Organisational Reviews & Audits

Lorraine Poulos Organisation Reviews Home Care Audits

Lorraine and her team have a track record in supporting aged care providers to review their service model for sustainability and quality.

In order to meet standards of care, providers are required to adhere to regulated standards. Whether it is health, aged or community care focused, Lorraine and her team can assist with your auditing processes, offering resolution to issues through their expert understanding of the auditing process.
.

As the previous subject matter expert for the Department of Health and Ageing for the training of Quality Reviewers in Home Care Lorraine has provided training to government employees and the industry about audit methodology; triangulation of evidence and preparation for upcoming audits.

A Qualified Lead Auditor of Quality Systems, qualified aged care assessor and previous ACHS surveyor Lorraine is able to assist clients to understand what triangulation of evidence is and how to ensure success at aged care audits. She believes that having strong systems and documentation are essential and reinforces this in training sessions and pre-audit services. An audit tool and education is provided to ensure sustainability in systems.

Qualified Home Care & Audits

LPA will review and make recommendations on the following in your home care business

Organisational capacity and expertise – review the current structure in the context of continued growth

Management structure and positions / future growth / expansion – review the mix in the context of growth

Financial sustainability

Workforce development- Make recommendations and staffing model for future growth

Technology and other infrastructure

Brokerage arrangements including a risk review

Organisational culture- review and provide opinion if needed

Review current business and financial model and recommend changes considering any aged care industry changes.

Meet with all levels of staff to discuss and consult re future planning

Review suggested growth strategy and KPI’s

Advise on streamlining of processes where practicable

Suggested improvements to financial and business model

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

LPA organisational reviews and audits are independent, structured, and evidence-informed assessments of how an organisation’s governance, clinical governance, quality, risk management, and operational systems are functioning in day-to-day practice, not just how they are described on paper.

These reviews go beyond compliance checking to examine whether systems are effective, understood by staff, and consistently applied across the organisation. LPA assesses how policies, procedures, decision-making processes, and oversight mechanisms translate into real-world care delivery, workforce practice, and risk management.

Through this process, providers gain a clear, objective picture of:

  • What is working well and should be maintained or strengthened

  • Where gaps, inconsistencies, or risks exist

  • How well systems align to Support at Home, the new Aged Care Act, and the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards

  • What needs to be prioritised to support safe, high-quality, person-centred care and ongoing regulatory assurance

LPA’s reviews are designed to support learning, improvement, and confidence, helping organisations move from awareness to action through practical, proportionate recommendations that can be embedded into everyday practice.

Depending on the agreed scope, LPA organisational reviews and audits examine how key systems operate in practice, how they are understood by staff, and how effectively they support safe, high-quality care.

Areas commonly reviewed include:

  • Governance, leadership and accountability
    Board and executive oversight, clarity of roles and responsibilities, decision-making structures, reporting lines, and assurance mechanisms aligned to the new Aged Care Act.

  • Clinical governance and quality systems
    Clinical oversight, quality frameworks, escalation pathways, feedback systems, and alignment to the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, including how clinical risk is identified and managed.

  • Risk management and safeguarding
    Identification and management of high-prevalent, high-impact and safeguarding risks, including complaints handling, incident escalation, duty of care, and protective measures for older people.

  • Workforce capability and supervision
    Role clarity, recruitment, training, supervision, delegation, and support structures to ensure staff are capable, supported, and working within scope.

  • Care management and service delivery models
    How care is planned, coordinated, delivered, and reviewed to ensure alignment with assessed need, outcomes, and funding expectations under Support at Home and other programs.

  • Documentation, evidence and record-keeping
    Consistency, quality, and defensibility of documentation, including care plans, assessments, progress notes, and records required for regulatory assurance.

  • Incident management and continuous improvement
    Systems for reporting, investigating, responding to, and learning from incidents, including how outcomes inform quality improvement and organisational learning.

Together, these areas provide a holistic view of organisational performance, helping providers understand how well their systems support safety, quality, accountability, and sustainable care delivery.

At the conclusion of an organisational review or audit, providers receive clear, structured, and practical outputs designed to support understanding, decision-making, and action.

This typically includes:

  • A clear summary of findings
    A concise overview of what is working well, where risks or gaps exist, and how current practice aligns with regulatory expectations. Findings are written in plain language and grounded in evidence, making them accessible to boards, executives, and operational leaders.

  • Prioritised, practical recommendations
    Recommendations are clearly prioritised based on risk, impact, and urgency, helping organisations focus on what matters most first. They are realistic and proportionate to your organisation’s size, operating model, and context avoiding unnecessary complexity.

  • Guidance on next steps and implementation
    LPA provides practical guidance on how to translate recommendations into action, including suggested sequencing, responsibility, and focus areas. This helps move organisations from insight to implementation with clarity and confidence.

  • Optional support to embed improvements
    Providers can choose to engage LPA to support implementation through targeted consulting, tailored training, or an Ongoing Support Package, helping ensure changes are embedded into everyday practice rather than remaining as standalone recommendations.

Many organisations use reviews as a foundation for continuous improvement, choosing to follow up with targeted support to strengthen systems, build workforce capability, and maintain ongoing audit readiness over time.

Yes.

LPA regularly supports providers to move from review to action, ensuring recommendations are not only understood but embedded into everyday practice.

Following a review, LPA can work alongside your organisation to:

  • Translate findings into a clear, prioritised action plan aligned to risk, impact, and regulatory expectations

  • Provide targeted consulting support to strengthen governance, clinical governance, quality, risk, and operating models

  • Support policy, procedure, and documentation uplift, ensuring changes are practical and defensible

  • Deliver tailored training and workshops to build workforce capability and reinforce consistent practice

  • Provide ongoing advice and assurance as changes are implemented and refined over time

Many providers choose to engage LPA through an Ongoing Support Package after a review. This allows for continuity, regular check-ins, and responsive support as improvements are embedded, challenges arise, or regulatory expectations continue to evolve.

This approach helps organisations move beyond one-off recommendations to sustained improvement, confidence, and ongoing audit readiness.

Related:
→ Consultancy services
→ Ongoing Support Packages

Discover how LPA can assist your organisation