Sexual safety in aged care is often discussed as a residential issue, but much of the risk sits in private homes. A worker visits alone, family members and other household members come and go, and the older person may live with cognitive impairment. At the same time, workers can face sexual harassment from the people they support.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission now expects providers to treat this as a priority. This article covers both sides of the issue the Commission names, safety and rights, and sets out the controls, responses and reporting a home care provider needs in place. It is general information, not legal advice.
Key Takeaways
- The Commission's Quality Bulletin #8-2026 lists sexual safety and sexual rights as one of four sector risk priorities that will guide extra regulatory attention through 2026-27.
- Older people have a right to sexual expression and relationships, so a sexual safety approach that only restricts behaviour misses half of what the Commission is looking for.
- Home care risk comes from several directions: workers, family or other household members, visitors, other clients and, for workers, the clients themselves.
- SIRS applies to home services, so unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct connected to the care you deliver must be managed and reported under your incident system.
- Prevention rests on screening, the Aged Care Code of Conduct, sensible rostering and supervision, and training that gives workers the words to respond to a disclosure.
Why Sexual Safety Is a Commission Priority for 2026-27
Sexual safety is on the regulator's list because the Commission has said it will focus where action can have the greatest impact on safety, wellbeing and rights. In Quality Bulletin #8-2026, Commissioner Liz Hefren-Webb announced four sector risk priorities for 2026-27: aged care rights in practice, sexual safety and sexual rights, de-escalating changed behaviours, and culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by mainstream providers.
The bulletin says these priorities will guide extra regulatory attention, engagement and education through the year. For home care providers, that means sexual safety is a likely topic in audits, assessments and complaint follow-up.
Sexual Rights Are Part of Sexual Safety
Respecting sexual rights means supporting older people to have relationships, intimacy and sexual expression on their own terms. A provider that treats every sign of sexuality as a risk to be managed is not meeting the standard the Commission has set out, because the priority is named "sexual safety and sexual rights", not safety alone.
In home care, a client may want privacy with a partner during visit times, may want help to buy a product, or may start a new relationship that family members disapprove of. Workers need to know that the client's choices lead, that their own values are not the test, and when to escalate. A clear sexuality and intimacy policy gives workers that guidance in writing.
Where capacity is in question, the issues get harder. Our separate article on consent and capacity in aged care covers how to tell consensual from non-consensual conduct, so this article stays with the home care setting and the provider system around it.
How the Risks Look Different in Home Care
Home care risks differ because the provider controls far less of the environment. There is often no second worker, which changes how harm can happen and how long it goes unnoticed.
- Lone workers - one worker, one client, behind a closed door; less chance of a colleague noticing a pattern
- Family and household members - harm may come from a spouse, adult child, boarder or visitor rather than staff; the worker may be the only outsider who sees it
- Cognitive impairment - a client with dementia may not be able to report harm, or may display disinhibited behaviour towards a worker
- Personal care tasks - showering, dressing and continence support involve touch and nudity, which raises the stakes for boundaries and supervision
- Worker exposure - workers can be sexually harassed or assaulted by clients or household members, often with no immediate backup
Prevention Controls for Home Care Providers
Prevention starts before a worker enters a client's home, and each control below should be written down, trained and checked.
Screening and Code of Conduct
Recruitment screening and worker checks are the first line of defence against home care worker misconduct. The Aged Care Code of Conduct applies to providers, responsible persons and workers, and it should be part of induction, supervision and performance conversations, not just a signed form on file. Make the expected boundaries plain: no sexual comments, no unnecessary touch, no relationships with clients, and no contact outside rostered work.
Rostering and Supervision
Rostering choices can reduce risk without reducing choice. Ask clients about their preferences for the gender of the worker providing personal care, rotate workers where a single long-term pairing leaves no outside view, and schedule regular supervisor visits or check-ins. Watch for warning signs such as a worker asking for extra unrostered time with one client or discouraging changes to the roster.
Training and Policy
Training should cover what sexual abuse looks like, how to respond to a disclosure and how to report. Tie it to your abuse and neglect prevention policy so that workers learn the same steps the policy sets out. Short scenario practice works better than a slide deck.
Recognising and Responding to a Disclosure
When a client discloses sexual harm, the worker's first job is to listen, believe and keep the person safe. A trauma-informed response is calm and plain, and it does not push for detail.
- Listen without interrupting - let the person speak in their own words and thank them for telling you
- Do not investigate - avoid leading questions; record what was said, in the person's words, as soon as possible
- Make the person safe - if there is immediate danger, call emergency services; do not leave the person alone with the alleged perpetrator
- Preserve evidence - avoid washing, cleaning or changing bedding where possible, unless the person's health or wishes require it
- Escalate the same day - tell your supervisor straight away so the provider can assess police involvement, medical support and SIRS reporting
Workers should also know the less direct signs: unexplained bruising in intimate areas, new fear of a particular person, changes in mood or sleep, or reluctance to accept personal care. These are reasons to escalate, not to diagnose. Clinicians and managers assess; workers report what they see.
SIRS Reporting for Unlawful Sexual Contact
SIRS applies to home services, so home care providers must manage and report sexual incidents connected to their care just as residential providers do. As our article on why SIRS applies in home care explains, the scheme is not limited to residential facilities.
Unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct is a reportable incident type. In substance, a provider needs to identify the incident, take immediate action to protect the client, notify the Commission within the required timeframe for the incident's priority, consider police involvement where conduct may be criminal, and investigate and record what it learned. Your SIRS policy should spell out who decides priority, who notifies the Commission and how the client is supported throughout.
Bulletin #8-2026 notes an 18 August 2026 webinar on incident reporting changes under the new Act, so check your procedures reflect current requirements.
Protecting Workers From Sexual Harassment
Sexual safety also covers the workforce, because home care workers can be harassed by clients or other people in the home. Providers owe workers a safe workplace, and a private home is still a workplace.
Practical controls include a pre-visit risk assessment that records known behaviours, a clear right for workers to leave an unsafe situation, check-in and duress arrangements, and a debrief after any incident. Our guide to lone worker safety covers the call-in and escalation side in more detail.
Where a client with cognitive impairment displays sexualised behaviour, treat it as a care need to be assessed, not a moral failing. A behaviour support approach protects the worker and respects the client at the same time.
Related Resources
- Serious incident response scheme policy template
- Trauma-informed care policy template
- Recognising and responding to abuse and neglect training
- Mandatory reporting and SIRS training guide
- The Aged Care Code of Conduct in home care
- Consensual vs non-consensual sexual conduct in aged care
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SIRS apply to sexual incidents in home care?
Yes. SIRS applies to home services, and unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct is a reportable incident type. Incidents connected to the care you deliver must be managed, reported to the Commission and investigated under your incident management system.
What if the alleged perpetrator is a family member, not a worker?
The provider still has a duty to protect the client and respond. Escalate internally, consider police and other supports, and check your SIRS policy for whether and how the incident must be reported. Record the decision and the reasons for it.
Can a worker refuse to support a client's sexual expression?
Workers are not required to take part in any sexual activity, and providers should never ask them to. They should, however, respect the client's privacy and choices, such as leaving the room or rescheduling a visit, and raise any concerns with a supervisor rather than acting on personal views.
How should we respond when a client sexually harasses a worker?
Support the worker first, record the incident and review the risk assessment. If the client has cognitive impairment, arrange an assessment of the behaviour and update the care plan. Consider whether the behaviour is a reportable incident affecting other people, and adjust rostering where needed.
How often should sexual safety training happen?
Include it at induction and refresh it regularly, along with any change to policy or reporting rules. Short scenario sessions in team meetings keep the steps fresh.
Home Care Needs Its Own Sexual Safety System
Sexual safety at home cannot rely on the controls built for residential settings, because the worker is usually alone and the provider sees less. The Commission has made sexual safety and sexual rights a 2026-27 priority, so expect questions on both protection and choice. Start by reviewing your sexuality and intimacy, abuse prevention and SIRS policies side by side to check they give workers one consistent set of steps. Governa's policy templates and Norma, the AI assistant, can help you map that evidence before your next assessment.
