Who regulates aged care in Australia? Two bodies carry most of the load. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DoHDA) develops the laws, rules and policy and runs the funding programs. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is the national regulator that registers, monitors and, when needed, takes enforcement action against providers.
Around those two sit the Complaints Commissioner, the Inspector-General of Aged Care, an advisory council and a pricing adviser. This article maps each role, using the Department's own guide as the base, so you know who to deal with and why.
Key Takeaways
- DoHDA is the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. It makes aged care law and policy and administers funding, and its Secretary is the System Governor.
- The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission regulates providers. It manages registration and renewal, monitors compliance, oversees reportable incidents and complaints, and can issue notices and banning orders.
- The Inspector-General of Aged Care monitors the whole system and reports to the Minister and Parliament. It is not a provider-level regulator.
- IHACPA advises government on pricing but does not set the price. The government decides and announces it.
- Match the question to the body: registration, incidents, complaints and worker screening compliance go to the Commission, while funding rules and program assurance sit with the Department.
What does DoHDA mean?
DoHDA stands for the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the Commonwealth department responsible for aged care policy and funding. The DoHDA glossary entry covers how the term is used across aged care.
The department used to be called the Department of Health and Aged Care. Its 2024-25 annual report says the renaming took effect from 13 May 2025, so older guidance and forms may still carry the former name.
The Aged Care Act 2024, the Aged Care Rules 2025, the Statement of Rights and Support at Home all commenced on 1 November 2025. The Department's guide says the new Act changes the regulatory model, the Quality Standards, feedback and complaints processes, and system governance. This is general information, not legal advice.
Who does what in aged care regulation?
The table follows the Department's guide on aged care regulatory and governance roles, with IHACPA taken from its own page.
- Secretary of the Department (System Governor) - What it does: Manages the operation and oversight of the aged care system, including facilitating equitable access to funded services
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner - What it does: Regulates quality, safety and financial matters, and manages provider registration and renewal
- Complaints Commissioner - What it does: An independent officer within the Commission who handles complaints about aged care services
- Inspector-General of Aged Care - What it does: Monitors the aged care system and reports to the Minister and Parliament
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council - What it does: Advises the Commissioner and Minister about how the Commission performs its functions
- IHACPA - What it does: Develops pricing and costing advice for government on residential aged care funding
What do DoHDA and the System Governor do?
The Department develops the laws and policies and seeks to meet community expectations, especially those of older people, their families and carers. Its listed responsibilities include developing and implementing the Act, administering the regulatory model, and managing policy for the Statement of Rights, the Aged Care Code of Conduct and the Quality Standards.
It also establishes worker screening for aged care workers, supports worker training, and publishes data on sector and provider performance. The Secretary holds the System Governor role, which includes stewardship of the system and increasing services in areas of unmet demand. The Department also monitors provider obligations connected to its own functions, such as program assurance, and can use notices to make a provider do, or not do, certain things.
What does the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission do?
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission describes itself as the national aged care regulator. It registers providers, monitors them, supports continuous improvement and takes enforcement action when necessary.
Its reach goes beyond providers. The Department's guide lists government-funded providers, responsible persons, aged care workers and digital platform operators. It monitors compliance with the Statement of Rights, the Code of Conduct and the Quality Standards.
The Commission can use notices and banning orders, which can stop or restrict a provider, worker or responsible person from delivering services in certain situations. It also oversees reportable incidents, including the Serious Incident Response Scheme, and enforces the Financial and Prudential Standards. Our guide to Commission regulatory action explains how escalation works.
Where does the Complaints Commissioner fit?
The Complaints Commissioner is an independent officer within the Commission. The role handles complaints about aged care services and promotes better complaints management and transparency.
For providers, a complaint that cannot be settled locally can end up with the Commission, which manages and resolves complaints about registered providers, responsible persons and workers. A documented complaints process, and records showing it was followed, is the best preparation.
What does the Inspector-General of Aged Care do?
The Inspector-General monitors the aged care system and reports to the Minister and Parliament. Based on the Department's description, the role looks at how the system performs as a whole, so a provider does not normally register with it or report incidents to it.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council is different again. It advises the Commissioner and the Minister about the performance of the Commission's functions.
Who sets prices, and who handles means testing?
IHACPA provides pricing and costing advice to the Australian Government on the AN-ACC funding model for residential aged care and residential respite care. Government then determines and announces the annual price, and IHACPA publishes its advice after the Minister agrees. Its role in residential aged care page sets out the process.
Services Australia carries out means assessments for people entering permanent residential care. Its pages say the assessment works out how much a person pays towards care fees and accommodation costs. On Support at Home pricing, the Commission's website points to a Regulatory Bulletin on pricing requirements and provider obligations.
Who should a provider contact, and when?
The table matches common situations to the roles above. Check the current official page for the exact process before you act.
- Registration, renewal or a change that needs notifying - Body to deal with: The Commission
- Funding rules and program assurance - Body to deal with: The Department
- Worker screening requirements - Body to deal with: The Department sets the requirements, the Commission checks compliance
- Reportable incidents - Body to deal with: The Commission
- Complaints about your service - Body to deal with: The Commission, including the Complaints Commissioner
- A notice or banning order - Body to deal with: The body that issued it
- Pricing advice and consultations - Body to deal with: IHACPA advises, government decides
A care manager whose client or family questions an assessed fee should point them to the means assessment outcome, and involve the Commission only if the issue is about provider conduct. A provider that receives a notice should respond to the body named on it, within the timeframe stated on it.
A peak body is different again. It represents a group such as providers or older people, so use it for sector advice and advocacy, not for regulatory decisions.
How do the regulators connect to your evidence?
Each body asks for different proof, but the underlying records overlap. The Commission looks at compliance with the Quality Standards, the Statement of Rights and the Code of Conduct. The Department's assurance work looks at funding obligations. Both depend on what you can show: current policies, incident records, complaint logs, worker screening checks and clear decision trails.
Keep one set of source records and be ready to show it to whichever body asks. Our article on how the Commission impacts risk is a useful start for risk registers. Name an owner for Commission contact, one for Department queries and one for incident reporting, so correspondence never sits in a shared inbox.
How do you keep up with changes?
Roles, forms and guidance change as the new system settles. Treat the Department's guide as a starting map and the official agency pages as the current detail. Set a regular review, and record the date you checked, what changed and who was told. Our new Aged Care Act guide and the aged care services in Australia guide give the wider context.
Related Resources
- DoHDA glossary entry
- Understanding Aged Care Act 2024 training document
- Commission regulatory action
- New Aged Care Act guide
- Policy mapping to standards
- Department roles guide
- IHACPA role in residential aged care
Common Questions About Who Regulates Aged Care
1. Is DoHDA the aged care regulator?
No. DoHDA develops laws, policy and funding programs. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is the regulator that registers and monitors providers and takes enforcement action.
2. Who is the System Governor?
The Secretary of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing holds the System Governor role, which manages the operation and oversight of the aged care system.
3. Where do aged care complaints go?
Complaints about aged care services are handled by the Commission, and the Complaints Commissioner is an independent officer within it. Providers should still try to resolve complaints locally and keep records of how they did.
4. Does IHACPA set aged care prices?
No. IHACPA develops pricing and costing advice. The government determines and announces the price.
5. What is the difference between the Commission and the Inspector-General?
The Commission regulates providers, workers and responsible persons. The Inspector-General monitors the system as a whole and reports to the Minister and Parliament.
Know Which Regulator Needs Which Evidence
The Department writes the rules and runs the programs, and the Commission enforces them against providers, workers and responsible persons. The Complaints Commissioner, Inspector-General, advisory council and IHACPA each have narrower roles. Knowing the difference stops incidents, complaints and funding questions reaching the wrong desk.
This week, list the regulatory contact points your organisation uses and name an owner for each. Then check each one against the Department's roles guide and the current official pages.
