn’t just a policy failure; it’s the harsh reality for grandparents, widows, and rural farmers who want to age with dignity at home. Instead, they must choose between a hot meal and a shower. Worse, they’re left languishing on waiting lists while their health deteriorates.

The median wait time for a home-care package has risen to 245 days, over double the 118 days a year earlier. Assessment waits are now 27 days. Despite promises of 83,000 new packages for 2025-26, the waiting list stays above 100,000, with estimates indicating a backlog of nearly 200,000 people.

Residential aged care isn’t an escape valve, with occupancy near 90% nationally and slow bed growth, just a few hundred last year, while we need 10,000 annually for the next twenty years. Demand surges as baby boomers retire, yet supply has barely increased.

The workforce crisis is another area of great concern. There are many struggles to staff due to low wages, long shifts, lack of quality training and opportunities to complete their training, burnout, hindering the delivery of mandated care minutes, and really just making them feel pointless without enough workers.

These new costs have surprised many with higher bills due to means-tested fees and rising living expenses. Service prices doubling force families to ration care or use funeral savings.

I’m not saying the reforms were pointless. The old Home Care Packages system was bureaucratic and inflexible. A rights-based approach focusing on individuals, not providers, was well overdue, especially after the Royal Commission revealed many incidences of neglect. But good intentions without proper funding and implementation are just costly window dressing.

What we see in March 2026 is reform theatre: big promises, complex rules, but not enough money or beds. The ABC’s investigation crowdsources stories from staff and families, asking whether the promised aged care reform is happening. Early answers are damning.

The human toll is devastating. Ageing Australians who fought for our country, raised families, and paid taxes now sit in hospital beds because there’s nowhere safe to go home to, or they lie in their lounge rooms in pain because the promised support hours are not affordable. Providers are warning of closures, and the Productivity Commission’s own data shows the system is regressing in access.

We urge the government to focus on providing further funding and support to providers, so they can focus on what’s most important: the care of ageing Australians.

So, what does this look like?

• Increase support at home packages beyond 83,000, including thousands more.
• Fast-track incentives to train and retain aged care workers with wage rises.
• Develop a national plan to build 10,000+ new residential beds annually, supported by low-interest loans and grants, and
• Review pricing under the new Act to ensure dignity and nourishment without forcing choices.

Ageing people, their families, supporters and providers didn’t demand a perfect system overnight, just one that works. Five months in, many still wait not for luxury, but for basic, compassionate care. If our ageing population deserve respect and security, excuses are over. Urgent investment is now.

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

Cathy brings over three decades of expertise in nursing education, with a distinguished career as a registered nurse, educator, and now aged care consultant. Her extensive experience covers clinical practice, training, and consultancy, where she has dedicated herself to improving care standards and supporting both older adults 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 promote positive outcomes in aged care.

The wheels have finally started moving… and as of the 1^st April 2026, the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2026 has officially passed both houses!

In simple terms this means: More scrutiny. More control. Less room for error.

What’s changing (and quickly)?

• There will be stronger powers for the NDIS Commission
• Fully electronic claiming will be happening (greater visibility)
• Plan funding can now increase or decrease, and
• There are more safeguards for participants.

What does this mean for providers?

This now isn’t just about compliance; it’s proof of practice. Organisational policies alone won’t set you up for success and documentation must be clear and consistent across the board. This means investing in high quality, accessible and robust training for your staff.

Staff capability will be under the spotlight!

In the NDIS world, this is where many providers will be exposed and where training becomes absolutely critical. Quality training is no longer another tokenistic tick box exercise, it will be your first line of defence.

So, to help your organisation stay afloat in the slowly deflating lifeboat of NDIS providers, you must ensure:

• YOUR staff understand how to apply standards and training in real scenarios
• High-risk areas (such as medication management, positive behaviour support, and safe practices) are embedded in practice, and
• Training is current, relevant, and demonstrable!!

Now with tighter funding and increased oversight, the risk isn’t just getting it wrong; it’s actually not being able to prove you got it right.

How the NGO Training Centre can support you

At NGO Training Centre, we ensure:

• Compliance-aligned training that meets the NDIS Practice Standards
• Training that is updated in line with current legislation and best practice
• Real-world application and examples in a fraction of the time (not theory-heavy content), and
• Supporting providers to demonstrate competency and not just completion.

In this human-rights based environment the providers who will thrive in this next phase of the NDIS are those who invest in their people, and ultimately the people they support, and rightly so!

Because in this environment, training isn’t just optional, it is operational and essential. Get in touch today to talk to our friendly and supportive team!

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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. 

This year’s theme, Together Against Loneliness, is a powerful reminder that inclusion doesn’t happen by chance… it happens through knowledge, understanding, and action.

For people with Down syndrome, loneliness is still a real and ongoing experience that is often linked to gaps in awareness, confidence, and support.

That’s where education matters.

At the NGO Training Centre, we know that quality training shapes quality support.

When staff are properly trained, they communicate better, build stronger relationships, and create environments where people feel genuinely included and not just present.

Training isn’t a checkbox.

It’s the difference between someone feeling isolated… and someone feeling like they belong.

Today, we challenge the sector to keep learning, keep improving, and keep putting people first.

Because connection starts with understanding.

People who discriminate are more likely to be those who do not hold an understanding. So to start you off, please watch this video about Down syndrome to help give you a deeper understanding:

Video link: https://www.canva.com/design/DAG-3MfeyHY/_nsu74M_uVzp7nTwJiVAdg/view?utm_content=DAG-3MfeyHY&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=viewer

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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. 

Thinking about a career in aged care? Here are options to get you started.

The NGO Training Centre is a great starting point if you are looking to understand the key requirements and responsibilities of an aged care worker, or to maintain your skills and knowledge once you are qualified and in the workforce.

Our training is all written by subject-matter experts and field auditors, and the courses will help keep your skills and knowledge fresh and up to date with changes in legislation, particularly during these reforms.

It can fill gaps and introduce you to concepts to help close them and get you up to speed with the sector, which can be great if you are still unsure about committing to a certification that will take you anywhere from 6 to 12 months.

Check out our popular career starter pathways below and begin your learning journey today!

To become an Aged Care Worker, however, you will very likely (at a minimum) need to complete a qualification in individual support if you don’t already have a nursing background or Australian qualifications in the field. Aged care providers, particularly residential facilities, will request this as a minimum qualification. Some may allow you to commence employment whilst studying, usually at their own risk.

You can complete the Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33015) at a TAFE or a quality Registered Training Organisation (RTO). BUT… make sure you do your research, as not all training providers are created equal.

‘Buyer beware’ and those training providers or RTOs that seem to be too good to be true, or don’t offer support, resources or placement opportunities probably are. You can check that they are accredited and deliver nationally recognised training via the training.gov.au website. Make sure you research their validity, including checking their trainers on LinkedIn or Google. A key indicator of quality is that they sport the Nationally Recognised Training Logo and a 5-digit provider code. Another good indicator is that they provide mandated work placement support. A sign of a good RTO is that they arrange your placement for you, rather than leaving you to find your own. This process itself is very stressful for a learner and can be overwhelming when navigating an unfamiliar system.

Sadly, there have been some dishonest online training organisations that claim their modules/units can be used as Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) towards a Certificate III in Individual Support; again, approach these with great caution. You need more than microlearning credentials to become a fully qualified aged care worker.

Alternatively, if you are after more specialised training, you can complete a Certificate IV in Ageing Support (CHC40315). This will give you a good overview of aged care, the safety, legal and ethical protocols you need to know when working with the ageing individuals, as well as some leadership skills.

Above this qualification, ensure that you also have up-to-date immunisations as required, and complete certifications and checks, such as a First Aid Certificate and a National Police Check. Some organisations may fund or reimburse you for completing these, so you can always check with them before applying for a position.

With more and more regulatory requirements and a much lower risk appetite from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, ongoing education has never been more important to people wanting to enter the industry.

So, please do your research and become familiar with the requirements for the field you wish to specialise in before diving in headfirst.

The sector needs you. Start today.

Marguerite Hoiby is a highly experienced Registered Nurse, auditor, and consultant with extensive expertise across the health, disability, and human services sectors. She brings decades of practical and governance experience in quality, compliance, and clinical practice.

Marguerite has played a key role in developing several Aged Care and Disability courses for the NGO Training Centre, drawing on her deep knowledge of regulatory frameworks, service standards, and workforce capability requirements.

She is an experienced auditor, assessor, and technical reviewer across multiple national frameworks, including the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards, the NDIS Practice Standards (across all modules as a Lead Auditor and Technical Reviewer), Disability Employment Services, Human Services, and Quality Management Systems ISO 9001.

Marguerite’s clinical background spans general, paediatric, and operating theatre nursing, complemented by specialised expertise in spinal injuries and rehabilitation. She also holds postgraduate qualifications in business and educational administration, enabling her to bridge clinical practice with organisational governance, workforce development, and quality improvement.

Her incredible work continues to support providers across aged care, disability, and health services in strengthening quality systems, meeting regulatory standards, and delivering safe, person-centred care.

We are privileged to have Marguerite on board as our Subject Matter Expert, and we are sure you will find her course content invaluable to your organisation for both quality and compliance.

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

On International Women’s Day 2026, we celebrate progress.

We must also confront an uncomfortable truth: not all women experience equality in the same way.

For women with disability and women in aged care, gender inequality is compounded by ableism, ageism and systemic barriers that continue to limit autonomy, safety and voice.

In Australia, the late Stella Young powerfully challenged society’s views on disability. She rejected narratives that reduced people to objects of inspiration and instead demanded recognition of rights, leadership and agency.

Her advocacy remains deeply relevant today, particularly for women with disability whose voices are too often spoken about rather than listened to.

Women with disability are disproportionately impacted by violence, underemployment and exclusion from decision-making. Older women, particularly those in residential aged care, can experience invisibility at a time when dignity, consent and autonomy matter most.

Gender does not disappear with age. Nor does the right to self-determination.

At the NGO Training Centre, we believe that quality workforce education is one of the most practical levers for change.

If staff understand consent in the context of cognitive decline, they better protect autonomy.

If leaders understand gendered violence risk factors, they respond earlier and more effectively.

If organisations embed person-centred care and trauma-informed practice, women are safer.

Training alone does not solve inequality. But capability shapes culture. And culture shapes outcomes.

International Women’s Day must be more than a symbolic gesture or another tokenistic post. It must challenge the disability and aged care sectors to examine whether our systems truly uphold the rights of women, or whether convenience, compliance and outdated assumptions still influence practice.

The standard we set in disability and aged care environments reflects what we believe about women’s worth.

On 8 March 2026, our position is clear:

Not merely an aspiration, but the standard practice. And that is work we remain committed to every day.

How are you supporting your organisation to rise above discrimination and balance the scales?

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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. 

Right now, in one of the most volatile climates the NDIS has ever seen, we’re watching something alarming.

Plans are being cut.

Costs are rising.

Participants are being removed from the scheme.

Funding is tightening.

Last week, a carer contacted me after the NDIS declined funding for an air-conditioner filter for her partner’s approved medical cooling unit. The case is now at the tribunal, costing the government thousands in lawyers and causing years of unnecessary stress.

How much is the filter? Around $250.

The risk to the participant?

Priceless.

And yet somehow, training providers are popping up overnight like it’s a gold rush. Outsourced from offshore individuals claiming to be organisations using AI as a weapon, not a tool, just to make money. It’s not Eureka; it’s downright dangerous.

That should concern every credible disability and aged care provider in this country because, whilst revenue is shrinking, risk is rising.

Providers are now supporting more complex participants with fewer resources. Margins are thinner. Scrutiny is higher. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards and Aged Care Commission are watching closely. Families are watching even closer.

And yet some organisations are still choosing the cheapest training option they can find.

Let’s be blunt: not all training is created equal.

If the training you purchase is not aligned to the NDIS Practice Standards, if it is not compliant, if it is not created by genuine subject matter experts who understand restrictive practices, high-risk behaviours, mental health complexities and duty of care, then you are not building capability.

You are building liability.

As a disability advocate, I’ve seen providers send undertrained staff into high-risk environments with nothing more than a rushed induction and a PDF.

I’ve seen ‘training’ delivered by friends, people with no formal expertise, or by people with no training at all. I’ve seen staff taught incorrect practices that escalate behaviours rather than support regulation and safety.

And I have seen the consequences.

When staff are inadequately trained, participants are placed at risk. Families lose trust. Organisations unravel, and sometimes, the cost is devastatingly permanent.

This is not just about compliance paperwork. It’s about safeguarding human lives.

So, here’s the decision every provider must make:

Do you choose the cheapest training because budgets are tight?

Or, do you choose a training provider with a proven track record in the sector, highly qualified subject matter experts who audit NDIS and Aged Care organisations in Australia, real instructional designers, a deep knowledge of the Commission’s requirements, and a history of standing behind their work?

In today’s climate, you do not want to be the next provider facing sanctions, investigations, or worse, the subject of a national exposé. If you own or lead an organisation, invest in training the same way you would invest in your governance, insurance, and safeguarding systems.

Smart providers know that training is not a cost centre.

It is risk management.

It is an ethical responsibility.

And in the NDIS environment of 2026;

It is survival.

Choose accordingly.

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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. 

International Wheelchair Day is a global day to celebrate the positive impact wheelchairs have on the lives of millions of people worldwide and to recognise the importance of accessibility, inclusion, and choice.

At NGO Training Centre, we acknowledge that use of a wheelchair is not a limitation, it is a tool of independence, mobility, participation and identity.

Today is an opportunity to:

• Celebrate the achievements and contributions of people who use wheelchairs
• Promote inclusive communities and accessible environments
• Challenge stigma and outdated assumptions, and
• Reflect on how we can strengthen inclusive practice across aged care, disability and community services.

For organisations working within the NDIS and aged care sectors, International Wheelchair Day is also a reminder of our responsibility to:

• Support individual’s choice and control
• Ensure environments are physically accessible
• Promote dignity, respect and rights, and
• Listen to lived experience.

REAL inclusion goes beyond ramps and doorways.

It’s about attitudes, language, service design and meaningful engagement.

As the best training provider in Australia, we support disability and aged care professionals across Australia and remain committed to building workforce capability that centres on lived experience, human rights, and practical inclusion.

Because accessibility is not a feature, it’s a right.

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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. 

NDIS registration audits are no longer a one-off expense you can budget around once and forget. In 2026, they are a recurring, significant, and often underestimated operational cost. How well-prepared your organisation is at audit time can mean the difference between a smooth sign-off and a costly follow-up.

Here’s what the numbers look like for most providers right now.

For higher-risk providers seeking certification, initial audit costs often start at $3,000 and can exceed $10,000, particularly where multiple sites, complex supports, or travel are involved. Then there’s the mid-term surveillance audit around the eighteen-month mark, typically costing between $1,500 and $5,000. Add in the renewal audit at the end of the registration period (budgeted at roughly the same cost as your initial audit), and it’s not uncommon for a provider to spend $15,000 to $25,000 or more across a single registration cycle. This is before accounting for any conditional or out-of-cycle audits triggered by scope expansion or identified non-conformities.

Experienced providers now treat audits as a recurring line item, not a surprise. The smartest ones go a step further: they treat training as the investment that makes every audit dollar count.

What Auditors Are Actually Looking For

NDIS auditors are assessing whether your workers have the knowledge and skills to deliver safe, high-quality, person-centred supports in line with the NDIS Practice Standards. They want to see evidence, not just intention. That means documented, completed training that is current, compliant, and traceable.

When your team can’t clearly demonstrate the evidence, non-conformities are identified. Non-conformities mean follow-up audits. Follow-up audits mean more cost.

When your team walks into an audit backed by comprehensive, standards-aligned training and clean LMS reporting, the process is faster, smoother, and less likely to generate costly remediation.

The ROI Case for Quality Online Training

Consider a mid-sized provider with 30 support workers. At NGO Training Centre, a full-suite training package can cost as little as $88 per user per year. That investment gives every worker access to over 100 NDIS-compliant courses covering everything from NDIS foundations and induction training through to complex care, medication management, and specialised skills.

Now compare that to the cost of a single follow-up audit triggered by gaps in staff training documentation: a minimum of $1,500 to $5,000. Or the reputational and operational impact of a conditional audit following an incident linked to inadequate worker knowledge.

The training pays for itself many times over. Not just in audit outcomes, but in the quality of care your workers deliver every day.

One of our clients, Care Provisions Australia, put it plainly in their review:

“The NGO training modules have significantly contributed to enhancing our integrity, credibility, and quality… I can confidently state that it has proven to be one of the best business decisions we have made.”

Another client, Sindy from Enabled Care, noted that the

“breadth and quality of the training not only met but exceeded the expectations of our NDIS auditor.“

What Makes NGO Training Centre Different

Our platform is purpose-built for NDIS and Aged Care providers who need training that performs in the real world, not just on paper.

Every course is created by sector experts, compliant with current NDIS Practice Standards, and updated regularly to reflect changes in the regulatory landscape. Our world-class Learning Management System gives administrators instant access to completion reports, competency assessments, and user progress, which is exactly the kind of clean documentation trail your auditor wants to see.

And because your workers are often on the move, our mobile app means learning happens wherever they are. On shift, between visits, or at home, all with progress saved automatically, so nothing is lost.

Over 50,000 learners and 1,000 organisations across Australia trust NGO Training Centre to keep their teams skilled, compliant, and audit-ready.

Don’t Let the Audit Find Your Gaps Before You Do

Audit costs are going up. Regulatory expectations are rising. The providers who will navigate this environment confidently are the ones who have invested in a training solution that doesn’t just tick a box but builds genuine capability across their workforce.

If you’re spending thousands on audits and hoping for the best, it’s worth asking: Is your training investment giving you the best possible return on that spend?

Explore our training packages for NDIS and Aged Care providers — or get in touch with our team to find the right solution for your organisation.

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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.

We’re proud to introduce Julie Dundon, our Subject Matter Expert behind two of the newest additions to the NGO Training Centre Aged Care course suite.

Julie is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutrition Practitioner (NPA) and the Managing Director of Nutrition Professionals Australia. She is driven by a simple but powerful goal: helping older people eat smarter and live happier, healthier lives through food and nutrition.

With decades of experience, Julie has partnered with organisations across Australia to deliver practical, evidence-based nutrition solutions across a wide range of care settings. She is also a respected leader in the sector, having spent 10 years on the Board of Dietitians Australia, including four years as President, and serving as Subject Matter Lead – Aged Care.

Julie is currently a member of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council, contributing directly to national reform and quality improvement.

Julie has crafted two engaging and practical courses for our aged care workforce:

• The Mealtime and Dining Experience
• Nutrition as We Age

These courses translate best-practice nutrition into everyday care, supporting staff to improve wellbeing, dignity and quality of life for older people.

We’re delighted to partner with Julie and bring her expertise to aged care teams across Australia.

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