Standard 2: The Organisation

Standard 2 places responsibility for quality and safety with the organisation's governing body, but good governance only works when workers bring it to life. The first three outcomes cover partnering with older people, building a culture of quality and safety, and having accountability and quality systems such as policies, procedures and continuous improvement. For you, this means following our policies, sharing ideas for improvement, supporting older people to have a say in how services run, and feeling safe to raise concerns without fear of blame.

Outcomes 2.4, 2.5 and 2.6 require organisations to manage risk, manage incidents and welcome feedback and complaints. As a worker you are often the first to notice a hazard or an incident. Report risks early, report every incident and near miss using our incident process, and know that some incidents must be notified to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission under the Serious Incident Response Scheme. Treat complaints as a chance to improve, help older people raise concerns, and never discourage or punish anyone for complaining. Open disclosure means being honest when things go wrong.

Outcome 2.7 requires accurate, up to date and secure records. That means writing clear, factual notes promptly, keeping personal information private and only accessing records you need for your work. Outcomes 2.8 and 2.9 require organisations to plan their workforce and make sure every worker is screened, trained, supported and competent for their role. For you, this means keeping your worker screening and training current, completing required training, working within your role and skills, and asking for help or supervision when a task is new to you.

Outcome 2.10 requires organisations to plan for, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters such as fires, floods, heatwaves, power outages and disease outbreaks. Older people are often more vulnerable in these events, and home care clients may be isolated. Workers need to know our emergency procedures, where to find each person's emergency information, how to raise the alarm, and how to check on the people they support. This lesson explains your part in preparing and responding, and closes the course with a summary of Standard 2.

This case study follows Mr Joseph Mensah, a resident who falls beside his bed during the night. It shows how an aged care worker responds safely by following our falls procedure, getting the registered nurse to check him before he is moved, and then reporting the incident. It also shows what the organisation does next: open disclosure with Mr Mensah and his family, a review of his falls risk, and changes to reduce the chance of it happening again. Key points: follow the procedure, report every fall, and see incidents as a chance to learn.

This case study follows Mrs Aiko Tanaka, who receives home care and has concerns about her meals and about seeing a different worker every week. She does not want to complain because she worries it will cause trouble. The lesson shows how her support worker reassures her that feedback is welcome and safe, asks her permission to pass it on, and uses our feedback process. It also shows how feedback leads to change. Key points: make it safe to raise concerns, respect the person's wishes, pass feedback on properly, and close the loop.

This case study follows Tariq, a home care worker, on a day when a severe storm and flood warning is issued for his area. One of his clients, Mr Harold Finch, lives alone, walks with a frame and says he will not leave his home. The lesson shows how Tariq follows our emergency plan, stays calm, respects Mr Finch while taking the warning seriously, and keeps his team leader informed. It closes with a summary of the whole course. Key points: know our plan, follow official warnings, and escalate quickly.