Care minute pressures: 56% of providers concerned about compliance or workforce overspend
July 23, 2025 | Aged Care Reform
By Susan Howarth, Head of Marketing
Ahead of our upcoming Getting Care Minutes Right webinar, we surveyed 294 professionals from 244 provider organisations. The results show that nearly 60% of respondents are most concerned about either meeting compliance targets (28%) or managing workforce overspend (28%). These findings highlight the delicate balance providers are striving to maintain between regulatory obligations and financial sustainability.
It’s also important to note that 21% of providers are most concerned about delivering care without fully aligned funding, reflecting the real challenges many face in resource planning. Meanwhile, 13% are dealing with delays or inaccuracies in reporting, and 10% are unsure where to focus their efforts.
Why care minutes matter
Care minutes have become more than just a reporting metric—they are a fundamental part of aged care funding and compliance under the AN-ACC model. Since its introduction, providers have had to carefully align the care they deliver with available funding, all while meeting minimum staffing and care minute requirements.
This is not an easy task. Fluctuating resident needs, workforce shortages, and growing regulatory oversight all add layers of complexity. Providers without access to timely, integrated data may unintentionally deliver care that isn’t fully funded or fall short of compliance expectations—often without clear visibility until challenges arise.
Confidence in funding remains mixed
When asked about confidence in being fully funded to meet care minute compliance, only 45% of providers said yes, indicating close tracking. A further 42% said “somewhat,” suggesting awareness but limited day-to-day oversight. Notably, 13% acknowledged they either don’t analyse this regularly or believe they are delivering more care than funded for.
This highlights a common gap between frontline care delivery and funding alignment at the organisational level. Without accurate, accessible data and ongoing analysis, it’s easy for providers to lose alignment—either risking compliance or unintentionally overspending.
Overspend visibility improving, but not universal
Workforce overspend is another area where visibility is improving, though there is still work to do. Nearly half (49%) of providers report clear oversight of roster overspend related to care minutes, while 37% only review this occasionally. A smaller group, 14%, are either just starting to monitor or don’t review overspend regularly.
As care minutes and the AN-ACC model continue to influence aged care’s financial landscape, having real-time insights is no longer optional—it’s essential. Providers need agile tools and collaborative approaches that help them make data-informed decisions supporting both compliance and sustainability.
What Would Help Providers Most?
Our survey also explored what would most help organisations optimise care minutes and funding alignment. The top responses were:
- 35% said better visibility of real-time performance
- 25% highlighted cross-team collaboration between clinical, finance, workforce, and compliance teams
- 23% valued tools and technology to manage and model roster impact
- 15% sought more practical guidance from the Department of Health
- 2% identified external advisory support as helpful
These insights tell the story of the importance of integrated data, collaboration, and practical support for providers aiming to stay ahead of the curve.
Join the Conversation: Getting Care Minutes Right Webinar
We’ll explore these findings and share practical strategies during our upcoming Getting Care Minutes Right webinar. Together, we’ll discuss how providers can better align funding, rosters, and compliance—all within a connected, data-driven framework.
You’ll hear from industry leaders and learn how technology is helping organisations make smarter decisions across care delivery, finance, and workforce planning.
If you’re looking for greater confidence and control in your care minute strategy, we invite you to join us. If you miss it, you’ll also find the recording on the below page.
Discover Care Minute Manager – the intuitive platform to track care minute delivery, AN-ACC claiming, and workforce alignment.
