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2016-2017-2018
THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Aged Care Amendment (Staffing Ratio Disclosure) Bill 2018
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
and
STATEMENT OF COMPATIBILITY WITH HUMAN RIGHTS
Circulated by authority of
the Member for Mayo, Ms Rebekha Sharkie MP
Aged Care Amendment (Staffing Ratio Disclosure) Bill 2018
OUTLINE
The Bill seeks to effect the quarterly publication of ratios of aged care recipients to staff
members for each residential care service operated by approved providers, with the aim of
creating greater public transparency in the provision of residential care services and
informing members of the public in any choice they may make regarding residential care
services.
The Bill achieves this outcome by requiring residential care service providers to notify the
Secretary of the ratios under separate categories of staff member, and that non-full-time
staff members be counted as an appropriate fraction of a full-time equivalent. The
Secretary is required to make this information publicly available.
The provider has the option of providing an accompanying explanation of no more than
250 words which must also be published by the Secretary if it is provided.
The residential care service provider must further notify the Secretary within 28 days if,
between quarterly notifications, any ratio of aged care recipients to staff member (by
category) changes by more than 10%.
Personal information, other than the name of the approved provider of the service and the
names of directors, or members of the committee of management, of the approved
provider, must not be disclosed.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The bill will have no financial impact.
NOTES ON CLAUSES
Clause 1: Short Title
Clause 1 provides for the Bill, once enacted, to be cited as the Aged Care Amendment (Staffing
Ratio Disclosure) Act 2018.
Clause 2: Commencement
Clause 2 provides for the Bill to commence from the day the Act receives the Royal Assent.
Clause 3: Schedules
Clause 3 provides that legislation specified in a Schedule is amended or repealed as set out in that
Schedule.
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Schedule 1 - Amendments
Item 1
Item 1 inserts a new Section 9-3C Obligation to notify Secretary of staff to care recipient
ratios.
Subsection 9-3C(1) requires an approved aged care provider to notify the Secretary of
the ratio of care recipients to staff members, in regard to each residential care service they
operate.
Subsection 9-3C(2) requires that this ratio be broken down into ratios for each category of
staff member as described in subsection 9-3C(5).
Subsection 9-3C(3) requires that non-full-time staff members be counted as an
appropriate fraction of a full-time equivalent.
Subsection 9-3C(4) specifies that the days each year for notification are 1 January, 1
April, 1 July and 1 October unless otherwise specified in regulations.
Subsection 9-3C(5) specifies the categories of staff members for which separate ratio of
care recipients to staff members must be provided, namely:
registered nurses level 1 through 5 (respectively);
enrolled nurses;
nurses with a certificate IV or an equivalent qualification;
personal care attendants;
allied health staff; and
other staff members.
Subsection 9-3C(6) requires that a notification under subsection 9-3C(1) be made as
soon as practicable after the day to which the notification relates.
Subsection 9-3C(7) requires the notification to be in a form approved by the Secretary.
Subsection 9-3C(8) allows the notification to include an explanation by the approved
provider in relation to any ratio notified. That explanation must not exceed 250 words.
Subsection 9-3C(9) requires that if there is a change of more than 10% in a notified ratio,
the approved provider must provide notification of that change to the Secretary within 28
days.
Subsection 9-3C(10) clarifies that staff member has the same meaning as in section 63-
1AA.
Item 2
Item 2 inserts a new subsection 86-9(1A) which requires the Secretary to make publicly
available the information about staff to care recipient ratios that they have been notified
about under section 9-3C.
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Item 3
Item 3 amends subsection 86-9(2) such that information disclosed under new subsection
86-9(1A) must not include personal information about a person, except the name of the
approved provider of the service and the names of directors, or members of the committee
of management, of the approved provider (as per subsection 86-9(1)(g)).
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STATEMENT OF COMPATIBILITY WITH HUMAN RIGHTS
Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011
Aged Care Amendment (Staffing Ratio Disclosure) Bill 2018
This bill is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the
international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny)
Act 2011.
Overview of the bill
The Bill seeks to effect the quarterly publication of ratios of aged care recipients to staff
members for each residential care service operated by approved providers, with the aim of
creating greater public transparency in the provision of residential care services and
informing members of the public in any choice they may make regarding residential care
services.
The Bill achieves this outcome by requiring residential care service providers to notify the
Secretary of the ratios under separate categories of staff member, and that non-full-time
staff members be counted as an appropriate fraction of a full-time equivalent. The
Secretary is required to make this information publicly available.
The provider has the option of providing an accompanying explanation of no more than
250 words which must also be published by the Secretary if it is provided.
The residential care service provider must further notify the Secretary within 28 days if,
between quarterly notifications, any ratio of aged care recipients to staff member (by
category) changes by more than 10%.
Personal information, other than the name of the approved provider of the service and the
names of directors, or members of the committee of management, of the approved
provider, must not be disclosed.
Human rights implications
This bill does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms.
Conclusion
This bill is compatible with human rights as it does not raise any human rights issues.
Ms Rebekha Sharkie MP
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