Food Business Compliance on Cookaborough

Food Business Compliance on Cookaborough

Supporting safe, trusted and accountable meal providers

Cookaborough is committed to maintaining a trusted platform for all customers, food businesses, Care Providers and Plan Managers.

Every food business operating through Cookaborough is required to meet defined compliance requirements and provide evidence that it is appropriately registered, insured and operating in accordance with applicable food safety requirements.

For food businesses providing meals to people accessing Support at Home or NDIS funding, Cookaborough applies additional compliance requirements reflecting the standards and obligations associated with providing meals through government-funded care and support programs.

Our compliance framework is designed to provide confidence that food businesses operating through Cookaborough understand their responsibilities and provide appropriate evidence of compliance.

Food safety and general compliance

Food businesses operating through Cookaborough must satisfy our General Compliance requirements before being approved to operate on the platform, this includes providing evidence of:

• Current Food Business Registration

• An appropriately qualified Food Safety Supervisor

• Current Public Liability Insurance

• Workers Compensation cover

• Completion of Cookaborough's General Compliance Declaration

These requirements support the obligations applying to food businesses under relevant Australian food safety legislation and regulation.

Cookaborough reviews the required compliance documentation and maintains records of its verification and expiry.

Additional requirements for Support at Home and NDIS

Food businesses providing meals to customers accessing Support at Home or NDIS funding are subject to additional compliance requirements.

These requirements recognise the additional responsibilities involved when meals are being provided as part of government-funded aged care or disability support.

In addition to satisfying Cookaborough's General Compliance requirements, participating food businesses must meet our Government Compliance requirements. This includes:

• Having their meal offering reviewed by an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and providing the required Certificate of Compliance.

• Completing a Government Program Compliance Declaration confirming their understanding of the requirements and obligations relevant to providing meals to SaH and NDIS customers.

Our Government Compliance framework is designed around the requirements applying to meal provision under Australia's aged care and disability support frameworks, including relevant requirements under the Aged Care Act and associated aged care rules, and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Accredited Practising Dietitian review

An important component of Cookaborough's Government Compliance framework is independent review by an Accredited Practising Dietitian.

Food businesses servicing Support at Home customers are required to obtain and maintain a Certificate of Compliance from an APD in accordance with Cookaborough's Government Compliance requirements.

This provides an additional level of assurance around the food business's meal offering and its suitability within the relevant government-funded meal program.

Verification and ongoing compliance requirements

Compliance on Cookaborough is not a one-off approval. Compliance documentation is reviewed and verified, with expiry dates monitored on an ongoing basis.

Cookaborough:

• Requires relevant compliance documentation from participating food businesses.

• Reviews submitted documentation before verifying it.

• Records document expiry dates.

• Notifies food businesses when documents are approaching expiry.

• Requires compliance declarations to be reconfirmed annually.

• Requires additional compliance evidence from businesses servicing SaH and NDIS customers.

• Applies restrictions where a food business does not maintain its required compliance status.

This provides an ongoing compliance framework rather than relying solely on information supplied when a food business first joins the platform.

Managing temporary compliance gaps

There are circumstances where a food business may be actively renewing a compliance requirement but is waiting for replacement documentation to be issued by a council, insurer, Accredited Practising Dietitian or another third party.

Cookaborough provides a 14-day grace period for an outstanding requirement to be resolved before platform restrictions are applied. During this period, the food business is notified of the outstanding requirement and is required to provide the necessary documentation.

If the requirement remains outstanding at the end of the grace period, the food business's access to relevant parts of the Cookaborough platform is restricted until its compliance has been restored and the required documentation verified.

What happens when a food business becomes non-compliant?

Cookaborough does not allow a food business to continue operating indefinitely where its required compliance obligations have not been maintained.

Where General Compliance requirements remain outstanding beyond the applicable grace period, the food business is restricted from accepting orders until its compliance has been restored.

Where the outstanding requirement relates specifically to Government Compliance, the food business may continue servicing standard customers provided its General Compliance remains current, but its ability to receive SaH and NDIS orders is restricted until its Government Compliance has been restored.

Building confidence in the Cookaborough network

Our compliance framework is intended to provide confidence to everyone who interacts with Cookaborough.

For customers, it means knowing that food businesses on the platform are required to provide evidence of appropriate registration, insurance and food safety compliance.

For SaH and NDIS recipients, their families and representatives, it provides additional assurance that participating food businesses are subject to specific Government Compliance requirements.

For Care Providers, Plan Managers, Care Managers, Support Coordinators and other organisations, it provides a consistent compliance framework for food businesses providing meals through Cookaborough.

For food businesses, it establishes clear standards and provides the tools, reminders and processes needed to maintain their compliance over time.

Cookaborough takes these responsibilities seriously. Our objective is to maintain a platform where food safety, regulatory compliance and accountability are fundamental requirements of participation, particularly where meals are being provided to older Australians and people living with disability.