Support at Home Program: Single Provider Rule

Please note: The content below refers to the Support at Home changes which replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025.

The End of “Mixing and Matching”?

Under the old Home Care Packages (HCPs), many people liked to pick and choose their own arrangement. For example, you may have had a primary provider to handle the administration, but used a local cleaning company you knew well, a separate gardening service, and/or a nurse recommended by a friend.

Under the new Support at Home program, this has all changed.

Since the new system launched, the government has enforced the Support at Home Single Provider model. Regardless of your specific Classification Level, you must now be linked to one single provider for all your ongoing care. This means one organisation is responsible for everything, everywhere from your nursing and equipment to your domestic assistance.

Why the Change? It’s About Clinical Governance

The answer isn’t just about paperwork. It is about your safety.

Under the Aged Care Act, your provider is legally responsible for your health outcomes. If you have three different providers, there is a risk that no single person has the full picture of your health. The Single Provider model ensures that one Care Management team oversees everything to prevent gaps in your care.

There is also a financial reason. Under the current system, the 10% Care Management fee deducted from your budget is “pooled” by the provider. This pooling happens at a specific level called the aged care service delivery branch. If you were allowed to split your funding across multiple providers, this pooling mechanism would break. This would also complicate how contributions are calculated and collected.

The “Self-Management” Workaround

If you value choice and want to bring in your own workers, the best pathway is often Self-managed care.

The government rules allow self-managed aged care providers to support you to find your own workers. In this model, you find the worker, but your Single Provider still pays the invoice to ensure everything is tracked correctly.

The Fee Cap Protection

There is a specific consumer protection rule for this. If you find your own worker under a self-management agreement, the provider is capped at charging a maximum 10% overhead on top of the invoice cost. This covers their administrative costs for checking the worker’s compliance.

Exceptions: When Can I Use A Different Provider?

While the Single Provider rule is strict, there are limited exceptions where you can access care from a different organisation. These might include but are not limited to:

• Different Programs (CHSP): You may be able to access specific services through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) if your Support at Home provider cannot deliver them. This often applies to social groups.
  
• Transition Care: You can access the Transition Care Programme (TCP) after a hospital stay while keeping your Support at Home provider, as long as these services do not duplicate each other.
  
• What is Not Allowed: You generally cannot have two different Support at Home providers active at the same time. For example, you cannot have one company for nursing and a different company for cleaning.

What Is A “Service Delivery Branch”?

You might see the term “Service Delivery Branch” in your paperwork.

A large provider might have multiple branches. For example, they might have “SunnyCare North” and “SunnyCare South”. You must be linked to one specific branch.

Why it matters: Your care management funds are pooled within that specific branch. If you move house to a new region, you might technically have to “change providers” or transfer branches even if you stay with the same company. This ensures your funding moves to the correct local pool.

The “Associated Provider” Rule

Another term you might encounter is associated provider aged care. This refers to an organisation that delivers services on behalf of your Single Provider.

For example, a smaller community provider might not have their own nurses, so they contract a large nursing agency to be their “Associated Provider”.

Consumer Rights: You have a right to know who is actually walking through your door. Your Care Plan must clearly state if a service is being delivered by a third party.

Post-Transition Audit: Is Your Set-Up Compliant?

If you transitioned from a Home Care Package last November and are still using multiple different agencies informally, you may be at risk.

1. Check your team: Look at everyone who helps you. Are they all paid through your single primary provider?
   
2. Consolidate immediately: If you are still paying separate invoices to different agencies, contact your primary provider now. You need to formalise these arrangements.
   
3. Check the Agreements: Ensure any external workers have provided the necessary police checks and insurance papers to your Single Provider. If they haven’t, your provider cannot legally pay them.