Consumer and Quality Advisory Bodies in Aged Care

Written by Katie Buddle, Sector Support Coordinator

Sector Support & Development at Your Side and Ku-ring-gai Council hosted a webinar on the role of advisory bodies in aged care, presented by Cynthia Payne, Managing Director of Anchor Excellence.

This session provided attendees with a deeper understanding of the importance and implementation of advisory bodies within aged care governance, and the obligations of approved providers and governing bodies. It presented insights on how these advisory bodies enhance the quality and safety of aged care services.

Below is a summary of some of the key learnings from this session.

Governance and Obligations

After the Royal Commission, there has been continued focus on uplifting the governance capacity of all aged care providers.

Governance is critical in aged care providers. Governance relates to how an organisation is managed, how it complies with its responsibilities, and how it both takes on and displays accountability for consumer outcomes.

Governing bodies, as a central element in governance arrangements, are critical to aged care. Governing bodies set the direction, culture and compliance in aged care organisations, and are responsible for ensuring the quality of care and safety for consumers in line with the aged care standards.

There are legislative and compliance governance requirements for aged care providers relating to the Aged Care Quality Standards. These governance requirements have been amended to mandate that these obligations are compulsory for all approved providers.

As outlined in this webinar, a key feature of this compliance is the legislative requirement of providers to establish:

• Quality Care Advisory Bodies (QCAB): Providers must establish these bodies and ensure they meet membership criteria, provide regular reports, and offer feedback on care quality. Governing bodies are required to consider and respond to this feedback.
• Consumer Advisory Bodies (CAB): Providers must offer consumers the opportunity to establish advisory bodies annually. These bodies give consumers a formal mechanism to provide feedback and influence governance decisions.

There are key obligations for both facilitation and documentation of QCAB and CAB bodies, and they must be understood and followed by providers. Basic requirements of providers include:

• Maintaining an advisory body that regularly meets and complies with membership requirements.
• Offer engagement opportunities for consumers annually.
• Create clear processes and systems for reporting and providing feedback to the governing bodies.

For further insight and guidance on provider responsibilities relating to governance, you can read the Australian Government Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission guidelines here. There are also links provided in the session at the end of this briefing which provide more detail on the requirements of (non-exempt) aged care providers regarding advisory bodies.

The Role of Advisory Bodies

Advisory bodies are integral to ensuring the governance of aged care organisations. They ensure that the voices of consumers are heard and integrated into decisions made by governing bodies, influencing the safety and quality of care. Both CAB and QCAB advisory bodies play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between older consumers and aged care providers and bringing the priorities of consumers to the forefront.

The new and developing aged care system is guiding organisations to be genuinely consumer-centric and to uplift the needs and voices of older people over focusing on the needs of providers. Advisory bodies are designed to promote a human-rights-based approach, in line with the reform agenda and draft aged care act.

There are key steps to be taken when facilitating and maintaining effective advisory bodies that were outlined in this session, such as:

• Co-Design Approach: It is important to prioritise the involvement of consumers in the creation and implementation of advisory bodies however possible, to ensure that there is an accurate and fair representation of consumer needs and priorities.
• Membership Requirements: Governing bodies and leaders in aged care organisations must ensure that advisory bodies are made up of individuals who have the necessary experience, skills, and autonomy required to contribute to the governance process effectively.
• Planning and Objectives: Clear objectives must be set for advisory bodies, such as the communication of regular feedback to governing bodies and participating in continuous improvement efforts.

The importance of robust reporting and feedback was also stressed during the webinar. Advisory bodies must regularly produce reports on the quality of aged care, which should include:

• Staff and Consumer Feedback: Incorporating input from both care recipients (and their families and carers) and staff regarding the quality of care received.
• Continuous Improvement: Reports should highlight any progress in continuous improvement plans and identify key areas for further improvement.
• Complaints and Regulatory Responses: It is imperative that complaints, and any regulatory or disciplinary actions taken, are reported accurately and in full and document the provider’s responses.

Conclusion

Advisory bodies are a key mechanism for improved stakeholder engagement. Advisory bodies create a platform for aged care consumers, families, and all stakeholders involved in consumer care to share their voices and perspectives and help contribute to the ongoing enhancement and development of care services. As a result, providers not only ensure compliance with aged care legislation but remain attuned to the needs and expectations of their consumers.

When establishing advisory bodies, providers should aim to foster a genuinely consumer-centric approach to aged care governance. Effective advisory bodies improve the quality and safety of provider services and centralize the voices of consumers as part of decision-making processes.

Thank you to Cynthia at Anchor Excellence, Ku-ring-gai Council, and all who attended this session.

Links and Resources

• Aged Care Act
• Corporations Act
• Provider responsibilities relating to governance
• Clinical governance and the Aged Care Quality Standards Factsheet
• Consumer advisory body meeting discussion guide
• Care that is right for me
• Being part of a consumer advisory body
• Commission produced webinar link about the changes for Governance
• Reporting obligations – Financial
• Aged-care-reforms-and-reviews/financial-and-prudential-monitoring-compliance-and-intervention-Frame-work
• Government-provider-management-system-resources