Our client: The Aged Care Legislated Review
“Hamilton Stone undertook editorial work for me in compiling the Legislative Review of Aged Care in 2017. They were invaluable members of the Review Secretariat and did an excellent job, being able to convey complex issues in a simple, logical and readable form. I would certainly use their services again on similar tasks.”
Hamilton Stone was engaged to assist David Tune AO PSM in preparing his 2017 Legislated Review of Aged Care. Tune had been appointed in 2016 by the then Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ken Wyatt, to be the independent reviewer.
The Review examined the impact and effectiveness of the Aged Care (Living Longer Living Better) Act 2013 and made recommendations for future reform of the aged care system. It had been mandated as part of major changes to aged care announced in 2012.
What we did for the Legislated Review of Aged Care
Hamilton Stone provided research, writing and editorial advice to David Tune's Review. Our company was both responsible for preparing content required by the Review, and for assisting staff in the Department of Health who also contributed material for the report. This represented a significant body of work, as the Review included extensive data analysis and 38 recommendations across all aspects of the Living Longer Living Better reforms. Amongst its many recommendations, the Review made a recommendation in relation the Accommodation Bond Guarantee Scheme, a review of which Hamilton Stone also worked on.
We were responsible for developing the template and framework for the report. One of our roles was to suggest data analytics and research that would plug gaps in what was known about the reforms, to try and give a fuller picture of their impact. We also took vastly different content on diverse topics, from over twenty writers, and ensured consistency in message, tone and style.
On 31 July 2017, David Tune provided the report to the Minister, who tabled it on 14 September 2017. Sector stakeholders such as COTA, Aged and Community Services Australia and Leading Aged Services Australia, welcomed the report as a valuable contribution to aged care reform. The Minister commented on the comprehensive recommendations of the Review, which fed into major work being undertaken by a taskforce in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.