Hepburn Shire Council to vote on withdrawing from aged care service delivery

Officers have recommended councillors vote to finalise the decision following community feedback and the release of further details about upcoming nationwide changes to aged care home support programs.

Hepburn Shire Council made public an in-principle decision to transition out of aged care service delivery in November 2021.

An officer's report published in the council meeting agenda states council is 'ill-equipped and not suited' to continue as a provider following 'significant' Commonwealth reforms in the last 10 years.

The current Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) will transition to the new Support at Home program after 30 June, 2023, with 'radical' changes revealed in January.

The changes include individualised support plans for clients, a new integrated assessment tool that controls access to all aged care services and an increased reliance on technology for clients and payment platforms.

"This information... confirms council would not be able to effectively operate under the new program without significant investment in changes to its operating model and reduction in operating costs," the council report says.

The new Support at Home program will offer a range of providers with a market-based model and require that providers offer a suite of services across in-home, personal, nursing, and allied health.

"This will require more efficient providers who can deliver services across a broad spectrum of needs," the council report says.

"Council will proactively manage an effective transition out of service delivery and ensure that all clients (and especially those clients that are vulnerable or at risk of social isolation) are provided with support.

The officer's report states engagement with staff, clients and community will be used to inform the transition out of service delivery, if that is what councillors decide on Tuesday night.

"Overwhelmingly most (clients) were not worried as long as a service continued and their personal service wasn't disrupted by the transition," the report reveals.

The report says council has undertaken an expression of interest process and identified a 'values-aligned' potential provider that it would recommend to the Commonwealth and then work with in the transition.

Six expressions of interest were received and four not-for-profit service providers were interviewed.

Council would withdraw from services including domestic assistance, personal care, respite, social support, food services and home maintenance and modifications if the decision was to go ahead.

The federal government requires transitions to be completed by 30 June 2022.

Council will shift its focus from service delivery to investment in broader age-friendly and positive ageing policy initiatives if councillors support the officers report to withdraw from services.

The Courier understands 18 staff members would be affected by the decision.

"Council accepts its moral and industrial obligations to all staff affected by this decision," the report states.

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