Skip to main content

What are you looking for?

Enter keywords to search across resources, guides, training, tools, and more.

Create an account for suggestions personalised to you and your organisation

Guides
1 minute read

New Aged Care Act and Volunteering in Aged Care – What volunteers need to know

Meeting National Standards and Strategy Seal Meeting National Standards and Strategy What's this?

Introduction

This booklet provides essential information about the upcoming changes under the new Aged Care Act (2024). Developed by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the booklet aims to help volunteers understand what will change and what will remain the same, ensuring they can continue to provide high-quality, respectful, and rights-based support to older people. The booklet emphasises the importance of volunteers in the aged care system, highlighting their contributions to positive outcomes such as increased mental health and wellbeing, social connectedness, reduced isolation, and ageing in place.

Benefits for Volunteer Managers

For volunteer managers, the new Act brings several benefits. It emphasises a rights-based approach to aged care, placing the rights, dignity, preferences, and needs of older people at the centre of care and support. This approach requires volunteers to be aware of and follow the Statement of Rights for older people, ensuring that their interactions are respectful and empowering. Additionally, the new Act includes expanded whistleblower protections, allowing volunteers to report concerns without fear of reprisal. The Act also highlights the necessity for appropriate training and support for volunteers, ensuring they can undertake their roles safely and confidently.

Application by Volunteer Involving Organisations

Volunteer-involving organisations can apply the information in this booklet to enhance their volunteer programs. The new Act requires all aged care providers to register under a universal registration system, which includes specific categories based on the type, complexity, and risk of the services provided. Organisations must ensure their volunteers comply with the Aged Care Code of Conduct, which outlines expected behaviour to ensure the safety, dignity, and respect of older people. Furthermore, the new Act emphasises the importance of continuous improvement and encourages organisations to provide feedback and suggestions on how to better support volunteers in their roles. By adhering to these guidelines, volunteer-involving organisations can ensure they provide high-quality, rights-based care to older people.

New Aged Care Act and Volunteering in Aged Care – What volunteers need to know | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

More about the author

The Department of Health Disability and Aging is responsible for volunteering in aged care, supporting older people receiving aged care services to reduce their social isolation and loneliness

Contribute to the Gateway


More like this

Resources

Welcoming and Safe Volunteer Spaces

These guides and videos promote creating a judgment-free space for volunteers, emphasising inclusion for diverse groups and those facing challenges.
1 minute read
The Knowledge Base, Volunteering ACT, The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering SA&NT, Volunteering Tasmania, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering WA
Tools or Toolkits

Disability Action Plan

A guide on how to develop a Disability Action Plan. This resource is accompanied by Disability Action Plan Templates.
1 minute read
Volunteering Victoria, Victoria ALIVE
Disability
Tools or Toolkits

Volunteer Value and Cost Calculators

The Volunteer Value and Cost Calculators estimate the financial cost of hiring paid staff to replace volunteer work. Simply enter the number of volunteer hours by age group, and the calculator provides a dollar value based on average local wages and employer costs.
1 minute read
The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering SA&NT, Volunteering Tasmania, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering WA
General
Be Collective
Tech

Be Collective

A volunteer management & community engagement platform. Be Collective is all about empowering volunteering and the organisations supporting volunteering to build stronger, more sustainable networks for doing good.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Resource management Social media Event management Donations
Emergency Support Volunteering website
Tech

Emergency Support Volunteering website

The Emergency Support Volunteering website allows volunteers in Western Australia to register to help in emergencies, organisations needing support can also register to contact volunteers for assistance.
Volunteer database Recruitment Reporting
MyPass
Tech

MyPass

MyPass is volunteer onboarding and compliance management software centred around a digital Skills Passport, designed to help volunteer involving organisations (VIOs) reduce their risk and cost of operations.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Communication / engagement Compliance Reporting Resource management Event management
scheduled

Introduction to the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement

This workshop guides participants through the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement, Australia’s best practice roadmap for volunteering professionals.
Volunteering Victoria
FREE
scheduled

Becoming an Inclusive Volunteer Involving Organisation

Join us for free training for staff and volunteers looking to promote and develop inclusivity within their organisation.
The Centre for Volunteering
Free
scheduled

National Standards Deep Dive: Standard 8

Take a deep dive into Standard 8 of the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement
The Centre for Volunteering
Free