On 1 July 2025, the 7 new Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards replaced the previous 8 Aged Care Quality Standards. This is the most significant change to the quality framework in aged care since the Royal Commission, and every facility manager, Director of Nursing, and quality lead in the country needs to understand exactly what has changed, what the new standards require, and what assessors will be looking for during unannounced visits.
This guide breaks down each of the 7 standards in detail, explains the key differences from the old framework, and provides practical guidance on how to prepare your facility.
Why the Standards Changed
The old 8 standards, introduced in 2019, were designed as a post-Royal Commission improvement on the previous accreditation framework. However, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (2018–2021) found that even the updated standards were not sufficient to prevent systemic failures in care quality, governance, and accountability.
The Strengthened Quality Standards were developed as part of the new Aged Care Act, which commenced on 1 July 2025. They are designed to be more prescriptive, more outcome-focused, and harder to meet superficially. The era of ticking boxes and maintaining a paper trail is over. Assessors now look for evidence of real outcomes for residents, not just evidence of processes.
The 7 Strengthened Quality Standards at a Glance
- Standard 1: The Person
- Standard 2: The Organisation
- Standard 3: The Care and Services
- Standard 4: The Environment
- Standard 5: Clinical Care
- Standard 6: Food and Nutrition
- Standard 7: The Workforce
The most immediately obvious change is the reduction from 8 to 7 standards. But the real change is in the depth, specificity, and resident-centred focus of each standard. Let us walk through them one by one.
Standard 1: The Person
This standard places the older person at the centre of everything. It requires that each resident’s identity, culture, diversity, life history, preferences, and goals are understood, respected, and reflected in the care they receive.
What assessors look for:
- Evidence that care plans are genuinely personalised — not templated documents with a name swapped in
- Resident and family involvement in care planning decisions
- Recognition of cultural, spiritual, and linguistic needs
- Dignity of risk — residents are supported to make their own choices, even if those choices carry some risk
- Ongoing reassessment as needs change, not just at admission
Practical tip: Walk through your care plans and ask: could this plan belong to any resident, or is it genuinely specific to this individual? If the answer is the former, your plans need work.
Standard 2: The Organisation
This is the governance and leadership standard. It holds the governing body (board, directors, trustees) directly accountable for the quality and safety of care delivered. This is a significant shift — under the old framework, governance was often treated as a background administrative requirement. Under the new standards, it is front and centre.
What assessors look for:
- A governing body that is actively engaged in quality oversight, not just receiving reports
- Clear accountability structures — who is responsible for what
- An effective clinical governance framework with regular auditing
- A quality improvement program with measurable outcomes
- Risk management systems that are proactive, not reactive
- Open disclosure processes when things go wrong
- Compliance with the new Aged Care Act requirements for responsible persons
Practical tip: If your board has not received a clinical governance briefing in the last quarter, start there. Assessors will ask board members directly about their understanding of care quality in the facility.
Standard 3: The Care and Services
This standard covers the delivery of safe, effective, person-centred care and services. It encompasses everything from personal care and daily living support to social engagement, emotional wellbeing, and end-of-life care.
What assessors look for:
- Care is delivered in accordance with each resident’s assessed needs and preferences
- Support for daily living (showering, dressing, mobility, meals) is provided with dignity and respect
- Social and recreational activities are meaningful, not tokenistic
- Residents have access to allied health services as needed
- Palliative care and end-of-life planning are addressed proactively
- Restraint is used only as a last resort, with proper authorisation and documentation
Practical tip: Observe your care staff during a routine morning shift. Are residents being rushed through personal care routines, or do staff have enough time to provide unhurried, respectful assistance? If staffing levels are inadequate, this standard will be nearly impossible to meet — which is why care minutes compliance is so critical.
Standard 4: The Environment
The physical environment must be safe, comfortable, well-maintained, and fit for purpose. This standard also covers infection prevention and control, emergency preparedness, and work health and safety.
What assessors look for:
- The facility is clean, well-maintained, and free from obvious hazards
- Infection prevention and control protocols are embedded in daily practice (not just in a manual)
- Equipment is maintained, serviced, and replaced when needed
- Emergency procedures are documented, practised, and understood by all staff
- The environment supports residents with cognitive impairment (clear signage, safe outdoor areas, appropriate lighting)
Practical tip: Do a walk-through of your facility with fresh eyes. Look at call bell response times, bathroom cleanliness, corridor clutter, and the state of communal areas. If it would not pass the “would I be comfortable with my parent living here?” test, it needs attention.
Standard 5: Clinical Care
This is the standard that will challenge many facilities the most. It requires that clinical care is evidence-based, delivered by appropriately qualified staff, and subject to ongoing clinical governance and quality improvement.
What assessors look for:
- Medication management is safe, accurate, and regularly reviewed
- Wound management follows evidence-based protocols with clear documentation
- Pain management is assessed, documented, and reviewed — not just medicated
- Falls prevention strategies are in place and effective
- Continence care is personalised and dignified
- Clinical indicators (pressure injuries, falls, unplanned weight loss, use of physical restraint) are tracked, benchmarked, and acted upon
- 24/7 RN coverage is in place as required by law
- Clinical documentation is accurate, timely, and accessible
Practical tip: Review your clinical indicator data for the last 12 months. Are you tracking the right things? More importantly, are you acting on the trends you see? Assessors will ask your clinical leadership team to explain what actions they have taken in response to their data.
Standard 6: Food and Nutrition
A standalone food and nutrition standard is new. Under the old framework, food and nutrition was embedded within broader standards. Elevating it to its own standard reflects the Royal Commission’s findings about the systemic failure to provide adequate, appetising, and nutritionally appropriate meals in many facilities.
What assessors look for:
- Meals are nutritious, appetising, and appropriate for each resident’s dietary needs
- Texture-modified diets (following the IDDSI framework) are prepared correctly and presented attractively
- Residents have choice in what they eat and when they eat
- Mealtime assistance is provided to residents who need it, without being rushed
- Nutritional screening and monitoring are routine
- Food safety and HACCP compliance are maintained
Practical tip: Sit down and eat a meal from the resident menu. Is it something you would want to eat every day? If not, neither do your residents.
Standard 7: The Workforce
The workforce standard is where many facilities will face their biggest challenge. It requires that the workforce is sufficient in number, appropriately skilled, and properly supported to deliver safe, quality care.
What assessors look for:
- Staffing levels meet or exceed the mandatory care minutes targets (200 minutes per resident per day, including 40 RN minutes)
- A registered nurse is on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Staff are appropriately qualified, registered (where applicable), and have completed all mandatory training
- Background screening is current for all staff (police checks, NDIS screening where relevant, working rights)
- Staff are supported with professional development, supervision, and mentoring
- Agency staff are oriented to the facility before their first shift
- Workforce data is reported accurately and on time
This is where the relationship between staffing and quality becomes undeniable. You cannot meet Standard 1 (person-centred care) if you do not have enough staff. You cannot meet Standard 5 (clinical care) without qualified clinicians. And you cannot meet Standard 3 (care and services) if your team is burnt out and under-resourced.
Practical tip: If your facility relies on agency staff to meet care minutes targets, make sure your agency partner provides consistent, trained, and pre-screened workers — not a different stranger every shift. Assessors will ask about your agency staffing model and how you ensure quality and continuity with external workers.
How the New Standards Differ from the Old
The key differences are:
- Resident outcomes over processes: The old standards could be met by demonstrating that you had policies and procedures in place. The new standards require evidence that those policies are delivering actual outcomes for residents.
- Governing body accountability: Directors and board members can be held personally responsible for failures in care quality.
- Food as a standalone standard: No longer buried within other requirements.
- Workforce as a standalone standard: Staffing levels and workforce quality are now explicitly measured and assessed.
- Unannounced assessments: Under the new compliance framework, assessments are unannounced by default. You cannot prepare a facade for an announced visit.
Preparing Your Facility
If your facility has not yet conducted a thorough self-assessment against the 7 new standards, now is the time. Here is a practical starting checklist:
- Audit your care plans against Standard 1 — are they genuinely personalised?
- Brief your governing body on their obligations under Standard 2
- Review your staffing data against the care minutes targets (Standard 7)
- Walk through your facility and assess the environment (Standard 4)
- Check your clinical indicators and ensure you are acting on trends (Standard 5)
- Taste your food — seriously (Standard 6)
- Verify staff compliance — registrations, screening, training (Standard 7)
If you identify gaps, address them now. Do not wait for an assessor to find them for you.
Barton Care works with aged care facilities across Victoria, NSW, Tasmania, and the ACT to ensure workforce compliance under the new standards. Our facility-focused staffing model provides consistent, pre-screened, Learn2Care-certified staff who arrive ready to deliver quality care. If your facility needs support meeting the Strengthened Quality Standards, get in touch with our team.
