The News in NSW/ACT - ACSA
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The News in NSW/ACT
We have moved!
ACSA NSW/ACT has moved to new premises, as of Tuesday 4 May. You can now find us at Level 4, 320 Pitt
Street, Sydney. Our new postal address is PO Box 20427, World Square NSW 2002.
We look forward to welcoming you to our new location soon, with plans for a small ‘office warming’
cocktail party in their early stages. In the meantime, if you’re in the area and would like to drop by, feel free
to stop in and say hello!
Updated NSW Health screening advice, including influenza vaccination
requirements in residential aged care
NSW Health has released updated screening advice on 11 June 2021.
The key messages from this update are:
1. There has been local transmission of COVID-19 in NSW with close and casual contact locations
identified. Staff and visitors who have been in the Whittlesea Local Government Area in the
previous 14 days should be excluded from working or visiting aged care facilities. There are close
and casual contact locations in Southern in NSW
2. Staff should be excluded if in the last 14 days they have been in
• Victorian places of high concern (these are the close and casual contact venues; visit
the Victorian Government Case alerts- public exposure sites to navigate through the dates
and venues)
• Greater Melbourne or
• close or casual contact locations in Queensland
3. Staff who have been to Greater Melbourne and the Greater City of Bendigo in the last 14 days are
excluded from residential care facilities and working as home care service providers. Readers are
directed to visit the Victorian Government Case alerts- public exposure sites to navigate through
the dates and venues of close and casual contact locations.
4. In line with the National COVID-19 Aged Care Plan, residential aged care providers should also
maintain a worker register that records which of their employees work across multiple settings or
lives with someone who does. Understanding this information is critical for contact tracing
purposes.
5. Further support for workers and employers is available through the Guiding Principles Support Hub
website or hotline on 1800 491 793.
Published by Aged & Community Services Australia | 17 June 2021 | Page 1 of 8
6. From 1 June to 30 September 2021, all visitors and staff entering a residential aged care facility
should be required to provide evidence that they have received a dose of the 2021 influenza
vaccination. For further information please see exceptional and special circumstances for visiting
an residential aged care facility.
5. For home care:
a. Influenza vaccination is recommended for all staff.
b. Staff conducting home visits in the Greater Sydney area, including metropolitan Sydney,
Nepean Blue Mountains and Central Coast must wear a surgical mask at all times.
6. This information can change rapidly so please check the NSW Health website at least daily for
updates.
7. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic in NSW has disrupted our ability to move around and
gather together at different times. It has meant a significant change in the way we live and how we
engage with each other.
It has also meant that services have been disrupted at times - including services to people with disability,
such as:
• disability residential accommodation
• respite accommodation services
• employment - including Australian Disability Enterprises (ADE)
• education and training
• day programs
• public transport and disability-specific travel services
• disability supports at home
• other disability services such as disability-related or other health supports, access to the
community, attendance at medical and other appointments etc.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
• Home care service providers - here
• Residential aged care facilities - here
• Residential disability care facilities - here
NSW Sonic Pfizer Clinic Now Open!
The Sonic HealthCare Pfizer clinic located in Macquarie Park is OPEN NOW for residential aged care and
disability workers aged under 50 years for a COVID-19 vaccination. The Macquarie Park clinic opens today
Monday 24 May from 12.00pm – 8.00pm Monday to Friday and 9.00am – 1.00pm Saturday/Sunday. Eligible
workers can book an appointment now via the Sonic Healthcare vaccinations website or call 1300 379 878.
The Macquarie Park clinic is the third vaccination clinic to open in Sydney dedicated to residential aged care
and disability workers. The Blacktown Pfizer clinic is open from 8.00am to 6.00pm, seven days a week.
The Campbelltown Pfizer clinic is open from 8.00am – 6.00pm, seven days a week. These clinics are for
Sydney-based residential aged care and disability workers aged under 50.
Published by Aged & Community Services Australia | 17 June 2021 | Page 2 of 8
Reporting requirements on the COVID-19 Vaccinations: Starting 15 June
2021
The first mandatory reporting of the COVID-19 vaccine status of workers is required on 15 June 2021, for
providers of residential aged care services. Weekly reporting is required each subsequent Tuesday.
It will become mandatory for providers of in-home and community aged care services in the coming weeks.
Providers can access the reporting tool via the My Aged Care Provider Portal online.
Steps on how to report the COVID-19 vaccination status of aged care staff is available via the My Aged Care
Provider Portal User Guide on page 84 (2.6.1).
The new reporting requires providers to record de-identified data at a service level on the:
• total number of workers at each aged care service and, of those,
• the number of workers at each service who have received a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
• the number of workers at each service who have received all required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Fact sheets are available for providers of residential aged care services and for in-home and community
aged care services. These resources have been provided to all providers.
Providers are strongly encouraged to distribute the fact sheet for residential aged care workers and fact
sheet for in-home and community aged care workers.
It is important to discuss with your workforce why and how you will collect and report the data.
It’s also important to ensure your workers understand it is currently voluntary for them to get a COVID-19
vaccination and to notify their workplace of their COVID-19 vaccination status.
While currently voluntary, all aged care workers are strongly encouraged to get a COVID-19 vaccination and
to notify their workplace.
Find our more at the Department of Health website or email the COVID-19 Vaccine Taskforce by email.
Published by Aged & Community Services Australia | 17 June 2021 | Page 3 of 8Notice from NSW Government – Updates on retirement village reforms
In February, we updated you on reforms to exit entitlements and asset management plans.
We are writing to let you know these changes are now supported by finalised regulations and Secretary’s
guidelines.
Changes to retirement village regulations
The Government has recently made changes to the Retirement Villages Regulation 2017 to respond to
some of the concerns raised by operators and residents about the new reforms. These changes are outlined
in detail below.
Updated Secretary’s guidelines for asset management plans
The guidelines have been updated to reflect these changes and to make some policies clearer.
Letter to residents and resident committees
As with earlier emails we have sent you, we’ve linked here a separate letter for resident committees. We
would appreciate you forwarding this letter to your resident committee.
Letter to retirement villages residents - June 2021
Outline of changes to the Retirement Villages Regulation 2017
42-day cap on general services payments after leaving retirement villages
Starting on 1 July 2021, there will be a 42-day cap on the payment for general services by a resident after
they leave a retirement village. The changes only apply to retirement village residents who have a
registered interest and are entitled to receive 50 per cent or more of the capital gain on the sale of the
premises.
Amendments have been made to:
• limit any increase in recurrent charges to ensure it only occurs as part of an approved budget for
the next financial year after the former occupant’s liability has ceased.
The operator must consider those units that have become vacant since 1 January 2021 only. You
will only be able to consider vacancies from the previous financial year.
For example, in a 100 unit village, 10 became vacant in 19/20 and 10 (all after January 2021) in
20/21. In the 21/22 FY budget, the operator can set their budget based on 80 occupied units + 10
vacant units from 20/21 FY as only 10 have become vacant in the previous financial year.
Published by Aged & Community Services Australia | 17 June 2021 | Page 4 of 8Asset management plans amendments
3-year report of capital maintenance of major items of capital
Operators need to:
• make the 3-year report available to residents and prospective residents, even when consent from
the residents through the budget process is not needed
• include your proposals to replace or continue to maintain items of capital that are within one year
of the end of their effective life or with accumulated costs of repairs greater than 90% of the
purchase price at the time you prepare the 3-year report.
Independent assessment of asset management plans
As operators, you need to have an independent assessment of the draft asset management plan you
prepare. The assessment:
• must be prepared by an independent quantity surveyor or the auditor of the village whose
appointment was consented to by the residents.
• must confirm that your plan meets the requirements of the Regulation and be attached to the
proposed plan for residents’ comment.
If you begin to prepare an asset management plan on or before 29 August 2021, you are not required to
obtain the independent assessment of the proposed plan until the next financial year.
Information needed for an asset management plan, including the asset register
We have clarified what you need to record for the asset register and maintenance schedule:
• items of capital can be grouped if they are:
o similar
o had a purchase price of $1,000 or more
o have the same effective life, and
o were bought in the same financial year.
• the asset register is to be used for the maintenance schedule
• if the information that identifies an item (brand model number and serial number) is not available,
you will not be penalised for not recording this information in the asset register
• removed the requirement to record the following information:
o an estimate of the costs of the proposed capital replacement, and
o if the building is under construction, an estimate of the costs of construction
• definitions of buildings and structures are now better aligned with the Act* (please note that
gardens are not captured under the definition of an item of capital)
• operators should calculate effective life referencing this ruling TR 2020/3 - Income tax: effective life
of depreciating assets.
Published by Aged & Community Services Australia | 17 June 2021 | Page 5 of 8More time to prepare an asset management plan
You have more time to prepare an asset management plan.
The requirement to prepare an asset management plan now begins after 1 July 2021. The financial year (FY)
of your operations determines when you must prepare your first asset management plan. For villages
working on an Australian FY, you will need to prepare an asset management plan for the 2022/23 FY. For
those with a FY starting after 1 July 2021 (for example, October 2021), you will need to prepare a plan for
the 2021/22 FY.
Penalties for not meeting this law will apply from 1 July 2022.
More information: Please check the Fair Trading website for updates to the laws.
Upcoming ACSA Events & Training
To view all upcoming ACSA Events, Symposiums and Webinars, please click here
To view all upcoming ACSA Training & Professional Development Programs, please click here
You can find out more about the complete ACSA Leadership Program here or view the flyer here.
ACSA Consultancy
ACSA Consultancy is an affordable fee-for-service offering, enabling providers to navigate through adverse
compliance outcomes, improve governance and risk management and build capability through a focus on
quality and workforce. Discounts apply for ACSA Members.
ACSA Consultancy can support your organisation through:
• Quality Standards review, responding to adverse compliance outcomes and continuous
improvement.
• Organisational governance, risk management and strategic planning.
• Clinical Governance, incident and complaint management.
• Building leadership capacity through coaching and mentoring with CILCA 360 accredited
practitioners.
Published by Aged & Community Services Australia | 17 June 2021 | Page 6 of 8• Workforce capability through staffing reviews, training and development.
• Business models and best practice person-centred models of care for sustainability.
• Change management, responding to reforms, implementing standards and legislative changes.
• Optimise funding, ACFI, home care payment in arrears and home care self-management.
Find out more or contact us on consultancy@acsa.asn.au.
Published by Aged & Community Services Australia | 17 June 2021 | Page 7 of 8Published by Aged & Community Services Australia | 17 June 2021 | Page 8 of 8
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