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Can I employ a support worker directly through Support at Home?

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Self-Managed Home Care

Understanding Self-Management

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In short...

You can choose your own worker, but the registered provider must approve and engage them for Support at Home funding to be used. You do not normally receive the funding and become the worker’s direct employer yourself.

The details...

Can I employ a support worker directly through Support at Home?

Not in the same way as privately employing someone with your own money.

Support at Home uses a single registered-provider model. Government funding is paid to your registered provider, which coordinates services, submits claims and remains responsible for their safety and quality. The funding is not deposited into your personal bank account for you to use as an employer.

What can I do under self-management?

With your provider’s agreement, you can find and choose your own support worker.

This could include:

  • an independent contractor or sole trader

  • a worker found through an online platform

  • a worker from another service organisation

  • a local cleaner, gardener or support professional.

You nominate the worker, but the registered provider must assess and engage them as a third-party worker before Support at Home funding can be used.

What does the provider need to check?

The provider may need to verify:

  • identity and worker screening

  • qualifications or registrations

  • experience and competence

  • insurance

  • the proposed service price

  • compliance with the Aged Care Code of Conduct

  • incident, complaint and record-keeping arrangements.

The provider can refuse the arrangement if it cannot safely oversee the worker or meet its legal responsibilities.

Who pays the worker?

Usually, the worker invoices the registered provider.

The provider then:

  1. checks that the service was delivered

  2. submits the Support at Home claim

  3. pays the worker or third-party business

  4. charges you any applicable participant contribution

  5. records the service on your monthly statement.

The exact invoicing process should be documented in your self-management agreement.

Can the provider charge an overhead?

Yes.

Where you directly source a third-party worker, the provider may apply an overhead of up to 10% of the worker’s actual service cost.

For example, if your chosen worker charges $70 an hour:

  • worker cost: $70

  • maximum provider overhead: $7

  • final Support at Home price: up to $77 an hour.

The overhead should reflect the provider’s work in approving, paying and overseeing the worker and must be agreed in advance.

Can I employ someone privately instead?

Yes, but that is separate from Support at Home.

You may employ or engage a worker using your own money. In that situation, you may become responsible for matters such as:

  • employment contracts

  • wages and superannuation

  • tax and payroll

  • workers compensation

  • insurance

  • leave and workplace obligations.

A privately employed worker cannot simply invoice your Support at Home budget unless your registered provider has approved and brought the service into the formal self-management arrangement.

Can I employ a family member?

Paying a close family member through Support at Home is generally not the standard arrangement and would require careful consideration by the provider.

The provider would need to consider:

  • whether another suitable worker is available

  • possible conflicts of interest

  • whether the arrangement is genuinely necessary

  • worker screening and competence

  • employment and insurance requirements

  • whether the service can be independently verified.

Do not assume a relative can be paid merely because they are already providing unpaid care.

What should I ask the provider?

Ask:

  • Do you allow participant-sourced independent workers?

  • Who formally engages the worker?

  • What screening and insurance are required?

  • Who pays the worker?

  • What overhead do you charge?

  • How are invoices approved?

  • Who arranges a replacement if the worker is unavailable?

  • What happens if there is an incident or complaint?

  • Can I stop self-managing later?

What should I do next?

  1. List the tasks you or your family can realistically manage.

  2. Ask the provider how it checks third-party workers, processes invoices and covers absences.

  3. Compare a self-managed and provider-managed sample budget before deciding.

Helpful Local Home Help resources

Check the official guidance

Check the current Support at Home management guidance. Aged care rules, funding amounts and program guidance can change, so check the current official information before making an important care or financial decision.

Takeaways

  • Support at Home funding is administered through a registered provider, so direct-employment arrangements must fit the provider's approved model.
  • The registered provider remains accountable even when the participant organises more of the care.
  • Self-management works best when responsibilities and backup arrangements are clear.

About Local Home Help

How Providers Are Listed

How providers appear on Local Home Help Local Home Help helps families discover home support services available in their area. Providers may appear on the site in a few different ways. Some providers create and manage their own listing on the platform. Others may appear based on publicly available information about services operating in a particular region. This helps families see a broader view of support options available locally. Where possible, we encourage providers to claim and manage their listing so information such as services offered, contact details and service areas remain accurate and up to date. There are no paid or enhanced listings on Local Home Help, and there never will be. Claiming or managing a listing has no effect on a provider's visibility, ranking, or how often it appears in a consumer's personalised shortlist, it simply keeps the information families see accurate and current. Local Home Help does not charge consumers to access the platform. We may generate revenue in other ways in the future, but none of these will ever influence which providers a consumer sees, how they're ranked, or what appears in their shortlist. Provider visibility is, and will remain, based solely on relevance to each family's stated needs. What does not influence Liz There are no paid or enhanced listings on Local Home Help, not now, and not in the future. No provider can pay for a higher position in Liz results, a better ranking, or inclusion in a consumer's shortlist. This is a permanent commitment, not a current-state description. Claiming or updating a profile does not improve a provider's ranking. It gives Liz more accurate information about the provider's services, coverage and care model, which can make the explanation of why a provider matched clearer, but it has no effect on whether or how highly that provider appears. Local Home Help intends to generate revenue in other ways in the future - for example through tools built for providers, or products separate from the consumer matching experience. None of these will influence which providers appear in Liz's results, how they're ranked, or what a consumer sees in their personalised shortlist. Visibility and ranking are based solely on the fit factors described above, and nothing else. This reflects the platform's core ethos: Local Home Help is built consumer-first. Every design and revenue decision is made so that what a family sees from Liz is the most relevant outcome for them. Never the most profitable outcome for Local Home Help or a provider.

Independence Statement

Our independence Local Home Help is designed to help families navigate the often confusing world of home support and aged care services. The platform aims to present information in a clear and balanced way so families can better understand the types of help available and where to find it. While providers may appear on the platform, Local Home Help does not recommend one provider over another. The decision about which service may be suitable will always depend on individual circumstances. Families are encouraged to contact providers directly, ask questions and make their own enquiries before making a decision. Our focus is to make the process of understanding and finding support at home easier. Local Home Help does not accept payment of any kind in exchange for provider visibility, ranking, or shortlist placement, and never will. Any future revenue Local Home Help generates will come from sources entirely separate from how providers are matched to consumers.

Quality Signals

What to look for when choosing a provider ​ Finding the right support service can take time. When considering a provider, families may wish to look for signs of quality such as: Clear information about services offered Transparent pricing or funding options Experience supporting older people at home Relevant professional qualifications where appropriate Positive feedback or reputation in the community Willingness to answer questions about care and services It is often helpful to speak with more than one provider before making a decision. Local Home Help aims to provide a starting point for exploring services, but the best choice will depend on the needs and preferences of the individual receiving support.

About the Author

Local Home Help Editorial Team

This article was created by Local Home Help to help Australian families better understand aged care and home support options in plain English.

Our content is based on publicly available information from:

  • My Aged Care

  • Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

  • Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

  • Provider pricing schedules and operational experience within the aged care sector.

Local Home Help is an independent consumer information platform and does not provide medical, legal or financial advice.

Important information

Aged care rules, fees, eligibility requirements and program arrangements can change. The information on this page is general guidance only and may not apply to every person or situation.

Before making a financial, legal or care decision, check the latest information with My Aged Care, Services Australia, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, or another appropriate official source.

Local Home Help does not provide legal, financial, medical or clinical advice.

Source data

Last reviewed

20/7/26, 9:08 pm

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