Participate in DEWS
We are inviting aged residential care facilities to register their interest to implement the Deterioration Early Warning System (DEWS).
Phase one expressions of interest closed on 10 November 2025. We are now reviewing the submissions we received.
Aged Residential Care facilities can still submit an expression of interest (EOI).
If you submit your EOI after 10 November:
- We will assess your submission for phase one. Eligibility will depend on the timing of submission and the resident management system (RMS) your facility uses.
- If not eligible for phase one, we will add your details to the register for future phases of the DEWS roll-out. We will contact your facility to advise which phase of DEWS implementation you are best suited for.
DEWS implementation approach
Implementation will be phased to accommodate facility readiness and digital capability.
Phase one includes facilities:
- using electronic resident management systems with DEWS embedded by mid-February 2026 (for example VCare version 6.2 and Hercules Health)
- ready to implement paper-based DEWS.
A DEWS network will be established for phase one participants, including fortnightly meetings with the national DEWS leadership team and tailored implementation support.
Indicative timeline
| Date | Activity |
| Mid-October to early November 2025 | Expression of interest applications close COB 10 Nov 2025. |
| Mid-November 2025 |
Confirmation of phase one facilities |
| December 2025 | DEWS network established |
| January to March 2026 | Participating facilities complete preparation activities: escalation pathway development, staff education, data collection |
| April 2026 | DEWS integrated into daily workflows |
| May to June 2026 | Phase one wrap-up: post-implementation surveys and feedback; Continue data collection and reporting |
| From July 2026 | Continue data collection and reporting to the Commission for ongoing DEWS monitoring and impact assessment |
As additional resident management system vendors incorporate digital DEWS, further phases will be supported. Phase two roll-out may start within phase one timeframes as digital DEWS becomes available in resident management systems and the national team has capacity.
Participants' responsibilities
Participating facilities will be required to:
- establish a project team (project lead, clinical lead, and multidisciplinary members)
- collect baseline data
- conduct weekly audits on tool usage
- provide monthly outcome data reporting and facility case studies
- deliver staff education using provided resources and online learning modules
- facilitate staff completion of post-implementation survey
- attend fortnightly virtual DEWS network meetings
- carry out ongoing quarterly data collection and reporting beyond implementation for up to two years.
Support from the national DEWS leadership team
The national DEWS leadership team includes DEWS clinical experts, programme manager, project manager, quality improvement advisor and project coordinator. Participating facilities will receive:
- a comprehensive DEWS implementation package with supporting resources
- access to the DEWS online learning modules and digital or paper-based tools
- fortnightly network meetings
- one-on-one virtual support and site visits as needed.
Register your interest
The application form is still open for facilities wanting to implement DEWS.
If you submit your form after 10 November 2025 we will:
- review to see if you can be included in phase one, or
- add your details to the register for future phases of DEWS implementation.
Contact us
For further information or queries, please contact us at
Published: 13 Oct 2025
Modified: 11 Nov 2025
