The aged care sector is preparing for its biggest reform in decades with the rollout of Support at Home on 1 November 2025. Much of the conversation has focused on compliance, new standards, and system readiness. But there’s an underlying truth that isn’t being talked about enough.
Smaller providers are not at a disadvantage.
In fact, in this new environment, smaller and mid-sized aged care providers are uniquely positioned to outperform larger organisations. Not by outspending them, but by outmanoeuvring them.
Here’s why agility, culture, and digital maturity can become your greatest assets. And how to use them to compete and thrive.
1. You Can Move Faster
Smaller providers don’t have the weight of sprawling legacy systems, complex governance structures, or layers of approval to slow them down. This makes it easier to:
Choose and implement new systems in weeks. Not months.
Update processes across teams without bureaucratic drag.
Roll out staff training that’s actually completed and adopted.
The Support at Home delay to November gives you a golden window. A 60 to 90-day system overhaul is achievable when you're focused, aligned, and supported by the right partner. Many of the larger providers won’t start moving until it's too late.
2. You Can Build a Digital Culture from the Ground Up
Larger providers often struggle to shift mindset. You don’t.
Smaller teams can embrace a digital-first approach with less resistance and more visibility. When leadership is close to the frontline, change becomes collaborative. When your culture values flexibility and service delivery, new systems are adopted with a shared sense of purpose.
We’ve seen it first-hand. Organisations with under 100 staff often achieve more with a well-implemented system than a provider of 1,000 with fragmented tools.
3. You Can Be More Client-Centred
Support at Home is designed to give older Australians more choice, transparency, and personalised care. Smaller providers already have a head start. Your relationships with clients are stronger. Your services are often more tailored. By embedding the right technology, you can:
Map and improve the client journey across intake, care planning, and feedback.
Communicate with families in real time.
Collect and respond to data in a meaningful way.
A CRM, a fit-for-purpose CMS, and integrated systems give you the tools to scale personalisation without losing the human touch that defines your service.
4. You Can Compete on Quality and Compliance
Don’t underestimate how quickly you can close the gap on compliance with the right systems in place. By using this extra time before November, you can:
Digitise incident reporting and complaints handling.
Automate audits and self-assessments.
Align workflows with new regulatory requirements.
Demonstrate transparency to boards, clients, and the Commission.
Quality doesn't need to be expensive. It needs to be intentional.
Don’t Wait. The Advantage Is Now.
The big players may have more resources. But that doesn’t make them more ready. Smaller providers who act now will be the ones delivering services confidently under the new model come November. And growing their footprint in the months that follow.
At THREEDIGITAL, we specialise in helping small and mid-sized aged care providers transition with confidence. Whether it's choosing the right CMS or CRM, integrating your finance and HR tools, or digitising client journeys end to end, we’re ready to help you take the next step.
Get in touch today to book a readiness session. And turn your size into a strength.
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