Understanding the Intent and Expectations

Standard 2 requires the governing body to ensure that aged care services are safe, well-managed, and always improving. It calls for clear systems around staff training, workforce planning, performance reviews, and open feedback. The standard articulates that strong leadership and good systems are essential to providing high-quality care.

This standard is foundational, governing how all other standards are operationalised. It applies to every level of the organisation and directly shapes leadership capability, service governance, and the quality of the workforce.

Using Training to Meet Standard 2 Outcomes

Standard 2 includes 10 outcomes, several of which establish explicit expectations for workforce education, training systems, and organisational learning culture.

Below is a summary of the training focus stemming from each outcome in Standard 2.

Outcome	Training Focus
2.1 Partnering with individuals	Training in co-design, communication, feedback, and rights-based care.
2.2 Culture of quality, safety and inclusion	Induction training on organisational values, safety culture, and psychological safety.
2.3 Accountability and systems	Training on the quality system, audit, compliance processes, and open disclosure.
2.4–2.6 Risk, incident, complaints and feedback management	Skills in serious incident response (SIRS), reporting, and complaints resolution.
2.7 Information management	Digital literacy, record keeping, privacy, and consent training.
2.8 Workforce planning	Understanding workforce models, staffing adequacy, diversity and continuity.
2.9 Human resource management	Competency-based training on core matters, supervision, induction, and skills validation.
2.10 Emergency and disaster management	Role-specific emergency preparedness and response protocols.

Training System Requirements

Before listing the specific training topics, it's important to highlight that Action 2.9.5 in Standard 2 sets clear expectations for what a provider’s training system must include.

• Effective, regularly reviewed, and improved over time.
• Training must be role-specific, aligned to contemporary evidence-based practice, and the scope of care and services delivered by specific job roles.
• Informed by feedback, incidents, complaints, audits, and performance reviews.
• Training standards also apply to contractors, agency staff, and, where applicable, volunteers, who must be inducted and held to the same competency standards as the regular workforce.

Core Training Topics

Under 2.9.6, competency-based mandatory training to all aged care workers must be provided on core topics, which include:

• Person-centred, rights-based care
• Culturally safe, trauma-aware, healing-informed care
• Caring for people living with dementia
• Responding to medical emergencies
• Understanding and applying the Code of Conduct
• Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS)
• Strengthened aged care quality standards

Ausmed Modules to Meet Core Matters

The following modules from the Ausmed Library help you meet the education and training requirements of Standard 2.

Explore the full library here.

Core Matter Listed in Action 2.9.6	Ausmed Module	Duration (minutes)
Person-centred, rights-based care	Person-Centred, Rights-Based Care for the Older Person	12
Culturally safe, trauma-aware, healing-informed care	Culturally Safe, Trauma-Aware and Healing-Informed Care	25
Caring for people living with dementia	Dementia and Understanding Behavioural Changes	30
Responding to medical emergencies	Basic Life Support (BLS)	32
	Recognising Deterioration: Care Workers	23
Understanding and applying the Code of Conduct	The Code of Conduct for Aged Care
Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS)	Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS)	15
Strengthened aged care quality standards	Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards	40
Emergency and disaster management*	Emergency, Disaster and Evacuation Management	30

Who Needs Training?

Standard 2 communicates to all registered providers that training obligations extend to the entire organisation, including:

Workforce Group	Relevant Training Areas
Aged care workers	Mandatory training on core topics, additional learning based on feedback, performance reviews and as new needs arise, for example, as a result of complaints, quality indicator data and organisational priorities.
Managers and team leaders	Supervision skills, coaching for audit readiness, and skills to conduct performance management, including learning conversations.
Governing body, including executive teams	Clinical/corporate governance, legal obligations and psychological safety.
Contractors, agency staff and volunteers	Induction and role-based training as required.

What Will Be Audited?

Summary of Evidence Items: Standard 2

Below are the types and examples of evidence auditors may request relating to Standard 2 during an audit.

Evidence Type	Examples
Documents and records	Workforce strategy (provider and service level) aligned to Outcome 2.8 Risk mitigation strategies for workforce shortages (short, medium, long term) Strategies to maintain a satisfied and psychologically safe workforce Policies for supervision, performance reviews, and training/induction management Training matrices and needs analyses Documentation of training requirements (core and non-core) Systems for tracking worker qualifications, competencies, and incidents Continuous improvement plans (provider and service level) Records of improvements made to training systems Induction manuals and training resources Agreements with agency and subcontractors outlining roles and expectations Training records for all worker types (including agency and volunteers) Position descriptions for clinical and non-clinical roles Rosters and call bell data for assessing shift coverage Up-to-date worker files (e.g. pre-employment checks, qualifications)
Governing body feedback	What is the role of governance in ensuring a sufficient, skilled workforce? What oversight of recruitment, training, supervision, and performance systems do they have? What monitoring systems are in place, and provide examples of improvement actions taken?
Management feedback	Description of workforce strategy and monitoring practices Strategies for: Ensuring the right mix and number of workers Mitigating shortages and using contractors Ensuring qualifications and training currency How training is delivered, supervised, and evaluated Use of feedback, complaints, and performance reviews to improve training Training on core topics: Person-centred, rights-based care Culturally safe, trauma-aware and healing-informed care Caring for individuals living with dementia Responding to medical emergencies Code of Conduct SIRS Strengthened aged care quality standards Clinical care (where applicable) Supervision of agency and subcontractor workers
Worker feedback	If staff feel supported and safe at work Experiences of workforce sufficiency and short staffing Awareness of wellbeing and safety initiatives Access to support and training opportunities Perception of training adequacy and areas needing more support Experiences with competency training on core requirements Supervisor feedback on peer performance and support for learning
Third-party feedback	Ability to provide timely care and services Clarity on where to seek help or information from the provider
Experience of individuals	If they believe workers are trained, capable, and not rushed Reports on whether care was delivered safely, respectfully, and on time
Observations	Staffing levels are sufficient for care provision Display of training/support resources (e.g. noticeboards) Supervision of agency staff, students, and volunteers is validated in practice
Care outcomes	National mandatory quality indicator data relating to the percentage of staff turnover, and whether it is used to inform the workforce strategy

Watch our Webinars

Here is a list of the webinars Ausmed has delivered to support best practices in training and education under the strengthened aged care quality standards:

• Streamlining Induction Programs
• Mandatory Training Best-Practice
• Improving Compliance with Training
• Beyond Compliance – Defining Workforce Capability
• Preparing for Your First Audit Under the New Standards
• Is Your Training System Audit-Ready?
• Demonstrating Workforce Capability in Audits
• Competency Assessments for a Capable Workforce
• Getting Your Board Ready for an Audit
• Reporting Against the New Aged Care Standards
  

Why Regulation Drives Education

Standard 2 recognises that safe, inclusive, and high-quality care begins with strong governance, accountability, and a capable workforce. It places responsibility on the governing body to ensure systems are in place for leadership, training, performance, and risk management.

The Organisation is the operational foundation for all other standards. It reinforces that strong leadership and organisational systems are critical to providing safe, person-centred care across all standards.

This standard reminds us that regulation isn’t just about compliance. It’s one of the most powerful drivers for education. When done well, training becomes a vehicle to translate new standards into improved care, not just box-ticking.