New guidance cements rights-based complaints handling ahead of November reforms

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has released updated resources to guide providers through significant changes to complaints handling, with the new Aged Care Act to commence on 1 November 2025.

The Better Practice Guide to Complaints Handling in Aged Care Services and a new rights-based Complaints Handling Checklist shift long-standing recommendations into enforceable obligations. What providers once treated as “better practice” will soon be a matter of compliance.

A rights-based shift

Central to the reform is the Act’s new Statement of Rights, which for the first time anchors complaints handling directly in legislation. Older people will now have legally recognised rights to dignity, privacy, safe care, advocacy and the ability to raise concerns without fear of reprisal. Providers are expected to demonstrate that their systems uphold these rights, whether by enabling anonymous complaints, offering interpreters and advocacy support, or allowing residents to withdraw complaints at any stage.

Sharper expectations for providers

The Commission has also clarified expectations around process. Complaints must be acknowledged within three to five days, with resolution achieved as quickly as circumstances allow. Open disclosure is no longer optional: when something goes wrong, services must speak directly with residents and their supporters, explain what happened and outline what will change to prevent a repeat.

Just as importantly, providers will need to show how they are delivering restorative outcomes, such as offering apologies, improving communication, or making service changes that rebuild trust.

Continuous improvement and governance

Another notable change is the requirement for complaints to feed directly into continuous improvement. Data from complaints must be analysed to identify trends and risks, reported to governing bodies, and used to drive systemic improvements. Governing bodies themselves will be held accountable for not only monitoring complaints but acting on what they reveal about the quality and safety of services.

Worker responsibilities and protections

Aged care workers now have clearer responsibilities. They must understand their role in receiving, recording and escalating complaints, while providers are obliged to train them and to implement whistleblower systems that protect staff, residents and families from victimisation when they raise concerns.

Six stages, one philosophy

The Commission’s checklist distils the model into six simple stages — receive, acknowledge, record, assess, respond and report. But the message goes further: complaints must no longer be seen as administrative burdens. They are to be treated as opportunities to learn, to improve services, and to demonstrate that residents’ rights are central to aged care.

With the November deadline fast approaching, providers will need to show that this philosophy is not only written into policies but embedded in day-to-day practice.