Making Support at Home Reforms Work for Your Strategy
If it weren’t for the new government regulations rolling out, some of us wouldn’t be glancing back at the way we operate. This new Aged Care reform is forcing change and although disruptive, and it feels like it’s never at the “right time”, one thing is for sure; this is an opportunity to enhance how we deliver our services and care for our customers. As positive as that all sounds, whenever our teams are disrupted, and our operations are in overdrive to compensate for this disruption, this change can feel like it’s more of a headache than anything else. Instead of seeing this as just another compliance headache, what if you could turn it into a strategic advantage? Since you have to change, why not make sure this change also benefits your organisation’s long-term goals?
Aligning the Change to Your Strategy
Sounds good right? Now knowing our clients, they instantly what a checklist they can tick off. This makes them feel in control and productive. However, before you rush into ticking off compliance checklists, pause and reflect:
What is this change really asking us to do?
How does it align with our purpose, mission, and strategic priorities?
What’s different, and what stays the same?
As hard as pausing is especially in a time that calls for taking instantaneous action, it is the most effective way to ensure that when we do take action, it is intentional and it is going to make a lasting positive impact.
From our experience, this is what we know; most of the time, your core purpose doesn’t change, but how you deliver it might. These reforms force a reset, so use this moment to check if your service models, workforce approach, and financial plans still align with where you want to go. We would even encourage that now is the time to stress test these. The more you focus on this element of your strategy, the less likely you will need to double handle in the future.
Three6 Tip: Map it out
Write down the regulatory requirements, what you need to do about them, your existing strategy, and look for overlaps. This helps prioritise effort and ensures you’re making purposeful changes rather than just reacting
Balancing Compliance & Strategic Growth
A part of mapping this all out is making sure that we understand the key compliance actions and deadlines for these new support at home changes. Some actions are non-negotiable, and missing them could mean funding risks or operational shutdowns. It would be fair to say that this would delay you even further, so do your due diligence and dig up the “must dos”. But once you have your compliance actions laid out, don’t stop there. We wouldn’t be us if we didn’t believe that this opportunity is a chance to go above and beyond. We believe the standard is one thing, however the more you invest in your customer care, service delivery and employee satisfaction, the more you and your community will thrive. So, ask yourself:
Which compliance actions align with our strategic goals?
Are there small shifts we can make so that compliance work also moves us closer to our competitive edge?
Can we adjust the timing of priorities to maximise impact?
Many providers will do the bare minimum to comply, especially when on a time crunch and facing the “too hard” basket. But the ones that will thrive are those who use this change to differentiate themselves and build a stronger, future-proof service.
Getting Your Leadership Team Ready
One of the hardest parts of change is people and managing their expectations and their roles to actualise this change. Your Leadership Team (LT) will make or break this transition. They need to deeply understand the reforms, not just at a surface level, but in the context of your organisation’s transformation journey. If they are not on board, or they prove to have doubts this uphill climb, has now become a battle. Ask yourself:
Have they read the regulations and truly understood the impact?
Do they know what they need to do—and when?
Are they aligned on how this fits within the broader organisational strategy?
Do they understand how to bring their people with them through the change?
A lack of leadership alignment can create fragmented responses, resistance, and costly last-minute scrambles. It’s safe to say, you do not want this. Time is very much of the essence and the more time we can work harmoniously together towards the same goals, the faster we will reach them and see the results for ourselves.
Here are some things you can do to ensure that you give your team a fighting chance:
Dedicated discussions—not just about compliance, but about how these reforms fit into your bigger picture.
Clear Q&A sessions—where your LT can ask tough questions and get practical answers.
Role clarity—everyone should know their part in driving both compliance and strategic execution.
Where Programs Go Wrong
Regulatory change can feel overwhelming, there are a lot of moving parts, time pressures and financial strains. Knowing where you can go wrong, can prevent these pitfalls from occurring with a plan in place. These are the biggest mistakes we see when it comes to any industry wide change within an organisation.
Being reactive instead of proactive—only taking action when issues arise. We want to ensure we can foresee issues before they happen. This way we can navigate them with less stress and more ease. Stress testing every decision you make as a team, and ensuring everyone is on the same page at all times can help with this.
Focusing only on compliance and missing the opportunity for strategic gains. As we said in the aforementioned, this is a huge opportunity for you to make those customer facing and organisational changes that have been making a home at the bottom of your to do list. This is a chance to up your game and stand out in your industry. Excellent care and consideration when it comes to delivering any service, the organisation will reap the rewards and create the impact they have been striving for.
Inconsistent communication that leaves teams confused or disengaged. Even though time feels like it doesn’t permit for stepchanging, or adhoc meetings, it is having consistent communication and making time for thoughtful communication that will help you in the long run.
The fix? A clear, structured plan:
Get your leadership team aligned—so everyone moves in the same direction.
Build a phased implementation plan—with clear priorities and timeframes.
Communicate, communicate, communicate—regular updates and training to help the changes stick.
Final Thought: Change Is Inevitable, But Smart Change is a Choice
The Support at Home reforms are here, and compliance isn’t optional. But rather than just doing the bare minimum, take this opportunity to build a more resilient, efficient, and aligned organisation.
Change is disruptive, but with the right strategy, it can also be transformational.
At Three6, we help providers navigate change—not just to stay compliant, but to create meaningful, long-term improvements. If you’d like to discuss how to turn these reforms into an advantage for your organisation, we’d love to chat.