The Transition Guide (Transition Guide) details the Department's proposed transition process, separated into five key transition stages, for existing providers of Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) to use in their transition to the new Support at Home program. We provide an overview of the five transition stages and associated recommendations made by the Department below.
While the Transition Guide is a helpful checklist for providers in their consideration of transitioning to Support at Home, it is not comprehensive. The Department is currently finalising consultation on the Support at Home program manual (Program Manual) which will contain more detailed information about the Support at Home program. The Program Manual is expected to be available from March 2025 on the Department's website and will provide further detail about the five transition stages.
1. Understand the impact of Support at Home
Between now and 30 June 2025, providers are required to understand the details of Support at Home and the impact it will have on their organisation. Specifically, providers should familiarise themselves with:
- the new program structure, including registration categories and specific obligations and conditions associated with each category (see our update for further details, noting Release 3 and 4 of the Aged Care Rules will contain the finalised categories and associated conditions);
- workforce requirements, including understanding the role of service delivery staff and care managers, as well as options for upskilling staff to provide culturally safe, appropriate care;
- the range of services and requirements under Support at Home, including relevant financial and payment mechanisms; and
- transition arrangements for existing HCP recipients.
2. Prepare for transition
Between now and 30 June 2025, providers should consider what changes are required to transition to Support at Home for their organisation, including:
- reviewing and updating financial and reporting processes;
- updating and validating payment account details to ensure payments are received for Support at Home services that are delivered;
- preparing ICT systems to handle new data and reporting requirements;
- implementing a complaints management system;
- ensuring existing HCP recipients understand the changes to in-home aged care;
- informing STRC clients that they will transition to the Restorative Care Pathway;
- updating communication products such as websites and brochures; and
- workforce training to ensure staff are knowledgeable about the Support at Home program design.
3. Deliver services
From 1 July 2025, providers will need to deliver home care services in accordance with the Support at Home program and the Aged Care Act 2024 (Cth). This includes:
- entering into new service agreements with participants;
- ensuring existing HCP recipients are assigned a care partner and supporting recipients to request a reassessment (if required);
- determining care management responsibilities and ensuring compliance with registration conditions and mandatory obligations; and
- completing financial, quality and safety reporting.
4. Receive payments
Currently, under the HCP program, providers do not directly collect participant contributions. From 1 July 2025, providers will be responsible for the collection of participant contributions under Support at Home and will invoice Services Australia against different funding sources. As the funding model for Support at Home will be based on services delivered, providers should:
- ensure existing HCP recipients understand the new contribution arrangements and are invoiced correctly, only paying a contribution against the services received;
- manage participant funding, subsidies, services, and budgets across various Support at Home services; and
- generate a monthly statement of services used against the care plan and provide participants with an itemised participant contribution statement.
5. Facilitate change in service
From 1 July 2025, providers must facilitate a transfer if a participant chooses to seek services from another Support at Home provider. Providers must:
- submit the notification to Services Australia if ceasing delivery of funded aged care services for a participant;
- prepare a final monthly statement for the participant; and
- submit the final claim to Services Australia.
Providers will need to ensure that their aged care agreements (including for Support at Home, residential aged care, brokerage, labour hire and other associated agreements) and policies are compliant with the new Act in anticipation of its commencement on 1 July 2025. Our team has developed a variety of resources to assist providers in transitioning to the new Aged Care Act, including drafting updated agreements for providers and frameworks.
If you have any questions about your organisation's transition to the Support at Home program, or are interested in our resources, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
