The ACQSC sector risk priorities for 2026-27 tell home care providers where the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission will look harder over the coming year. As reported in the Commission's Quality Bulletin #8-2026, Commissioner Liz Hefren-Webb announced four priorities at a CEDA event: aged care rights in practice, sexual safety and sexual rights, de-escalating changed behaviours, and the delivery of culturally safe care by mainstream providers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
None of these is new law, but each is harder to get right when a worker is alone in someone's home. This guide covers what a sector risk priority means, what each one looks like in home care, and what a board should do in the next 90 days. It is general information, not legal advice.
Key Takeaways
- The Commission has named four sector risk priorities for 2026-27, and they guide extra regulatory attention, engagement and education across the year.
- Rights in practice means showing that the older person's choices shape the service, including choices that carry some risk.
- Sexual safety and sexual rights are one priority, so providers need to prevent harm and respect intimacy and identity at the same time.
- Mainstream providers are expected to deliver culturally safe care to First Nations clients, not refer the responsibility elsewhere.
- Boards should be able to show a written plan, owners and evidence for each priority within one quarter.
What Is a Sector Risk Priority?
A sector risk priority is an area the Commission has chosen to focus on because action there can have the greatest impact on safety, wellbeing and rights. According to the bulletin, the priorities guide extra regulatory attention, engagement and education through 2026-27. Expect these themes in assessment conversations, complaints handling and Commission education material.
The priorities sit alongside obligations that already apply. The Aged Care Act 2024 includes a Statement of Rights, the Aged Care Code of Conduct applies to providers, responsible persons and workers, the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) applies to home services, and restrictive practices are regulated. A priority does not change those rules. It tells you which of them the regulator is watching most closely this year.
Priority 1: Aged Care Rights in Practice
Aged care rights in practice means the Statement of Rights is visible in everyday decisions, not just in a brochure handed over at intake. In home care, the risk usually looks like quiet overriding: a worker skipping a shower because the client is slow, a family member deciding what the older person "really" wants, or a care partner refusing a request because it feels risky. The Commission engaged research agency WhereTo to study how providers apply rights-based care and how older people experience it, using practical scenarios that balance rights against risk.
Governance actions for home care providers:
- Map rights to practice - link each right in your consumer charter to the procedures workers actually follow, and update your material on rights and responsibilities in aged care so it matches.
- Record risk conversations - when a client chooses something risky, document the discussion, the options offered and the decision in their own words.
- Support decision-making - train care partners on supported decision-making and the role of registered supporters, using the free OPAN modules on Alis.
- Use complaints as data - report rights-related complaints to the board separately so patterns are visible.
An assessor is likely to look for care plans that reflect the client's goals, records of dignity of risk discussions, training completion, and board minutes showing rights issues were discussed. Bring those together as evidence of compliance in home care before anyone asks for it.
Priority 2: Sexual Safety and Sexual Rights
The second priority pairs protection from sexual harm with respect for an older person's sexuality, relationships and identity. In home care, workers deliver intimate personal care behind closed doors, often alone, which raises the risk of harm and makes it harder to detect. Harm can come from a worker, a visitor or someone the older person lives with. At the same time, a worker's discomfort can lead to rights being suppressed, such as discouraging a new relationship or ignoring how a client describes their gender or sexuality.
Governance actions:
- One policy, two duties - write a policy that covers both prevention of sexual harm and support for sexual rights, so workers are not left to guess.
- Screening and conduct - tie worker screening, supervision and the Code of Conduct to personal care rostering.
- Clear reporting paths - make sure workers know how to raise a concern and how incidents flow into SIRS.
- Training - teach workers to recognise warning signs and respond without judgement.
Expect an assessor to ask for incident records, training records and examples of care plans that respect identity. The detail on prevention, response and rights sits in our guide to sexual safety in home care.
Priority 3: De-escalating Changed Behaviours
De-escalating changed behaviours means responding to distress in ways that calm the situation and protect everyone, without sliding into restrictive practices. At home, workers arrive into an environment they do not control, may not know what triggers a client's distress, and often work alongside tired family carers. When something goes wrong, there is no colleague to step in, and a worker who feels unsafe may cut a visit short, leaving the older person without care. Both outcomes are risks the board needs to see.
Governance actions:
- Know the person - record known triggers and what helps in the care plan, written so a new worker can use it on their first visit.
- Escalate early - set a clear path for workers to escalate to a clinician or care partner. Workers escalate; clinicians assess.
- Guard against restriction - restrictive practices are regulated, and the Department has published a fact sheet on the role of restrictive practices substitute decision-makers. Check that no informal restriction, such as locking a door, has crept in.
- Learn from incidents - review behaviour-related incidents for patterns and feed the lessons back into training.
Evidence includes behaviour support information in care plans, incident analysis and worker training. For frontline techniques and escalation steps, read our guide on de-escalating changed behaviours at home.
Priority 4: Culturally Safe Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
The fourth priority is aimed squarely at mainstream providers: culturally safe care for First Nations older people is their responsibility, not something to hand to a specialist service. The Commission's Corporate Plan 2026-27 also names strengthening culturally safe care as a focus area. In home care, the risks include not asking whether a client identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, workers who have not been trained in cultural safety, and services that ignore family, community and Country. A First Nations client who does not feel safe may quietly decline services, so low uptake can itself be a warning sign.
Governance actions:
- Ask and record respectfully - build the identity question into intake and explain why you ask.
- Build capability - train workers in cultural safety and use the Commission's First Nations Hub and the OPAN module "Who's missing: Planning for diversity".
- Work with community - build relationships with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations for advice and referral.
- Ask for feedback - seek feedback from First Nations clients and families in a way that suits them, and act on it.
Assessors will look for intake records, training, community partnerships and changes made after feedback. Our deep dive on culturally safe care for First Nations clients covers each step.
A 90-Day Board Plan for the Four Priorities
Boards should treat the priorities as a standing agenda item for the next quarter, with named owners and evidence due dates. Start by checking that your governance and board accountability policy gives the board a clear line of sight to clinical and rights risks.
- Days 1 to 30 - assign an executive owner to each priority; run a gap check against current policies, training and incident data; brief the board.
- Days 31 to 60 - update policies and care plan templates; schedule worker training, including the free Alis modules; set reporting measures such as rights complaints, behaviour incidents and First Nations client feedback.
- Days 61 to 90 - audit a sample of care plans for each priority; table the findings and an evidence pack at the board; set the next review date.
Governa's policy templates and Norma, the AI assistant, can help draft policies and map evidence, but ownership stays with your people.
Related Resources
- Consumer rights, dignity and choice policy template
- Dignity of risk and positive risk-taking policy template
- Advocacy and access policy template
- Governance and board accountability policy template
- Dignity of risk in home care guide
- Registered supporters and consent in home services
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the sector risk priorities create new obligations for providers?
No. The Commission describes them as guiding extra regulatory attention, engagement and education through 2026-27. Your obligations still come from the Aged Care Act 2024, the Aged Care Rules 2025, the Statement of Rights and the Code of Conduct.
Do the priorities apply to home care providers?
Yes. The bulletin presents them as sector risk priorities and does not limit them to one care setting. Each risk appears in home services, often with less supervision, so home care providers should plan for them.
Where can our workers get free training on these topics?
Alis is free for registered providers and their workers. The Commission's bulletin lists new OPAN modules on planning for diversity, supported decision-making including the role of registered supporters, and short videos on rights-based practice.
How should a home care worker report a sexual safety concern?
Workers should report to their supervisor straight away through your incident management system, and the provider then decides whether the incident is reportable under SIRS, which applies to home services. Your policy should spell out who decides and who notifies.
What will an assessor want to see first?
Expect questions about how you know the priorities are working in practice. Care plans, incident and complaints data, training records and board minutes are the most direct evidence.
Treat the Four Priorities as Audit Prompts
The Commission has given clear notice of where it will look in 2026-27. Home care providers that turn each priority into an owner, a measure and an evidence pack will be ready when the questions come. Start this week by naming an executive owner for each of the four priorities and booking the first board briefing.
