Learn what sets Local Guardians apart and how we support you every step of the way.
Yes. You can change your Support at Home provider at any time and for any reason.
Local Guardians will first speak with you about your care needs, current services and preferences so you can decide whether our approach is right for you.
The main steps are:
Your required notice period may be set out in your existing service agreement, so you should check this before choosing an exit date.
There is not one standard notice period that applies to every participant who chooses to change providers. The exit date should take account of your circumstances, your current agreement and the need to avoid unnecessary disruption to your care.
Your existing provider cannot charge you an exit fee for leaving its Support at Home service.
Your current provider is required to continue delivering services under your existing service agreement and care plan until the agreed exit date. Your Local Guardians service agreement will then begin on or after that date.
To reduce the risk of a gap, speak with Local Guardians before giving final notice to your existing provider. This gives us time to understand your essential services, prepare your care plan and budget, and organise the arrangements needed for your start date.
Tell us about any services that cannot be interrupted, such as personal care, nursing, medication support or essential transport, as early as possible.
In most cases, yes. Local Guardians supports participant choice and can discuss whether your existing workers and providers can continue after you transfer.
Before they can be paid through your Support at Home funding, the arrangements must meet the relevant program, registration, compliance, care-plan and budget requirements.
Where possible, talk to Local Guardians about your existing providers before your exit date so their arrangements can be reviewed and set up in advance.
Your Support at Home funding moves with you to Local Guardians. This includes your available funding for ongoing services and any retained unspent Home Care Package funds.
The government-held portion of any retained Home Care Package funds is available to your new provider through your home care account.
The timing depends on where the funds are held.
The government-held portion of retained Home Care Package funds is available to the new provider immediately through your home care account.
Your previous provider may need to complete a final reconciliation before the exact balance is confirmed. This can include:
The previous provider must transfer any participant-held portion of retained Home Care Package funds to the new provider within 60 calendar days of the exit date. Any Commonwealth portion must be returned to Services Australia.
Your previous provider must also provide remaining budget information to Local Guardians within 28 days.
Because of these finalisation steps, the complete balance may not be visible immediately.
Yes. Services can usually begin once:
If some funds are still being reconciled by your previous provider, Local Guardians will plan your services around the funding currently available and prioritise your essential care needs.
Retained Home Care Package funds remain available to support your assessed care needs under Support at Home. They may be used for approved:
The services or items must still meet Support at Home rules and relate to your assessed needs, safety, wellbeing or independence. Some purchases may require an assessment, recommendation, quote or approval before proceeding.
The usual quarterly carryover limit does not apply to retained unspent Home Care Package funds.
Ask your previous provider for:
Your previous provider may also need to provide relevant care records and budget information to Local Guardians.
Switching to Local Guardians involves agreeing on an exit date with your current provider, signing your new Local Guardians agreement and coordinating the start of your new arrangement.
Your funding moves with you, your previous provider must continue services until the agreed exit date, and Local Guardians will help establish your new care plan, budget and services.
Under Support at Home, your funding is divided between:
For participants receiving ongoing Support at Home services, the Australian Government deducts 10% of each quarterly budget to fund care management.
The remaining 90% is available for approved care and services included in your care plan and budget.
Care management is fully government funded. You are not required to make a personal contribution towards the care management allocation.
Care management funding supports activities such as:
Support at Home providers must provide every participant with at least one direct care management activity each month.
Care management funding cannot be used for general business costs such as staff rostering, human resources, provider governance, compliance administration or record keeping.
Local Guardians does not employ its own support worker workforce or require you to use workers at a fixed hourly rate.
Instead, you can choose an appropriate third-party worker or service provider. Local Guardians oversees the arrangement and remains responsible for ensuring the service meets Support at Home quality, safety and compliance requirements.
Under the government’s self-management rules, a provider may include an overhead of up to 10% of the actual cost of a third-party service. This overhead must be included in the final agreed service price. It cannot be charged as a separate administration fee.
Local Guardians applies a 10% overhead to third-party service costs to cover responsibilities such as:
The 10% care management allocation is deducted from the quarterly budget under the government funding model.
Local Guardians third-party service overhead is only included when a service is delivered. If you do not use a third-party service during a particular period, there is no service invoice and therefore no associated overhead charged for that service.
Your personal contribution is separate from the care management allocation and depends on:
Clinical support and care management do not attract a participant contribution. Contributions may apply to independence and everyday living services.
The amount of care you receive ultimately depends on the prices charged by your chosen service providers and the services included in your care plan.
Local Guardians is an independent Support at Home care management provider. We help you organise and manage your government-funded care while giving you choice over who provides your services, when they are delivered and how much you are willing to pay.
Unlike a traditional full-service provider, Local Guardians does not employ its own workforce or require you to use a set group of support workers. You can choose your own providers and services, while we manage the care planning, budgeting, provider checks and program requirements behind the scenes.
You are assigned a dedicated Care Advisor who becomes your main point of contact. Your Care Advisor works with you and, where appropriate, your family or representative to understand your needs, goals and preferences.
Local Guardians helps you:
Once your care plan and services are established, you can communicate directly with your chosen workers and providers to arrange appointments and service times.
Local Guardians remain responsible for overseeing your Support at Home arrangement. This includes checking that services are consistent with your assessed needs, care plan, available budget and government program requirements.
Your Care Advisor is available when you need help with matters such as:
The amount of support you receive can be adjusted to suit you. Some clients prefer to organise most of their services independently, while others want more assistance from their Care Advisor.
Yes. You can continue using suitable existing workers, find your own providers or ask Local Guardians to help you identify services in your area.
Your chosen provider must meet the relevant registration, insurance, police-check and compliance requirements before Support at Home funding can be used to pay them. Services must also be included in your care plan and budget.
A full-service provider generally employs or contracts its own workforce and sets the prices for the services it delivers.
Local Guardians separates care management from direct service delivery. We do not employ the support workers who visit your home. This allows you to compare providers, negotiate service prices and choose the people who are the best fit for you.
You still receive the oversight and support required under Support at Home, including care planning, budgeting, compliance checks and ongoing care management. The difference is that you retain more control over your services and providers.
No. Choosing Local Guardians does not mean you are left to manage your care alone.
You decide how involved you want to be. You may choose to:
Local Guardians provides the care management and program oversight required to help keep your arrangement safe, appropriate and compliant.
VIC & TAS: (03) 7067 0555
NSW & ACT: (02) 7227 7661
QLD & NT: (07) 2139 7090
WA & SA: (08) 6383 8819