Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (Other Functions) Specification 2014 (Cth)

Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (Other Functions) Specification 2014

Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Act 2013

I, MITCH FIFIELD, Assistant Minister for Social Services, make this Specification under the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Act 2013.

Dated:   22/12/   2014

MITCH FIFIELD

Assistant Minister for Social Services

1          Name of Specification

This Specification is the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (Other Functions) Specification 2014.

2          Commencement

Each provision of this Specification specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table.

Column 1	Column 2
Provision(s)	Commencement
1.  Sections 1 to 4 and anything in this Specification not elsewhere covered by this table	1 July 2014.
2.  Schedule 1, Part 1	1 July 2014.
3.  Schedule 1, Part 2	1 August 2014.

3          Authority

This Specification is made under paragraph 12(h) of the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Act 2013.

4          Definitions

In this Specification:

CEO means the Chief Executive Officer of the Quality Agency.

Department means the Commonwealth agency that has responsibility for administering the Aged Care Act 1997.

HACC means the Commonwealth Home and Community Care Program.

Home Care Standards means the Home Care Common Standards set out in the Quality of Care Principles made under section 96‑1 of the Aged Care Act 1997.

NRCP means the National Respite for Carers Program.

Quality Agency means the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency established by section 7 of the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Act 2013.

Secretary means the Secretary of the Department.

Schedule 1—Specifications

Part 1—Specifications commencing 1 July 2014

1          Specification of other functions of the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency – HACC and NRCP

For paragraph 12(h) of the Act, the CEO of the Quality Agency has the following functions:

(a)    to conduct quality review of HACC services in accordance with the Home Care Standards made under the Aged Care Act 1997;

(b)   to conduct quality review of NRCP services in accordance with the Home Care Standards made under the Aged Care Act 1997;

(c)    if the CEO of the Quality Agency becomes aware of evidence of a failure by a provider of services described in paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) to comply with the Home Care Standards, as soon as possible after the CEO becomes aware of the evidence, the CEO must inform the Secretary, in writing, about the evidence.

Part 2—Specifications commencing 1 August 2014

1          Specification of other functions of the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency – National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Programme

For paragraph 12(h) of the Act, the CEO of the Quality Agency has the following functions:

(a)    to conduct an assessment of National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Programme services in accordance with the Quality Framework (as set out at A.5 in Schedule A of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Funding Agreement);

(b)   if the CEO of the Quality Agency becomes aware of evidence of a failure by a provider described in paragraph (a) to comply, with the Quality Framework (as set out at A.5 in Schedule A of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Funding Agreement), as soon as possible after the CEO becomes aware of the evidence, the CEO must inform the Secretary, in writing, about the evidence.