New Complaints Commissioner to oversee elevated aged care standards

The Australian aged care sector is set to welcome a new era of accountability and transparency with the appointment of a new Aged Care Complaints Commissioner.

Treasure Jennings, who has previously served as the Victorian Mental Health Complaints Commissioner and Disability Services Commissioner, will commence her role on 1 November 2025, coinciding with the launch of the Albanese government’s once-in-a-generation reforms under the new Aged Care Act.

This appointment is a direct response to clear feedback received by the federal government during the development of the Aged Care Act, which highlighted the critical need for an independent complaints mechanism.

The Complaints Commissioner, who will report directly to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, Sam Rae, is tasked with establishing and overseeing the Commission’s processes for dealing with complaints about aged care services and promoting restorative solutions to issues or concerns.

Minister Rae said he was “delighted” to welcome Ms Jennings to the new role.

“This appointment brings us one step closer to the rights-based, person-centred aged care system that’s a safer and fairer aged care system for everyone,” he said.

Ms Jennings brings a wealth of experience to the position, which stands to be crucial to the success of incoming reform.

With over 20 years’ experience in complaints oversight and regulatory reform, she is well positioned to guide the sector through new legislation and to work collaboratively with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in addressing failures in aged care service delivery.

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Liz Hefren-Webb highlighted the importance of this new role within the evolving regulatory landscape.

“The appointment of a Complaints Commissioner is a significant development for the Commission under the new Aged Care Act 2024,” Ms Hefren-Webb said.

“I am looking forward to working with her to deliver the Commission's purpose – to uphold the rights of older people accessing aged care and to protect and enhance their safety, health, wellbeing and quality of life.”

For the aged care workforce, this appointment signifies a heightened focus on quality and continuous improvement.

A robust and accessible complaints system can serve as an invaluable feedback loop, identifying systemic issues and driving positive change within facilities and services.

While the prospect of increased scrutiny may initially raise concerns among providers, a well-functioning complaints process ultimately supports providers in upholding high standards of care and fostering a culture of respect and responsiveness.

Empowering staff by ensuring that concerns about care quality can be raised and addressed effectively would contribute to a safer and more ethical working environment.

The Commissioner's role will be central to the aged care regulatory and governance system under the new Act. She will be instrumental in helping older Australians, their families, and carers understand how to make a complaint, and how those complaints will be managed and resolved.

As another key pillar upholding the accountability of aged care providers in Australia, the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) thanked the Albanese government for delivering the role.

“Older people consistently inform us of the need for improved complaints mechanisms, and this is an important step in ensuring high quality aged care,” OPAN chief Craig Gear said.

“OPAN and other community organisations pushed for this role to be independent and have a direct line of responsibility to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. This will help build trust and deliver strong restorative justice pathways, ensuring complaints are managed in a timely manner.

“We look forward to working with Treasure and her team to ensure the rights of older people accessing aged care are respected and promoted.”