Staff Rostering and Workforce Planning Policy

This policy sets out how Australian aged care providers must plan, schedule, and maintain a compliant workforce, including meeting the 24/7 registered nurse mandate under the Aged Care Act 2024. Facility managers and directors of nursing can use this template to build rostering practices that align with Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standard 2 and the needs of residents.

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Staff Rostering and Workforce Planning Policy

Rostering in aged care is more than filling shifts. It is a compliance obligation, a risk management tool, and a direct reflection of how well a provider meets its duty of care to residents. This policy template helps Australian aged care providers build rostering and workforce planning practices that meet current legislative requirements, including the 24/7 registered nurse mandate under the Aged Care Act 2024.

This page is designed for facility managers, directors of nursing, clinical leads, and compliance officers who need a ready-to-use policy they can adapt for their organisation.

What This Policy Covers

A staff rostering and workforce planning policy sets the rules for how your organisation schedules its workforce across all care settings. It covers how rosters are prepared, approved, and monitored, as well as how staffing gaps are managed when they arise.

The policy applies to all residential aged care staff, including registered nurses, enrolled nurses, personal care workers, allied health staff, and administration. It also addresses contingency staffing, agency use, and how rostering data feeds into broader workforce planning decisions.

Why This Policy Matters for Aged Care Compliance

Two specific obligations make a formal rostering policy non-negotiable for Australian residential aged care providers.

Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standard 2 (The Organisation) requires providers to have governance systems in place that support safe, person-centred care. Workforce planning is explicitly part of that expectation. Auditors will look for documented processes that show staffing decisions are made deliberately and are linked to resident acuity and care needs.

The Aged Care Act 2024 introduced a 24/7 registered nurse mandate for residential facilities. Providers must have a registered nurse on site at all times. Failing to meet this requirement is a serious compliance breach. A rostering policy must include specific provisions that account for this requirement, including escalation steps when RN coverage is at risk.

RequirementRelevant Standard or LegislationRostering Policy Obligation24/7 registered nurse on siteAged Care Act 2024Rosters must confirm RN coverage every shift; escalation process required when coverage is at riskWorkforce governance systemsQuality Standard 2 (The Organisation)Documented rostering processes linked to resident care needs and acuity dataSafe staffing levelsQuality Standard 2 and Aged Care Act 2024Staffing ratios reviewed against resident acuity, with records maintainedWorkforce capabilityQuality Standard 2Staff rostered to roles must hold required qualifications and current competencies

What a Good Rostering Policy Should Include

A well-written rostering policy goes beyond listing who works when. It documents the decision-making process behind every roster and sets clear accountability for when things go wrong.

Key elements include:

How rosters are prepared in advance and who approves them
Minimum staffing levels by shift type and care setting
How the 24/7 RN requirement is confirmed and documented each shift
Processes for managing short-notice absences, including who to call first
Rules around the use of agency or pool staff, including how compliance is checked before they are rostered
How rostering data is used in quarterly workforce planning reviews
Links to your Workforce Training and Competency Policy to confirm that staff rostered to specific roles hold the required skills

If your organisation is building or updating its policy suite, the Governa Policy Templates Library includes over 35 templates covering workforce, clinical governance, and resident rights, all aligned to the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.

How Governa Helps Providers Stay Compliant

Governa's AI-powered compliance tools help aged care providers identify gaps in their rostering practices before an audit does. The Norma compliance bot can cross-reference your current policies against Quality Standard 2 and the Aged Care Act 2024, flagging where documentation is missing or out of date.

For providers building out their workforce policies from scratch, it is worth pairing this template with the Staff Recruitment and Selection Policy to create a joined-up approach to workforce governance from hire to rostering.

Governa templates are written by aged care compliance specialists and updated when standards or legislation change, so you are not relying on templates that may already be out of date.

Download This Policy Template

The free downloadable version of this policy is below. It is formatted as a complete document with numbered sections, a definitions table, roles and responsibilities, and document control fields. Customise it for your facility and insert it directly into your policy management system.

To see how Governa can automate compliance monitoring across your full policy suite, book a demo at governa.ai.

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