24 Jul Contractor Chaos
The new Aged Care Quality Standards are raising the stakes for home care providers. You are now just as responsible for services delivered by contractors as you are for your own staff. If something goes wrong, you could be held accountable—legally.
That means the same expectations apply:
- Same level of care
- Same checks on skills, screening and qualifications
- Same communication standards
- Same responsibility to manage risk and report incidents
You might think of contractors as gardeners or cleaners, but many providers now rely on them for direct client care—like nursing, physiotherapy, or personal care—especially in regional areas or when short-staffed.
Under the new Aged Care Act, these contractors are now seen as “associate providers.” Even though they don’t work for you directly, you’re responsible for what they do.
That means:
- You need proper agreements in place.
- You must check their qualifications and suitability.
- They need access to client information just like your team.
- You should know exactly when they check in, what they do, and have access to service notes or photos.
Without strong oversight, clients could miss essential care—and you might not even know. Worse still, you could end up paying invoices for services never delivered.. That leads to client complaints, financial risk, and attention from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
How VIPS Care Helps
VIPS Care’s smart software is designed to help. From contractor checks and agreements to rostering, service delivery, note-taking, invoicing, and reconciliation—it’s all built in. You’ll know if a contractor is late, and your team can follow up before anyone is left without care.
Contractor care is now your responsibility. Let us help you manage it the right way.