Aged Care Quality Standards (Australia)
The Aged Care Quality Standards set out the level of care and services expected of aged care providers in Australia. Enforced by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. All Commonwealth-funded aged care providers must comply with these 8 standards. Set out in Schedule 2 of the Quality of Care Principles 2014.
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Framework Domains (23)
Care Planning
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-2 | Ongoing Assessment and Planning with Consumers |
Clinical Care
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-IPC | Infection Prevention and Control |
| ACQS-MED | Medication Management |
| ACQS-PALLIATIVE | Palliative and End-of-Life Care |
Clinical Governance
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-3 | Personal Care and Clinical Care |
Complaints
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-6 | Feedback and Complaints |
Consumer Communication
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-OPEN-DISC | Open Disclosure |
Daily Living
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-4 | Services and Supports for Daily Living |
| ACQS-NUTRITION | Nutrition and Hydration |
Environment
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-5 | Organisation's Service Environment |
Financial Governance
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-FIN | Financial and Prudential Standards |
Governance
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-8 | Organisational Governance |
| ACQS-CONT-IMPROV | Continuous Improvement Plan |
Home Care
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-CDC | Consumer-Directed Care (Home Care) |
Incident Management
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-SIRS | Serious Incident Response Scheme |
Person-Centred Care
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-1 | Consumer Dignity and Choice |
Quality Indicators
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-QI | National Quality Indicators |
Restrictive Practices
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-RP | Restrictive Practices Authorisation |
Standard 1: Consumer Dignity and Choice
Respecting consumer identity, culture, diversity, and right to make informed choices
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-1-1 | Dignity and Respect |
| ACQS-1-2 | Consumer Choice and Independence |
| ACQS-1-3 | Information and Informed Consent |
Standard 2: Ongoing Assessment and Planning
Assessment and planning that is responsive to consumer needs
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-2-1 | Assessment of Needs |
| ACQS-2-2 | Care and Services Planning |
| ACQS-2-3 | Regular Reassessment |
Standard 3: Personal Care and Clinical Care
Safe, effective personal and clinical care
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-3-1 | Safe and Effective Care |
| ACQS-3-2 | Antimicrobial Stewardship |
| ACQS-3-3 | Minimising Restrictive Practices |
Standard 4: Services and Supports for Daily Living
Services that support consumers' daily living
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-4-1 | Daily Living Services |
| ACQS-4-2 | Service Delivery |
Standard 5: Organisation's Service Environment
Safe, comfortable, and homelike service environments
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-5-1 | Safe Environment |
| ACQS-5-2 | Furniture, Fittings, and Equipment |
Standard 6: Feedback and Complaints
Effective complaint and feedback management
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-6-1 | Feedback and Complaints Process |
| ACQS-6-2 | Open Disclosure |
Standard 7: Human Resources
Workforce planning, training, and competency
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-7-1 | Workforce Planning |
| ACQS-7-2 | Ongoing Education and Training |
| ACQS-7-3 | Worker Screening |
Standard 8: Organisational Governance
Effective governance, quality management, and risk management
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-8-1 | Effective Governance |
| ACQS-8-2 | Clinical Governance |
| ACQS-8-3 | Continuous Improvement |
| ACQS-8-4 | Risk Management |
Workforce
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ACQS-7 | Human Resources |
| ACQS-WORKER-REG | Aged Care Worker Screening and Code of Conduct |
Your Compliance Coverage
If you comply with Aged Care Quality Standards (Australia), you already cover:
NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
17%
7 controls mapped
Compare →ISO 15189:2022 - Medical Laboratories Requirements for Quality and Competence
14%
6 controls mapped
Compare →PIC/S Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice for Medicinal Products
10%
4 controls mapped
Compare →+ 167 more: NATO AQAP 2110 - Quality Assurance Requirements for Design, Development, and Production (10%), MDS2 (Medical Device) (10%)
See all 170 mapped frameworks ↓Maps to 170 other frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Aged Care Quality Standards (Australia)?
Aged Care Quality Standards (Australia) is a compliance framework from Australia with 23 domains and 42 controls. The Aged Care Quality Standards set out the level of care and services expected of aged care providers in Australia. Enforced by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. All Commonwealth-funded aged care providers must comply with these 8 standards. Set out in Schedule 2 of the Quality of Care Principles 2014. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
How many controls does Aged Care Quality Standards (Australia) have?
Aged Care Quality Standards (Australia) has 42 controls organised across 23 domains. The largest domains are Standard 8: Organisational Governance (4 controls), Clinical Care (3 controls), Standard 1: Consumer Dignity and Choice (3 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
What frameworks does Aged Care Quality Standards (Australia) map to?
Aged Care Quality Standards (Australia) maps to 170 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 (17% coverage), ISO 15189:2022 - Medical Laboratories Requirements for Quality and Competence (14% coverage), PIC/S Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice for Medicinal Products (10% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.
How do I get started with Aged Care Quality Standards (Australia) compliance?
Start your Aged Care Quality Standards (Australia) compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about Aged Care Quality Standards (Australia) requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 42 controls and track your progress.
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