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What happens if I am not happy with my CHSP provider?

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Commonwealth Home Support Programme

Navigating CHSP

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In short...

Start by raising the issue with your CHSP provider and asking them to resolve it. Making a complaint should not affect your services. If the problem continues, you can seek free advocacy support, complain to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, or change providers.

The details...

What happens if I am not happy with my CHSP provider?

If you are unhappy with your CHSP provider, you have the right to raise concerns, make a complaint and ask for changes.

You might be concerned about:

  • unreliable or frequently cancelled services

  • poor communication

  • workers arriving late

  • unexpected fees

  • services not matching your agreement

  • the quality or safety of care

  • disrespectful behaviour

  • a lack of cultural or language support

  • not being involved in decisions about your care.

Your provider is expected to deliver safe, effective and person-centred services, respect your rights and involve you in decisions about your care.

Should I speak with the provider first?

Usually, yes.

Contact the provider and explain:

  • what happened

  • when it happened

  • how it affected you

  • what you would like them to do.

For example, you might ask the provider to:

  • arrange a different worker

  • improve communication

  • correct an invoice

  • change a service time

  • review your care and services plan

  • explain how they will prevent the problem happening again.

Ask for the provider’s complaints process and, where appropriate, submit your concern in writing so there is a clear record.

Making a complaint should not affect your access to services. My Aged Care states that you have the right to complain and that doing so will not affect your support.

What if I do not feel comfortable complaining directly?

You do not have to manage the complaint alone.

The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) provides free and independent aged care advocacy. An advocate can help you:

  • understand your rights

  • prepare for a meeting

  • speak with your provider

  • make a complaint

  • consider whether changing providers is appropriate.

You can contact OPAN’s Aged Care Advocacy Line on 1800 700 600.

Can I complain to the regulator?

Yes.

If the provider does not resolve the problem, or you do not feel safe or comfortable raising it directly, you can complain to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

The Commission can receive complaints about issues such as:

  • unsafe or poor-quality care

  • treatment by staff

  • fees or charges

  • communication

  • service management

  • failure to respect your rights.

You do not need to wait until the situation becomes severe before seeking external help.

Can I change CHSP providers?

Yes.

You can change to another CHSP provider at any time if you believe another organisation would be a better fit. Your current provider must support the change.

You may decide to change because of:

  • unresolved complaints

  • poor service quality

  • unreliable staffing

  • different cultural or language needs

  • moving to another area

  • another provider offering better availability.

Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 if you need help finding another provider or arranging referrals.

You can also use more than one CHSP provider if different organisations are better suited to different services.

What if the concern involves immediate safety?

Take immediate action if you believe someone is at risk of harm.

Depending on the circumstances:

  • call 000 for an immediate threat to life or safety

  • contact the provider’s senior manager

  • contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

  • speak with a GP or health professional

  • seek independent advocacy support.

Do not rely only on the provider’s normal complaints timetable where there is an urgent safety concern.

What should I do next?

Write down:

  • what happened

  • the date and time

  • the names of anyone involved

  • any fees, missed services or safety concerns

  • what outcome you want.

Raise the issue with the provider and ask for a written response.

If the problem is not resolved, contact:

  • OPAN: 1800 700 600

  • My Aged Care: 1800 200 422

  • Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission: through its complaints service.

If you no longer trust the provider or the problems continue, begin comparing alternative CHSP providers rather than remaining with an unsuitable service indefinitely.

Helpful Local Home Help resources

Check the official guidance

My Aged Care confirms that you can complain without losing your services, seek free independent advocacy and change CHSP providers at any time. Your existing provider must support you to change.

Official guidance:

Takeaways

  • You have the right to raise concerns and make a complaint.

  • Complaining should not affect your CHSP services.

  • Start with the provider where it is safe and reasonable to do so.

  • OPAN provides free independent advocacy.

  • Serious or unresolved complaints can be taken to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

  • You can change CHSP providers at any time.

  • Your current provider must support the change.

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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