Community Care News Digest - Resources & Services - Western Sydney Community Forum

RESOURCES & SERVICES

CAFS Data Collection and Reporting Guide

This guide is available to support providers of the Community and Family Support (CAFS) program in meeting the minimum reporting requirements for reporting through the Data Exchange (DEX) platform, as quarterly reporting is mandatory from 1 January 2026 in the CAFS program. The guide covers topics such as consent and privacy obligations, reporting qualitative data, and using data to improve service delivery and client outcomes. In-home aged care providers that are also CAFS providers should refer to the guidance as reporting requirements differ even with use of the Data Exchange platform.

Read the Guide

**Legal Aid NSW Legal Topics for Seniors 2026 Diary**

Legal Aid NSW has a range of publications including a legal topics for seniors 2026 diary. This free diary contains useful information about scams, seniors rights, elder abuse, and contact numbers of agencies for seniors in NSW.

Training and Professional Development Opportunities for Aged Care Workers

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has published information about free and government-subsidised opportunities to support workers in building and refining their professional aged care skills. These training opportunities cover topics including: restrictive practices; the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS); culturally safe, trauma aware, and healing informed care; food and nutrition; governance and leadership; and Support at Home.

CPSA eVoice Newsletters Available

The Combined Pensioners & Superannuants Association’s (CPSA) latest eVoice newsletters for February 2026 and December 2025/January 2026 are available digitally, with news, stories and updates relevant to pensioners, superannuants and retirees across NSW. CPSA’s contact information can be found here.

ACQSC Upcoming Webinars

Keep an eye out for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s (ACQSC) upcoming webinars, which will be running from April to November. Topics will include risk-based monitoring, auditing, and culturally safe care. Details of these webinars will be posted on the Commission’s website, including registration links, webinar recordings, and Q&As that were not able to be answered live due to time constraints. It is recommended to check the Commission’s website regularly to stay up to date.

DEX Updates and Guidance for CHSP

There are several factsheets and guidance materials relating to the changes to DEX reporting requirements under the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP). The Implementation Update outlines the recent and upcoming changes to reporting requirements, and the Guide to DEX Stage 3 Changes provides the final list of new data fields being introduced into DEX for CHSP in Stage 3 as well as standard definitions. Providers with access to the DEX staging environment can preview the Stage 3 changes in the test site now, using their usual log in details.

Hear Our Voices Website

Older Women’s Network NSW (OWN NSW) has developed a website containing new training and resources to better support older women who have experienced sexual violence. OWN NSW’s website includes videos and personal stories raising awareness of the issue, evidence-supported research, and useful tools and checklists to assist frontline workers in supporting older women who have experienced sexual violence.

Western Sydney Community Forum 2026 Community Care Forum Calendar

Throughout the year, Western Sydney Community Forum delivers a range of events to support organisations and their staff to engage with others in the sector and stay up to date with reforms, training, and best practice. These include Community Care Forums tailored to those on the front line of the aged care, disability and community care sectors, and Community Care Leaders Forums to provide leaders, managers and CEOs with the latest resources, collaboration and training opportunities across Western Sydney. To get ahead on these events, as well as access information on related forums convened by others in the Western Sydney region, see our 2026 Community Care Forum Calendar.

Policy and Practice Support and Advisory Service

Western Sydney Community Forum provides a support and advisory service to disability advocacy organisations, CHSP providers and other community organisations. This service provides assistance with enquiries relating to policy, governance and operations and on a range of areas including sector reform and impact on operations, evaluation and measurement, leading consultation, engagement and inclusive practices, and much more.

First Nations CHSP Support Advisory Service

A First Nations CHSP support advisory service is offered to providers by Gilgai Aboriginal Centre. This is to support First Nations organisations and CHSP providers who work with First Nations older people. For more information, contact Gilgai on 02 9832 3825 or at [email protected].

Customised Training and In-House Facilitation

Western Sydney Community Forum can deliver customised training and in-house facilitation services to the human services industry. The facilitators’ areas of speciality include (but are not limited to) strategic and business planning, project planning and development, and review and evaluation sessions. And training can be tailored and delivered at a venue of your choosing, and can cover areas such as governance, leadership and evaluation. Our members are also entitled to subsidised services.

Customised training

In-house facilitation

Western Sydney Community Forum Affordable Translation Services

Western Sydney Community Forum offers a trusted document translation service for small and large organisations and businesses. We use NAATI-accredited translators with expertise in translating a range of documents to assist with your service delivery, from simple brochures to complex and sensitive publications. Members can access this service at a subsidised cost.

For more information, contact [email protected].

Community Care News Digest Feedback Survey

The News Digest is primarily focused on disseminating information about aged care and older people, and disability and disability advocacy. It also shares information that is useful to people working with people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, LGBTIQA+ communities, and people with disability, and other areas that may intersect with aged care and the older population. We welcome feedback on how you use the News Digest, whether the information distributed has been valuable for your work, and if there is anything else you would like to see added into the Digest. The survey will remain open for ongoing feedback.

Access the survey

My Aged Care consumer resources

The My Aged Care website features a range of resources for you to share with consumers about how to get started with My Aged Care.

These resources include case study videos for:

people who speak languages other than English
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
You can view or download all of these resources from the My Aged Care website.

Free guide: Adding value to governance in aged care

The Governance Institute of Australia has a free guide, ‘Adding value to governance in aged care’ to help providers manage their governance responsibilities.

The free guide addresses a broad range of issues including: