Service providers

We partner with Capital Guardians and use their financial management / payment platform to minimise administrative costs and pay service providers weekly (up to a month earlier than when we receive funding from the Government).

All service providers must register in Capital Guardians, and upload their invoices regularly.

Other requirements/considerations include:

• Must have an ABN, a valid police check (less than 3 years old), and public liability insurance.
• Providers cannot be family members, Power of Attorneys, Support at Home funding representatives, or live in the same home.
• Transport services require a driver’s license and comprehensive car insurance.
• Additional qualifications may be needed for specific tasks (e.g., nursing).
• Compliance documents are not needed for in clinic services, consumables, or equipment.
• Providers must complete a ‘Service Provider Agreement’.
• One-off tradespeople are exempt from police checks if accompanied by another person but still need public liability insurance.

Police Checks, Insurance and Qualifications

Police checks are mandatory for service providers who are visiting the client in or at their home.

In-home service providers must have a valid police check that is less than 3 years old (as required in the Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025), that does not preclude the individual from working in aged care.

Police checks are not required for service providers providing a once-off service/trade in the home, who are supervised by someone else other than the care recipient.

Compliance documents are not required for in-clinic services, such as a physio clinic, consumables or equipment.

Allied health professionals delivering services in the home will need to register in Capital Guardians and upload their public liability insurance and their police check. This applies to Allied Health who are registered with AHPRA, as they do not collect a copy of the police check or record the expiry date.

$5m public liability Insurance is required by all service providers attending the client’s home.

For transport services, a driver’s license and comprehensive car insurance are necessary.

Appropriate qualifications are required depending on the type of work being conducted. For example, a person providing nursing care or administering medication must be qualified to do this.

All compliance documentation must be provided prior to an individual commencing work. If a provider is engaged prior to having valid compliance checks in place, it is considered a private arrangement.

Table Summary

If you have multiple staff who need to enter their own shift notes, you can easily add them to your account.

1. Click on the PROFILE tile in your Capital Guardians login.
2. Click on +New User.
3. Add the details of the new user and submit.

To ensure fast and accurate payment, all invoices must include the correct Service Item Code, along with your unit price and number of units.

Each service you deliver is matched to a standard code. This tells us:

• What type of service was delivered
• Which funding category it sits under (Clinical, Independence, Everyday)
• How it should be claimed and paid

What you need to include on every invoice

For each line item, please include:

• Date of service
• Service Item Code (from the table below)
• Service description (what you delivered)
• Unit price (your agreed rate)
• Units (e.g. hours, visits, or quantity)
• Total amount

Example:

22/04/2026 SERV-0001 – General house cleaning

2 hours @ $65/hour = $130

How to choose the right code

Use the table below to match your service to the correct code.

A simple way to think about it:

• Clinical: Personal care, Nursing, allied health, care management
• Independence: Social support, transport, equipment
• Everyday: Cleaning, meals, home maintenance

If you’re unsure, choose the code that best reflects what you actually did, not your job title.

Important notes

• One service = one code per line (don’t bundle multiple services together)
• Use the most specific code available
• Incorrect or missing codes will delay payment
• If a service spans multiple categories, split it into separate line items

Support at Home codes

Common service codes include:

• Personal care (showering, dressing): SERV-0020
• Cleaning: SERV-0001
• Transport to appointments: SERV-0016
• Physiotherapy: SERV-0034
• Gardening: SERV-0004

The complete list of Support at Home service codes is provided below.

A shift note is a short-written summary, describing what was done during a shift. It also notes anything important about how the recipient is doing or if there are any concerns about wellbeing or condition.

Why are shift notes important?

Shift notes serve as more than just a compliance requirement. They act as a safety net for both the client and support worker, fostering collaboration among support workers to address concerns promptly, averting potential serious situations.

They are a record of services provided in case of a complaint, incident or dispute.

During emergencies, they become invaluable, providing critical information for immediate and necessary care.

Should there be a discrepancy around the arrival to a shift or the work completed, well-maintained shift notes act as a record confirming the services rendered on that particular day. This serves as a reliable reference, clarifying any uncertainties about the services provided.

What is typically included in shift notes?

Typically, a shift note will include details of the support provided (or rejected), highlighting key activities and outcomes achieved during the shift. This validates that the activities delivered align with the specific services that were scheduled.

The following items should be included in a shift note:

• Name of the support worker (if this isn’t the same as the company name)
• Date of service
• Start and finish time
• Brief description of tasks completed
• Any concerns about the client’s condition, such as a change in behaviour, mood, appetite or mobility

When should shift notes be entered?

Shift notes should be entered promptly to ensure accurate recollection of events and timely responses.

Voice-to-text features on mobile devices can be used to capture notes before they are transferred into Capital Guardians.

Bulk uploads of shift notes on a weekly or monthly basis are not permitted, as delays can hinder quick action in response to adverse events and lead to serious consequences.

Can I charge the Support at Home funding for entering shift notes?

Charging an admin fee for inputting shift notes isn’t permissible through the Support at Home funding. Documenting shift notes is a common practice across various industries, be it healthcare, trades, or beauty services. Maintaining a record of events is crucial for optimal client outcomes and conflict prevention.

Keeping shift notes concise and focused is key. It is not intended to be a full report.

Who will be able to view shift notes?

The following people have access to client shift notes. It is therefore essential that they are professional, objective, timely and accurate.

• The Local Guardians team who are managing the Support at Home funding account and approving invoices.
• The Local Guardians management and clinical team if reviewing an incident, complaint or concern.
• In some circumstances, Local Guardians may be legally obligated to disclose your shift notes to a legal or regulatory body.

Yes, any services provided through the Support at Home program require a shift note. A brief description of the tasks you completed with any relevant comment on the welfare of the client (if you saw them) is sufficient. This may be as little as a few sentences.

A full report or health summary (for Allied Health) is not required.

Unfortunately no. Shift notes are a legislative requirement and must be completed by support workers who provide services under the Support at Home Program.

If you require assistance in sourcing a new provider, you can use this Provider Search or get in touch with your Care Advisor.

Shift notes are a legislative requirement and must be completed by support workers who are funded through the Support at Home Program. In the absence of shift notes, the services cannot be continued or paid for with Support at Home funding.

Consistent and detailed shift notes are key to avoiding payment issues. Incomplete or mismatched notes might result in invoice rejections.

All incidents, hazards, or near misses should be documented in shift notes and reported using our incident form. When in doubt about whether something qualifies as an incident, it’s advisable to submit it for review. It’s always better to err on the side of caution in these situations.

Incident