With weeks to go before the 1 July rollout of the new Aged Care Act and Support at Home program, one message is clear: governance is no longer a back-office function. It’s a frontline enabler of quality, innovation, and trust.
The aged care sector is on the cusp of a major reset – and for boards, it’s about more than meeting regulations. It’s a chance to modernise oversight, embed rights-based care principles, and guide sustainable innovation from the top.
With the introduction of statutory duties for board members and a stronger focus on consumer rights, boards are being empowered to play a more strategic role. This includes driving digital transformation, rethinking risk, and shaping future-ready care models.
“This is not just about compliance, it’s about the board being able to lead the organisation into the new world of aged care,” said Darren Gossling, CEO and Managing Partner of business and IT Advisory firm, Rohling.
“It’s creating the opportunity for providers to set themselves up as leaders under the new regime.”
Future-focused tools boards should know
Digital capability is no longer optional – it’s essential. Fortunately, several tools and consultancies now support boards in strengthening compliance, financial sustainability, and strategic transformation.
Redmap
Redmap is an intelligent invoice processing platform that automates manual data entry, streamlines accounts payable workflows, and ensures accurate document handling. For boards, this solution delivers strong value by reducing financial and compliance risk, ensuring invoices are approved and processed in line with internal controls and funding rules. It also helps reduce administrative overheads, enabling staff to focus on frontline services. Critically, Redmap supports governance transparency, giving boards clearer oversight into financial workflows and audit trails.
AlayaCare
AlayaCare is a comprehensive cloud-based platform designed for aged care and disability service providers. It unifies clinical, operational, and financial management through features like care planning, rostering, billing, mobile documentation, and real-time compliance tracking. For boards, AlayaCare offers a strategic digital foundation that enhances visibility into care quality, workforce utilisation, and financial sustainability. Its data-rich dashboards enable evidence-based decision-making and support alignment with the new Aged Care Quality Standards, particularly around consumer dignity, service coordination, and outcome reporting.
Rohling
Rohling is a specialist aged care technology consultancy that provides strategic IT planning, infrastructure optimisation, and tailored digital solutions. For boards, Rohling serves as a critical partner in digital transformation, ensuring that technology investments are scalable, secure, and aligned with organisational goals. They help mitigate cyber risk, improve operational resilience, and support compliance with evolving regulatory standards. Rohling’s expertise is particularly useful for boards seeking long-term sustainability and innovation, offering clear roadmaps for tech enablement in increasingly complex care environments.
Governance as strategic advantage
The revised Aged Care Quality Standards, particularly Standard 2 on organisational governance, reinforce that quality care begins with good leadership. Boards must now demonstrate that they actively govern – not just oversee – critical areas like consumer dignity, clinical risk, service delivery, and workforce culture.
Instead of viewing compliance as a ceiling, high-performing boards are treating it as a floor – the minimum standard on which great governance is built. Many are already reshaping how they engage with consumers and frontline staff, ensuring board decisions are informed by lived experience.
“Your governing body is your registered directors with ASIC or anyone who acts as a director,” noted Anita Courtney, Principal at Russell Kennedy Lawyers, at the AlayaCare roadshow.
“You can’t set up a quasi-body and call that your governing body – it really is quite straightforward.”
Information governance and digital accountability
With increased data collection, cloud-based systems, and consumer reporting requirements, information governance has moved firmly into the boardroom.
Boards can no longer delegate information governance to CIOs alone – directors must understand what data is collected, how it’s secured, and how it impacts care.
This requires providers to have solid data systems in place from the beginning.
“It’s incumbent on providers to automate as much as they can,” said Ben Woolley, the CEO of Redmap. “This isn’t just an aged care issue – it’s good business practice.”
Cybersecurity and digital risk
Cybersecurity and digital risk are also now key board responsibilities, not just IT concerns.
“As the sector goes digital, the risk increases,” said Annette Hili (pictured top), the GM Australia & New Zealand of aged care software company AlayaCare.
“It’s often our people – not the technology – that opens the door to cyber threats. In aged care, where many staff don’t sit at desks, one phishing email can cause chaos. But that’s exactly why training is so critical, when we invest in our people, we turn our biggest risk into our greatest strength.”
Boards must ensure staff training, system protections, and robust safeguards are in place to protect consumer data and trust.
The importance of data and AI readiness
A standardised and considered approach to data – and the use of AI – is also becoming a sector – and board – priority, particularly given the increased emphasis on data accuracy and transparency
This includes open standards for data sharing, improved accessibility, and supporting emerging AI tools to improve operational efficiency.
“AI should be a supporting technology,” Darren stressed.
“It can help with multilingual support, care note automation, and data integration, but it should never make clinical decisions. Regulators like the TGA are involved to ensure AI is applied safely.”
Boards also have a responsibility to maintain secure, scalable IT systems. That will require them to take a greater interest in their technology and IT roadmap.
“Scalability is not just about infrastructure, it’s about transforming processes to help the workforce adapt the massive increase in demand in the coming years,” Darren added.
Boards as change agents
While the 1 July deadline brings urgency, the true opportunity lies in long-term transformation.
Boards that act now can shape a sector where care is proactive, digital systems reduce burden, and consumers are genuine partners.
CABs (Consumer Advisory Bodies), for example, are becoming more than feedback loops – they’re being invited to sit on governance subcommittees, influence service models, and strengthen trust.
Some providers are even piloting “consumer-in-residence” models, bringing lived experience directly into executive and board discussions.
Boards are also revisiting their risk frameworks to reflect new realities, including data security, AI readiness, and outsourced care. This ensures a more resilient organisation – ready not just for 1 July, but for the years ahead.
Five governance priorities for 1 July and beyond
- Reassess board capability: Bring in skills in care quality, digital, change leadership, and consumer engagement.
- Redefine risk frameworks: Go beyond finance – incorporate digital risk, consumer rights, and associate provider oversight.
- Elevate the consumer voice: Build CAB feedback into board meetings and governance decisions.
- Audit third-party contracts: Make sure external providers meet your quality and compliance obligations.
- Lead strategic planning: Ask: Is our current model viable under Support at Home? What’s our long-term value proposition?
The final word: governance will define sector leadership
Boards who step into this moment – equipped with the right tools, mindsets, and partners – won’t just survive the transition. They’ll define the future of aged care in Australia.
