2014 AGED CARE APPROVALS ROUND - ESSENTIAL GUIDE
SECTION 2 – HOME CARE PLACES
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT APPLYING FOR HOME CARE PLACES
A. Purpose of this Section
This section of the 2014 ACAR Essential Guide provides instructions on how to complete your application(s) for
home care places. The information in this section should be read in conjunction with:
 Section 1 ‘Introduction’ and Section 7 ‘Regional Distribution of Aged Care Places’;
 the Home Care Packages Programme Guidelines (the Guidelines). The Guidelines include an explanation
of the key design and operational elements of home care including Consumer Directed Care (CDC), which
applies to all home care places allocated in the 2014 ACAR. The Guidelines are available at:
www.dss.gov.au/2014ACAR;
 the ‘Questions and Answers’, available on the Department’s website at: www.dss.gov.au/2014ACAR.
B. Important considerations for the 2014 ACAR
All applicants for home care places must be aware of the following considerations relating to the availability of
home care places in the 2014 ACAR:
 Section 7 ‘Regional Distribution of Aged Care Places’ specifies the aged care planning regions of greatest
need for further allocation of home care places:
o these regions have been identified taking into account a range of factors, including population
projections, current operational ratios, occupancy levels, and advice provided by the Aged Care
Planning Advisory Committees;
 Applicants may apply for home care places in any aged care planning region, however applicants must
demonstrate exceptional need through completing Part 5 of the ‘Home Care Places’ application form in:
o any aged care planning region not listed in the ‘Regional Distribution of Aged Care Places’; or
o any aged care planning region marked with an asterisk in the ‘Regional Distribution of Aged Care
Places’; and
o page 13 of this section has a discussion of the Department’s approach to determining exceptional need.
NOTE: All applicants applying in regions listed on page 13 MUST complete Part 5 of the ‘Home Care Places’
form. Failure to complete this section will constitute an invalid application.
Consumer Directed Care and Evaluation
All home care places allocated in the 2014 ACAR will be subject to a condition of allocation that the places be
offered on a Consumer Directed Care (CDC) basis, and subject to an evaluation. The number of the places
allocated may vary between aged care planning regions and across identified geographic locations, depending
on factors such as existing allocations of places to individual providers, the size and remoteness of the region,
etc.
New arrangements relating to home care fees
Care recipients entering home care from 1 July 2014, may be asked to make a contribution towards their care,
based on their income, with safeguards of annual and lifetime caps, and financial hardship provisions. Under
the new arrangements, the subsidy payable by the Government will be reduced according to the income-tested
care fee payable. Further information about these changes will be available from the Department of Social
Services website prior to the introduction of the new subsidy and fee arrangements in July 2014.
Use of information held by the Department and others
In addition to the information provided in your application, as part of the overall assessment process, the
Department will consider any other relevant information available to it, including but not limited to:
 information obtained from the Aged Care Complaints Scheme and the Australian Aged Care Quality
Agency;
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information you have provided to the Department in relation to other assessment processes. For example,
any application to transfer, vary or exchange existing places; and
information about your compliance history as a provider of aged care.
C. Preparing your application
You should consider the following when preparing your application:
 applications may be made by existing approved providers of home care, or organisations that currently do
not deliver home care but have relevant experience demonstrating their suitability to deliver care;
 if you are not an approved provider at the time of applying for home care places in the 2014 ACAR, you will
not be allocated places until you are approved as an approved provider of home care under the Act. This
approval process can take some time, and the Department encourages applicants to apply for approved
provider status as early as possible. Further information on how to become an approved can be accessed
at the following webpage link, Approved Provider Information.
 you must complete a separate application for each State/or Territory that you are applying for home
care places in;
 in completing your application, you must:
 complete Section A, Section B and Section C for the first service/aged care planning region your
organisation is seeking an allocation of home care places at;
THEN
 complete a separate Section B for each additional service and/or each aged care planning region for
which your organisation is seeking an allocation of home care places; and
 submit the completed Section A, Section B(s) and Section C of the home care places application form.
Failure to submit all sections may result in your application being invalid and not proceeding to
assessment.
 should you be successful, places will be allocated by service in nominated aged care planning region(s);
and
 you are encouraged to apply using one service name and address for all new home care places in the
same aged care planning region. You may use an existing service name or you may use a new service
name. You can use the same service name for any of the four levels of new home care places (Level 1,
Level 2, Level 3, or Level 4).
D. Lodging your application
You are required to submit ONE original and ONE copy of your application. Applications are to be submitted to
the Department of Social Services. Address details can be found in Section 1 of the 2014 ACAR Essential
Guide.
Applications and associated attachments can also be submitted via email at acar@dss.gov.au. For further
details please refer to Section 1 of the 2014 ACAR Essential Guide.
Please note:
 applications will not be accepted by facsimile;
 late or incomplete applications may not be accepted;
 attach documents only where required or requested, other documents will not be considered; and
 ensure your application is received within the Department by no later than:
2.00pm on 4 July 2014.
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COMPLETING YOUR HOME CARE PLACES APPLICATION FORM
COVER PAGE OF APPLICATION FORM
Applicant organisation
Provide either your approved provider name, or the full legal name of your organisation if you are seeking
approved provider status. Do not use abbreviated approved provider or legal names of your organisation.
State/Territory in which home care places are sought
Select the State and/or Territory to which your application for home care places relates. Refer to
page 3 of this section of the Guide for detailed information about completing the ‘Home Care Places’ application
form.
SECTION A
PART 1: APPLICANT DETAILS
1.1 Applicant
If you are an existing approved provider, provide your Australian Business Number (ABN) and NAPS ID number
(if known). If you are not yet an approved provider, provide your ABN.
1.2 Applicant postal address
The postal address provided will be recorded as the address for all notices related to the 2014 ACAR.
1.3 Contact details
Provide the email and telephone contact details for your organisation’s contact person. The contact person is
the person responsible for your organisation’s application, and as such should have a detailed understanding of
your application.
PART 2: CAPACITY OF APPLICANT TO DELIVER HOME CARE SERVICES
A. Management and ability to provide appropriate care
2.1 Describe your organisation’s expertise and experience in providing home care or similar services.
Types of information that could be included in your response to this question include:
 your managerial staff including their relevant qualifications, skills and responsibilities;
 details of the types of care your organisation specialises, or will specialise, in delivering;
 your organisation’s experience, capacity and past history of delivering these services; and
 your staff management, recruitment, retention and performance management strategies.
Applicants should note that the necessary expertise and experience is not limited to the provision of home care.
Applicants with experience in providing other related aged care services, for example, Home and Community
Care (HACC) services or organisations managing a retirement village are also encouraged to apply for home
care places.
The word limit for this question is 750 words.
2.2 Describe the systems in place to enable your organisation to deliver appropriate care in accordance
with the legislation.
All applicants must demonstrate how they intend to deliver appropriate care under the legislation. Your
response should include practical examples of how you have, or will, provide appropriate care.
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Types of information that could be included in your response to this question include:
 the measures you have, or will put in place, to ensure your service staff provide home care of a quality that
is consistent with the standards required under the Aged Care Act 1997 and Aged Care Principles;
 your ability to monitor continuous improvement in relation to these standards;
 how your service will coordinate with service providers and stakeholders in the community to achieve
quality care outcomes; and
 your ability to monitor staff compliance.
Applicants should note that the necessary expertise and experience is not limited to the provision of home care
places. Applicants with experience in providing other related aged care services, for example, HACC services
or organisations managing a retirement village are also encouraged to apply for home care places.
The word limit for this question is 750 words.
B. Provision of appropriate care for people with dementia
2.3 Describe how you will provide appropriate care for people with dementia in a home based
environment.
All applicants must demonstrate how they intend to provide care for people living with dementia. Your response
should include practical examples of how you have, or will, provide this type of care.
Your response should address how you will:
 identify the particular care needs of people living with dementia;
 ensure the availability of suitably trained staff to meet these particular care needs;
 manage challenging behaviour, provision of activities, medication management, and involvement of family
members;
 establish links with relevant key organisations and services;
 ensure the safety and security of staff (including meeting work health and safety requirements); and
 ensure the safety and security of care recipients.
The word limit for this question is 500 words.
C. Provision of appropriate care for people with special needs
2.4 Describe how you will provide appropriate care for people with special needs.
This question requires you to demonstrate that your organisation can provide appropriate care for people with
special needs. All home care providers are expected to be able to deliver appropriate care to people from
special needs groups as part of their normal service delivery. In answering this question, applicants should
consider how they provide care to the nine special needs groups identified in section 11-3 of the Aged Care Act
1997.
If you are intending to provide specific services for a particular special needs group you will need to provide
more detailed information in Section B at question 4.1.
The word limit for this question is 500 words.
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D. Diversity of choice
2.5 Describe how you will deliver home care on a Consumer Directed Care (CDC) basis.
Your application needs to demonstrate how you will deliver home care on a CDC basis. All new home care
places allocated in the 2014 ACAR must be offered on a CDC basis. Successful applicants must participate in
an evaluation of the Home Care Packages Program including CDC if required.
Your response should address how your organisation will:
 ensure consumer choice and control;
 provide support for consumer decision-making;
 respond to the care recipient’s customs, beliefs and background, including their relationships with carers
and family members;
 incorporate wellness and re-ablement approaches; and
 promote the care recipient’s independence and facilitate participation in the community (should the care
recipient wish).
The word limit for this question is 500 words.
2.6 Describe how you will manage individualised budgets for care recipients.
A key requirement of CDC is that providers must provide each care recipient with an individualised and
transparent budget. This will assist care recipients to make informed choices about care and services available
within their package. The budget must clearly identify administrative fees charged by the provider.
Applicants should provide information about the systems and procedures proposed to effectively and accurately
manage individualised budgets, including monthly statements of income and expenditure for care recipients.
The word limit for this question is 500 words.
E. Continuity of care
2.7 Describe how you will ensure continuity of care to current and future care recipients.
Applicants should demonstrate their capacity to manage care recipients’ changing care needs, specifically
whether care recipients will be able to transition seamlessly between each of the package levels. You should
include details of your organisation’s general approach to managing the changing care needs of the care
recipients. Your response should address how your organisation:
 utilises a mix of places within/across services to ensure that care recipient’s care needs can be met;
and/or
 establishes networks with other home care providers; and/or
 linkages with other home care providers and/or other community care service providers such as HACC,
residential aged care facilities and retirement villages.
The word limit for this question is 500 words.
F. Protecting the rights of care recipients
2.8 Describe the measures you will implement to protect the rights of care recipients.
The Department will be assessing whether you understand your obligations in relation to protecting the rights of
care recipients (and providing them with relevant information) as well as the strategies your organisation has in
place to ensure that this occurs.
The Department will consider your understanding of, and commitment to, implementing:
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complaints procedures;
arrangements to ensure availability of advocacy services;
appropriate security of tenure arrangements;
home care agreements; and
systems to protect the privacy of care recipients.
Types of information that could be included in response to this question include:
 how your organisation will ensure care recipients’ rights are protected in line with legislative requirements;
 that you understand your responsibilities as an approved provider, and the care recipients’ rights and
responsibilities;
 details of any communication strategies that you will implement; and
 examples of how you will ensure care recipients’ rights are protected, and adequate information is provided
to them about their care and services.
The Department will also be considering how you will ensure that care recipients entering home care on or after
1 July 2014 are provided with adequate information about the new fee arrangements that will take effect from
1 July 2014.
The word limit for this question is 500 words.
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SECTION B
Please note: You need to complete this section for each service for which you are seeking an allocation
of home care places.
PART 1: SERVICE DETAILS
1.1 Service details.
Provide the applicant organisation name, the name of the existing or new service, the NAPS ID number
(existing services only) and the aged care planning region.
1.2 Physical address of the service.
Provide the physical address of the service. If your organisation delivers the service from the head office without
having an outlet or service office in the aged care planning region, record the physical address of the head
office.
1.3 Service contact details.
Provide the email and telephone contact details for your service’s contact person. This person should have a
detailed understanding of the application, as it relates to this service. Your service level contact must be
different from your organisation contact provided in Part A.
PART 2: HOME CARE PLACES BEING SOUGHT
2.1 Home care places sought.
All providers seeking home care places are required to demonstrate their capacity to provide services that are
appropriate to the needs of the individual and respect his or her preferences including any cultural, linguistic,
religious or other preferences. Some home care places however will be allocated on the basis that the provider
will provide priority of access for one or more special needs groups or in relation to a key issue.
The ‘Regional Distribution of Aged Care Places’ at Section 7 identifies where priority may be given to
applications which focus on particular special needs groups and key issues. In some cases, specific geographic
locations within an aged care planning region have been identified.
The table at 2.1 requires applicants to provide the total number of home care places being sought; a maximum
number and a minimum number must be entered. The minimum number of places will be taken into
consideration where the number of places applied for in the aged care planning region exceeds the number of
available places.
As part of the table, applicants must also enter how many of the total home care places being sought are for
general access and/or priority of access in the provided fields. Again, a maximum number and a minimum
number must be entered. Importantly, the total of these places must equal the total number of places
being sought. The difference between general access and priority of access is as follows:
General access
Any home care place being sought that does not focus on one or more geographic
locations, special needs group or an identified key issue.
Priority of access
Any home care place being sought that does focus on one or more geographic
locations, special needs groups or an identified key issue.
Please note that an allocation of priority of access places will be subject to a condition of allocation.
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Applications may be made for both general access and priority of access places as part of the same application.
Applicants may also apply to provide priority of access to multiple special needs groups and/ or key issues. For
example, your organisation may wish to provide home care to one or more groups of people from culturally and
linguistically diverse backgrounds who have dementia. Alternatively you may wish to provide priority of access
to people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities who are also financially or socially
disadvantaged. Refer to example on page 11.
Applicants may either name the special needs group in full or, for ease of entry, may use the special needs
group codes provided in the box below.
Special Needs Groups
 people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities (ATSI)
 people from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds (CALD)
 people who live in rural or remote areas (R-R)
 people who are financially or socially
disadvantaged (FSD)
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veterans (VET)
homeless (HOM)
care leavers (CLV)
parents separated from their children by forced
adoption or removal (PSC)
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
intersex people (LGBTI)
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Example 1
The example in the table below indicates that an applicant is seeking:
 a total of 80 (minimum of 40) home care places which comprises of: 20 (minimum of 10) level one
places, 20 (minimum of 10) level two places and 40 (minimum of 20) level three places. No level four
places are being sought;
 of the total places sought, the applicant is seeking a maximum of 20 (minimum of 10) level one places
and a maximum of 20 (minimum 10) level two places for general access; and
 of the total places sought, the applicant is seeking a maximum allocation of 40 (minimum of 20) level
three places for the provision of care for people from CALD backgrounds (Chinese and Indonesian) in
the geographic location of Yeovil for priority of access.
Total home care places sought
Specify the total number of home care places sought for this service
Package
Level
1
2
3
4
Total
Number of
places Max
20
20
40
Number of
places Min
10
10
20
80
40
Of the total home care places sought, how many are for general access and/or priority of access?
NOTE: General access places + priority access places MUST EQUAL total home care places
General access places sought
Package
Level
1
2
3
4
Number of
places Max
20
20
Number of
places Min
10
10
Package
Level
Number of
places Max
Number of
places Min
3
40
20
Priority access places sought
Geographic
Location
Special needs
group
Yeovil
CALD
CALD
community (if
applicable)
Chinese; and
Indonesian
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Identified
key issue
(if any)
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Example 2
The example in the table below indicates that an applicant is seeking:
 a total of 110 (minimum of 60) home care places which comprises of: 20 (minimum of 10) level one places,
30 (minimum of 20) level two places, 50 (minimum of 25) level three places and 10 (minimum of 5) level
four places;
 of the total places sought, the applicant is seeking 20 (minimum of 10) level one places, 20 (minimum 10)
level two places, 10 (minimum of 5) level three places and 10 (minimum of 5) level four places for general
access;
 of the total places sought, the applicant is seeking 20 (minimum of 10) level three places for the provision of
care for people from CALD backgrounds (Indian and Nepalese) with the identified key issue of dementia in
the geographic location of Rushden;
 20 (minimum of 10) level three places for the provision of care people who are financially or socially
disadvantaged (FSD) with the identified key issue of dementia in the geographic location of Rushden; and
 10 (minimum of 10) level two places for the provision of care for people from CALD backgrounds
(Hungarian and Spanish) in the geographic location of Highbury.
Total home care places sought
Specify the total number of home care places sought for this service
Package
Level
1
2
3
4
Total
Number of
places Max
20
30
50
10
110
Number of
places Min
10
20
25
5
60
Of the total home care places sought, how many are for general access and/or priority of access?
NOTE: General access places + priority access places MUST EQUAL total home care places
General access places sought
Package
Level
1
2
3
4
Number of
places Max
20
20
10
10
Number of
places Min
10
10
5
5
Package
Level
Number of
places Max
Number of
places Min
3
20
10
3
2
20
10
10
10
Priority access places sought
Geographic
Location
Special needs
group
Rushden
CALD
Rushden
Highbury
FSD
CALD
CALD
community (if
applicable)
Indian; and
Nepalese
Hungarian; and
Spanish
Identified
key issue
(if any)
Dementia
2.2 When will the places that are subject of this application be made operational?
Please provide the expected timeframe that your organisation plans to make the new home care places
operational this may be; immediately, within 1 month, within 2-3 months, and within 4-6 months.
The total number of home care places described in this question must equal the total maximum number of
places requested above.
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PART 3: SEVICE PROPOSAL
3.1 Provide a detailed description of your service proposal including hours of operation.
The purpose of this question is to obtain a detailed description of your proposal for this service. It should not be
limited to a description of your existing service or your existing service delivery model.
Types of information that could be included in the description of your service proposal include:
 the nature of the service you propose to offer;
 how your service proposal aligns with the needs of the region;
 how your service will complement existing services within the aged care planning region;
 why you have selected the particular geographic region in the aged care planning region for additional
home care places; and
 details of your service processes including mechanisms for consultation with care recipients, assessment
processes, care planning development, and ongoing monitoring, assessment and referrals processes.
The word limit for this question is 500 words.
3.2 Describe the capacity, expertise and experience of the staff that will manage and deliver services.
Types of information that could be included in response to this question include:
 details of your service delivery staff including relevant qualifications, skills and responsibilities that will
ensure effective delivery of services for care recipients; and
 details of any subcontracting and/or brokerage arrangements, including strategies to maintain quality care
outcomes for care recipients.
The word limit for this question is 500 words.
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PART 4: CAPACITY OF APPLICANT TO DELIVER HOME CARE SERVICES TO PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Special needs groups
4.1 For each of the special needs groups identified at 2.1, provide an outline of:
A. evidence of need in the region/geographic location for home care places for the special needs groups;
B. organisational experience and/or expertise in the provision of care for the special needs group/s; and
C. any tailored approaches you plan to take to meet this group’s particular care needs.
For each special needs group identified, your response should describe:
 how you have identified the particular social issues, health or care needs of people from the special needs
group(s);
 how you will provide care, having regard to the particular physical, social, spiritual and environmental care
needs of the individual care recipients;
 how you will ensure the availability of suitably trained staff to meet these particular care needs; and
 how you establish linkages with relevant communities and/or key organisations in the nominated region
and/or identified geographic location(s).
The word limit for this question is 500 words for each special needs group identified.
PART 5: DEMONSTRATION OF EXCEPTIONAL NEED
The Department will consider applications from services, where they are able to demonstrate exceptional need,
in the aged care planning regions listed below:
State
Qld
WA
SA
NT
ACT
Aged Care Planning Region
Central West, Far North, Logan River Valley, North West, South Coast,
South West, Sunshine Coast, West Moreton.
Goldfields, Great Southern, Kimberley, Metropolitan East, Metropolitan North,
Metropolitan South East, Metropolitan South West, Mid West, Pilbara, South West,
Wheatbelt.
Eyre Peninsula, Whyalla, Flinders & Far North.
Alice Springs, Barkly, Darwin, East Arnhem & Katherine.
ACT.
Applicants must provide evidence that:
 your service has identified people who are eligible to receive home care and exhibit complex care needs
and/or challenging behaviours and your service has previously been unable to meet the level of demand for
these services or that you are establishing a new service to meet this demand; and
 should your application be successful, that your service will be ready and committed to providing care to
those people.
Places will be subject to a condition of allocation based on these criteria.
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SECTION C
ENDORSEMENT OF APPLICATION
This application can be signed only by those persons who are legally empowered to give assurances and enter
into contracts and commitments on behalf of the applicant.
In signing this endorsement, you are affirming that this proposal has the full consent and support of
your organisation’s Board of Directors, or other relevant authority.
Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence.
There are offences established by the Aged Care Act 1997 and the Criminal Code Act 1995 relating to providing
false and misleading information. Approvals based on false or misleading information may be revoked.
In endorsing the application you are confirming that you:
 have included all relevant evidence;
 are aware of your responsibilities as prescribed in the Aged Care Act 1997 and the Aged Care Principles;
 have read the 2014 ACAR Essential Guide;
 declare that all information provided in the application and associated attachments is true and complete;
 declare that all the key personnel in the applicant organisation are, and will continue to be, suitable to
provide aged care and are not disqualified individuals;
 consent to the Secretary of the Department of Social Services providing relevant information to other
persons or organisations, in order to obtain their advice, as necessary, to assist in assessing this
application or in assessing other applications submitted by the applicant in the 2014 ACAR; and
 consent to any persons or organisations that are contacted releasing information to the Department of
Social Services.
Your organisation’s company seal and citation is required only if your organisation is an incorporated company
and the company is required by its constitution to seal such documents.
Receipt of application
A receipt will be sent to the email address provided in Part A, Question 1.3, after the specified closing date for
the lodgement of applications. If you do not complete this section a receipt will not be issued.
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