The community care sector expanded rapidly after the establishment of the Commonwealth, State and Territory funded Home and Community Care (HACC) Program in 1985. In the past 20 years, the service system has become increasingly complex at the local level with the introduction of new service types and the expansion of existing ones. This has happened in a time of growing demand for services and increasing proportions of clients with complex needs. At the same time, HACC and HACC-like services have had to meet changing funding body requirements in accountability, planning and service provision.

As resources have become more scarce, HACC services have become more creative in finding solutions to service system issues. In some cases, this has led to the development of across sector partnerships, collaborations and agreements. In other situations, systemic issues have been addressed through the development of new resources and training opportunities. Generally, the response of the community care sector has been to bring involved stakeholders together to discuss the issue and identify potential solutions before selecting, piloting and evaluating a chosen pathway. These solutions are often innovative, either not reliant on additional funding or using funding sources or partners not previously accessed by the sector.