ALL aged care workers must have a police background check by June under new controls outlined today.

 

Minister for Ageing Santo Santoro today unveiled the specific new requirements for aged care providers, their employees and volunteers.

 

"From 1 March this year, new employees and volunteers in Australian Government subsidised aged care services will be required to undergo police checks to determine their suitability to work with vulnerable older Australians," Senator Santoro said.

 

Existing staff will be required to have a police check, or have submitted an application to the police, by June 1.

 

Volunteers will have three months longer, until September 1.

Police checks also will be required for contractors who have unsupervised access to care recipients, including aged care staff employed through an agency.

 

If the police check shows a conviction for murder or sexual assault, or a prison sentence for any form of assault, the person will be banned from working in aged care homes.

 

"In the case of less serious convictions, aged care providers must have procedures in place for assessing a person's suitability for employment in aged care," Senator Santoro said.

 

"Such policies must consider the position held by the employee and the level of risk to care recipients, including the extent of direct and unsupervised contact."

 

Anyone who refuses to have a police check will be banned from working in the aged care sector.

 

The tough new background checks come as part of the Howard Government's $100 million response to the revelation last year that a small number of elderly people had been abused in aged care.

 

Several other measures will be implemented on March 1, including a new government office to investigate elderly abuse claims, compulsory reporting of elderly abuse by aged care staff and at least one unannounced spot check of every aged care home each year.

 

"These amendments will provide a safer environment for older Australians by excluding unsuitable people from working in aged care," Senator Santoro said