The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has begun in Adelaide.

The initial component of the aged care Royal Commission is set to delve into thousands of allegations against service providers in the industry. Allegations include the abuse, mistreatment and substandard care of the elderly, disabled and mentally ill by those who should have been caring for them.

Each of Australia’s Commonwealth-approved providers were requested to provide a submission outlining any instances where substandard care was delivered and all complaints received since 2013.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety is set to probe allegations and uncover system failures in order to determine the full extent of problems within the sector. This will enable government reform to adequately understand and address the challenges and opportunities to improve the quality of aged care services in Australia.

The Royal Commission into the aged care sector begins today in Adelaide. #TMS7 pic.twitter.com/oQ4eAaT3WW

— The Morning Show (@morningshowon7) January 17, 2019

According to the Australian Ageing Agenda, Aged & Community Services Australia CEO, Pat Sparrow was positive towards the inquiry saying, “The aged care sector does not fear scrutiny or accountability,” and that “The nation needs to have a hard conversation about the care we want to provide to older Australians, and what must be done to make that possible.”

The review opportunity into the industry has also been heralded as a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ as reported by the ABC News, with Aged Care Crisis advocacy group member Lynda Saltarelli saying “It’s important the commission hears from as many family members as possible,” and that “This is pretty much a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a contribution.”

The official Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety website outlines the inquiry will be surrounding the following matters:

The Commissioners were appointed to be a Commission of inquiry, and required and authorised to inquire into the following matters:

1. the quality of aged care services provided to Australians, the extent to which those services meet the needs of the people accessing them, the extent of substandard care being provided, including mistreatment and all forms of abuse, the causes of any systemic failures, and any actions that should be taken in response;
2. how best to deliver aged care services to:
   1. people with disabilities residing in aged care facilities, including younger people; and
   2. the increasing number of Australians living with dementia, having regard to the importance of dementia care for the future of aged care services;
3. the future challenges and opportunities for delivering accessible, affordable and high quality aged care services in Australia, including:
   1. in the context of changing demographics and preferences, in particular people’s desire to remain living at home as they age; and
   2. in remote, rural and regional Australia;
4. what the Australian Government, aged care industry, Australian families and the wider community can do to strengthen the system of aged care services to ensure that the services provided are of high quality and safe;
5. how to ensure that aged care services are person‑centred, including through allowing people to exercise greater choice, control and independence in relation to their care, and improving engagement with families and carers on care‑related matters;
6. how best to deliver aged care services in a sustainable way, including through innovative models of care, increased use of technology, and investment in the aged care workforce and capital infrastructure

While the details likely to be uncovered through the Aged Care Royal Commission are harrowing, the industry itself is not all doom and gloom. Through our experience delivering high quality hands on, practical aged care courses, we see so many real life heroes in the aged care workforce. The industry review is likely to create a superior aged care system to better support the great people already in industry.

There are plenty of dedicated, passionate people in the industry who we work with regularly, in fact, the Aged and Community Services Australia last year launched The Humans of Aged Care platform that is capturing some of the amazing untold stories of the nation’s aged care staff and volunteers who do so much to support the ageing members of our communities and families.

Catalyst Education’s Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) Selmar Institute of Education and Practical Outcomes have each successfully received Victorian 2019 VET funding contracts! This means eligible students in 2019 have access to free study via government subsidised training in our child care and aged care courses from our industry specialist providers.

The Department of Education and Training officially issued VET Funding Contracts to both organisations which enables these two exceptional child care and aged care and disability training providers to deliver nationally recognised, government subsidised training to Victorian students.

While funding cuts for early childhood education and care courses have been devastating for a number of training providers and child care centres, the Department of Education and Training Victoria has recognised Selmar and Practical Outcomes as long term respected and renowned providers.

VET funding contract benefits for learners and the early childhood and aged care industries

VET funding contracts mean eligible students will be able to enrol to study in 2019 with either Selmar or Practical Outcomes and receive free study via a fully funded child care or aged care course from a leading training provider. As industry specialists, both providers work closely with child care centres and ages care facilities to ensure training is industry relevant and provides the hands-on practical skills required to be an in-demand candidate. Our strong industry networks also mean we can help learners with practical placement.

Learners aren’t the only parties to benefit — this funding contract is an incredible outcome for centres and facilities too. With both industries continuing to grow, so too does the demand for quality, skilled workers who are trained to the highest standards. Families and clients can rest assured that access to leading training from Selmar and Practical Outcomes just became more accessible than ever!

A testament to the industry contribution of Selmar and Practical Outcomes

Catalyst Education has long been committed to ensuring Selmar and Practical Outcomes are leaders in the education training sector, with a focus on real skills for real outcomes and real career opportunities. The receipt of VET funding contracts for these two RTOs demonstrates the positive and notable impact of Selmar and Practical Outcomes dedication to providing high quality child care and aged care courses.

We pride ourselves on our strong industry network and look forward to continuing to work closely with our industry sectors. Catalyst is committed to continual development of how we deliver exceptional training and outcomes for our learners, enhancing our learning experience and resources and supporting our knowledgeable and passionate trainers throughout 2019 and beyond.