What do the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards require for workforce training?
The strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, in force since November 1, 2025 under the Aged Care Act 2024, require registered providers to deliver care through skilled, competent and qualified workers and to give them training and supervision. Outcome 2.9 expects a training system, regular competency-based training on core matters such as dementia care, medical emergencies and the Code of Conduct, and regular review of both worker performance and the training system.
By the Knowledge Foundry editorial team. How we write and check these pages
- Published
- Updated
- Reading time
- 9 min
- Jurisdiction
- Australia (Commonwealth)
- Regulator
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Key takeaways
- The strengthened Standards commenced on November 1, 2025 with the Aged Care Act 2024. Their outcome statements are law, set out in Part 6 of the Aged Care Rules 2025.
- Outcome 2.9 (Human resource management) is the core workforce training requirement. It applies to registered providers in registration categories 4, 5 and 6.
- Action 2.9.6 lists the minimum core matters for regular competency-based training, including dementia care, responding to medical emergencies, and the Code of Conduct, SIRS and Quality Standards.
- Separate conditions of registration in the Rules require training on the incident management, complaints and whistleblower systems at least annually and when a worker starts.
- Auditors grade conformance at the outcome level, so providers need evidence that workers are competent, not just a record that they attended training.
What changed on November 1, 2025?
On November 1, 2025 the Aged Care Act 2024 commenced and the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards replaced the previous eight Standards. The Department of Health, Disability and Aging confirms the new Act started on November 1, 2025, after the Government deferred commencement from July 1, 2025 to give providers more time to prepare.
The Department describes the strengthened Standards as streamlined from 8 to 7 Standards, with 33 outcomes and 154 supporting actions. Each outcome statement is enforceable in legislation; the actions describe how a provider can meet the outcome. The outcome statements sit in Part 6 of the Aged Care Rules 2025, made under the Aged Care Act 2024.
This page states the position as at September 2026, based on the Aged Care Rules 2025 compilation in force from August 1, 2026 and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission) guidance for Outcome 2.9, last updated October 17, 2025.
Who do the training requirements apply to?
The workforce training outcome applies to registered providers in registration categories 4, 5 and 6. Under section 15-5 of the Aged Care Rules 2025, Standards 1 to 4 apply to providers registered in personal and care support in the home or community, nursing and transition care, and residential care. Standard 5 (Clinical care) applies to nursing and transition care and residential care, and Standards 6 and 7 apply only to residential care.
The Commission notes that the strengthened Standards and their audit process do not apply to providers registered only in categories 1, 2 and 3. Those providers still carry other obligations under the Act, including the Aged Care Code of Conduct and, for most categories, the incident management training requirements described below.
What does Outcome 2.9 require?
Outcome 2.9 (Human resource management) requires providers to use skilled, competent and qualified workers and to train and supervise them. Section 15-15(16) of the Aged Care Rules 2025 states:
"The provider must provide aged care workers with training and supervision to enable them to effectively perform their roles."
The preceding subsection requires that services are delivered by workers who are skilled and competent in their roles, hold relevant qualifications for their roles, and have relevant expertise and experience. The Commission's Outcome 2.9 guidance sets out seven actions that show how a provider can meet the outcome.
| Action | What it expects |
|---|---|
| 2.9.1 | Records of worker pre-employment checks, contact details, qualifications and experience. |
| 2.9.2 | The number and mix of workers needed to deliver safe and quality services. |
| 2.9.3 | Access to supervision, escalation, support and resources, accessible for workers with English as a second language and culturally sensitive. |
| 2.9.4 | A training system that builds the skills, qualifications and competencies needed for each role, draws on the experience of older people, and responds to feedback, complaints, incidents, risks and performance reviews. |
| 2.9.5 | Regular review and improvement of the effectiveness of the training system. |
| 2.9.6 | Regular competency-based training for all workers on the core matters. |
| 2.9.7 | Regular assessment, monitoring and review of worker performance. |
Which training topics are mandatory?
Action 2.9.6 sets the minimum core matters for regular competency-based training for all aged care workers. The Standards do not prescribe hours, formats or refresh intervals for these topics; the provider decides those through its training system.
- The delivery of person-centered, rights-based care.
- Culturally safe, trauma aware and healing informed care.
- Caring for individuals living with dementia.
- Responding to medical emergencies.
- The requirements of the Code of Conduct, the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS), the Quality Standards and other requirements relevant to the worker's role.
The Commission's key tasks add examples that providers may need depending on role, such as palliative and end-of-life care, infection prevention and control (including training for Infection Prevention and Control Leads), and specific training for people with a formal emergency role such as fire wardens and first aiders.
What other training does the Aged Care Rules 2025 require?
Beyond the Standards, three conditions of registration in the Rules require training on specific systems at set times. Each requires training at least annually, when a person becomes an aged care worker or responsible person, and when a change to the system affects their role.
| System | Rules section | Training must cover |
|---|---|---|
| Incident management | 164-35 | How to recognize, respond to and report incidents, and the person's roles and responsibilities in the system. |
| Complaints and feedback | 165-20 | Handling personal information, recognizing and responding to complaints, communicating with complainants, escalation, roles, and the role of independent aged care advocates. |
| Whistleblower | 165-50 | Handling personal information, recognizing and responding to protected disclosures, escalation, roles, and the penalties for breaching discloser confidentiality. |
The incident management condition applies more widely than the Standards: section 164-1 prescribes providers in categories 1 and 3 to 6 (every category except assistive technology and home modifications) and the subscription trial. The Rules also require, under section 152-35, that aged care workers have appropriate qualifications, skills or experience for the services the provider delivers.
How does the Code of Conduct affect training?
The Aged Care Code of Conduct binds registered providers, their aged care workers and their responsible persons, so every worker needs to understand it. Section 14-5 of the Rules lists eight requirements, including to deliver funded aged care services "in a safe and competent manner, with care and skill" and to promptly raise and act on concerns about quality and safety.
The Code is enforceable directly against individuals. The notes to section 14-10 point to civil penalties for aged care workers (section 173 of the Act) and responsible persons (section 174), and to banning orders. The Commission publishes Code of Conduct guidance for workers that providers can use as source material.
How can providers map the requirements to learning outcomes and evidence?
Map each requirement to an observable learning outcome and the evidence an auditor would accept. The Commission grades conformance at the outcome level, so evidence should show that workers are competent in practice, not only that they finished a module. The table below is illustrative and would need tailoring to each provider's services and roles.
| Requirement | Example learning outcome | Assessment evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 2.9.6 Dementia care | Uses person-centered strategies to respond to changed behaviors in a person living with dementia. | Scenario assessment plus supervisor observation on shift, recorded against the worker. |
| 2.9.6 Medical emergencies | Recognizes deterioration, starts the emergency response and escalates per local procedure. | Practical simulation with checklist; current first aid or CPR qualification where the role needs it. |
| 2.9.6 Code of Conduct and SIRS | Identifies a reportable incident and describes the steps and timeframes to report it. | Case-based quiz with a pass mark and a record of the version of the Code and SIRS content used. |
| Rules 164-35 Incident management | Explains the worker's role in the provider's incident management system. | Completion at induction and annually, with a signed acknowledgement of the current system documents. |
| 2.9.4 and 2.9.5 Training system | Governing body can show the training system responds to incidents and complaints. | Training needs analysis, matrix by role, and minutes showing training changes made after incident or complaint trends. |
| 2.9.7 Performance | Worker's competence is reviewed against role expectations. | Scheduled performance reviews that reference competency results and improvement plans. |
The Commission's guidance suggests a training matrix listing every role type (for example care worker, chef, cleaner, administration) and the training each needs. For a step by step method, see how to build a training matrix.
What training records should providers keep?
Providers should keep training and competency records for all workers, including contractors, stored in line with their information management system under Outcome 2.7. The Commission's guidance says these records should show completed training and the competency each worker needs to perform their role, and suggests tracking licenses and registrations with expiry alerts.
- A role based training matrix covering employees and contractors.
- A training needs analysis linked to incidents, complaints, risks and performance reviews.
- Completion records and competency assessment results for each core matter in action 2.9.6.
- Dated evidence of incident management, complaints and whistleblower training at induction and at least annually.
- Records of pre-employment checks, qualifications and screening under action 2.9.1.
- Evidence that the training system itself is reviewed and improved under action 2.9.5.
For preparing these records for a Commission audit, see how to prepare training records for an audit. Health services face parallel expectations under the NSQHS Standards, and disability providers under the NDIS Practice Standards.
How does Knowledge Foundry approach this?
Knowledge Foundry models each Standards outcome, action and Rules condition as a node in a knowledge framework, then links it to the learning outcomes and assessment points that evidence it. When the Rules or Commission guidance change, the affected training is identified from those links. See how this works for healthcare and aged care organizations.
Frequently asked questions
Do the strengthened Standards set a minimum number of training hours?
No. Outcome 2.9 and action 2.9.6 set the core topics and require regular competency-based training, but they do not prescribe hours or a fixed refresh cycle. The separate incident management, complaints and whistleblower conditions in the Aged Care Rules 2025 do set timing: at induction, at least annually, and when the system changes.
Are the actions under Outcome 2.9 legally binding?
The outcome statements are the enforceable part and are set out in section 15-15 of the Aged Care Rules 2025. The Department describes actions as how providers can meet the outcome. In practice, auditors use the actions as the reference point, so providers that cannot show how they meet them will struggle to demonstrate conformance.
Does training need to cover contractors and agency staff?
Yes. The Commission's guidance says the training system should be relevant and accessible to contractors as well as employees, and that training records should be kept for all workers, including contractors. It also expects competency checks, induction and monitoring for contractors in line with the provider's policies.
Do home care providers have different training expectations?
The outcome is the same, but the Commission expects home and community providers to adapt their training system to that setting. Its guidance mentions varied home layouts and hazards, managing risk in the home, training a geographically dispersed workforce, and supporting workers to apply training in unpredictable environments.
Sources
- Aged Care Rules 2025 (compilation as at 1 August 2026), Federal Register of Legislation
- Aged Care Act 2024, Federal Register of Legislation
- Outcome 2.9: Human resource management, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
- Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
- What's different in the strengthened Quality Standards, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
- New Aged Care Act, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
- New Aged Care Act to start from 1 November, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
- The Aged Care Code of Conduct, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
This page is general information, not legal or compliance advice. Check the primary sources above and obtain advice for your circumstances. See our editorial standards.