From 1 February 2023, aged care providers will need to have verified their ability to deliver services to various special needs groups, or risk having those areas removed from their outlet listing in My Aged Care.
The aim of the Specialisation Verification Framework is to ensure that older Australians with diverse backgrounds and life experiences can access more reliable information when choosing their aged care providers.
Aged care providers may choose to offer specialised services for people:
- with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and characteristics
- who may identify with one or more of the groups defined as having special needs in the Aged Care Act 1997.
To claim specialisation, providers must deliver care that:
- is sensitive to the needs of these individuals
- goes beyond the standard obligations of the Aged Care Quality Standards.
Independent verification is required before claims to provide specialised care can be published on My Aged Care.
Application process
To claim they are equipped to deliver a service in an area of specialisation, providers must meet the criteria for the relevant group(s) outlined in the Specialisation Verification Framework. These include:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities
- people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- people who are financially or socially disadvantaged
- veteranspeople who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
- care leavers
- parents separated from their children by forced adoption or removal
- lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people
- people who live in rural or remote areas.
Providers must login to their My Aged Care (MAC) account and complete an application in the outlet management tile.
Application guides
Providers can learn more about the process, follow detailed guidance for their application and determine the evidence they will need to provide via the following resources:
SoCom Consulting advises on NDIS and Aged Care Provider applications, policies and procedures, compliance and strategic business development. To discuss how we can assist you, Contact Us.
