Update to Community Care Services

Northern Grampians Shire Council will advocate for aged care services in the municipality to be transitioned to local service providers, namely Grampians Community Health and East Wimmera Health Service, following a decision made to withdraw from providing community care services in a closed council at the July 7 council meeting in Stawell. 

What it means for current clients

In the short term, there are no immediate changes to any services. Current clients will continue to receive their care from Northern Grampians Shire domestic care workers per their usual schedule. 

Council’s priority throughout this process is to ensure continuity of care and minimise disruption for clients and will continue communicating directly with clients, carers and families through the transition period. 

This means services will continue as usual with council supporting a smooth transition to new providers when the time comes. 

If you have any immediate questions or concerns about your care, please contact our Community Care team directly via the details listed on this page. 

 

Announcement

  • Council voted to withdraw from providing community care services in a closed council at the July 7 council meeting in Stawell.
  • Earlier this year, council made the decision to formally review its aged care services following Federal Government changes to the way aged care services are funded and delivered.
  • A key component of the changes is the way in which services are funded, moving from block funding – where council receives set funding to deliver services – to fee-for-service models, where funding follows individual clients who can choose their own provider. 
  • The changes were designed to give older Australians greater choice in relation to services and providers but introduced considerable financial risk for council given the move away from the certainty of block funding. 
  • We encourage you to read council's full media release for further information regarding the decision, available here.

Reasoning

  • Council has decided to exit direct aged care service delivery due to the significant financial challenges and increased compliance requirements imposed by the aged care reforms. These are among some of the reasons why many other councils in the state have made the same decision.
  • More providers will likely enter the market to offer aged care services, which could make it difficult for council to remain cost-competitive, as these providers may deliver services more efficiently due to different cost structures, wage agreements and economies of scale.
  • It is widely known that council is facing financial pressure in an environment where there is decreasing state and federal funding opportunities, rising inflation, rate capping limitations and cost shifting events.
  • Council is focused on making long-term financially sustainable decisions that ensure we can efficiently provide the services we are legislated to deliver.
  • We are not the only council re-evaluating its service delivery in light of the aged care reforms. Several other councils have also transitioned aged care services to alternative providers as a result.
  • We remained focused on ensuring the community continued to have accessible and reliable aged care services and will be heavily involved in the transition process to ensure it is smooth for all involved.

Next steps

  1. Council will advise the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care of the decision to exit these services, with the department then having the final say as to who the new service providers will be. 
  2. Council’s recommendation is that East Wimmera Health Service and Grampians Community Health take over the services. Council will then exit direct service delivery in January 2027 with the exact date to be advised. 
  3. Some of our clients will have a new provider assigned by the Federal Government, while others will have the ability to choose from a range of providers to find one that meets their exact needs. We will communicate with clients individually to explain which situation applies to you and how to find a new provider, however, our priority is to ensure that your current care is not disrupted. Until we contact you, please be assured your care will continue as normal.

 

Frequently asked questions

The following aims to clarify some of the questions we know people may have. 

No. Clients will continue to receive their current service level from Northern Grampians Shire domestic care staff. There is no action required from clients in the short term. Clients will be contacted in due course outligning who their new provider will be and a start date.

All of council's current Community Care services will be impacted by this change, including:

  • Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)
  • Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA)
  • Home and Community Care Program for Younger People (HACC PYP)
  • Brokerage
  • Meal on wheels

No. Services will continue as usual with council supporting a smooth transition to new providers when the time comes for clients.

Some clients will have a new provider assigned by the Federal Government while others will have the ability to choose from a range of providers to find one that meets their exact needs.

We will communicate with people individually to explain which situation applies to you and how you can find a new provider, however, our priority for now is to ensure that your current care is not disrupted. Until we contact you, your care will continue as normal.

We understand the importance of familiar faces and consistent care. Any transition will be carefully planned to minimise disruption. We will also work with providers to support workforce transitions for our staff where possible.

Contact us

Clients can contact council by:

Email: commmunitycare@ngshire.vic.gov.au 

Phone: (03) 5358 0514

 

Media release

Council issued a media release following the council meeting which can be viewed on our website, here.

Engagement report

Following the conclusion of the community engagement period earlier this year, council collated the findings into an engagement report is which is available to view on our website, here.

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