What Is A Support at Home Service Agreement?

Before Support at Home services begin, the provider will give the older person a service agreement.

This document can look like routine paperwork, but it is much more important than that. It records the legal and practical terms between the participant and the provider, including what services will be delivered, what they will cost, how contributions will be handled and what each party is responsible for.

The agreement should be understood before it is accepted. A family should not assume every provider uses the same prices, cancellation rules, worker arrangements or service conditions.

Short Answer

A Support at Home service agreement is a written legal contract between the registered provider and the participant, or their authorised decision-maker. It explains the agreed services, prices, contributions, rights, responsibilities, complaints process and other conditions governing how support will be delivered.

Key Takeaway

A service agreement should translate approved support into clear, enforceable arrangements. Before agreeing, check that the services, prices, responsibilities, cancellation conditions, review process and provider commitments match what was discussed.

Is A Support at Home Service Agreement A Legal Contract?

Yes. A Support at Home service agreement is a written legal contract between the registered provider and the participant.

Where appropriate, an active appointed decision-maker may enter into the agreement for the participant. This person may also be registered as a supporter through My Aged Care.

The agreement should be entered into before or on the day Support at Home services begin.

OAP Reality Check: A document being described as “standard” does not make it unimportant. Once accepted, it becomes the written record of what the provider and participant have agreed to.

What Should A Service Agreement Include?

The exact wording may differ between providers, but the agreement should clearly record the essential terms of the relationship.

Participant And Provider Details

The agreement should identify the participant, the registered provider and any authorised decision-maker involved.

Agreed Services

It should explain what services will be delivered and how they connect with the participant’s assessed needs and care plan.

Prices And Contributions

It should explain service prices, participant contributions and how costs will affect the available budget.

Rights And Responsibilities

It should state what the provider must do and what is expected from the participant.

Changes And Cancellations

It should explain how services can be changed, cancelled, rescheduled or temporarily paused.

Complaints And Ending Services

It should explain how concerns are raised and what happens if either party ends the agreement.

The Agreement Should Identify The Services

The service agreement should make it clear what the provider has agreed to deliver.

This may include:

personal care
domestic assistance
meal preparation
transport
social support
nursing
allied health
assistive technology
home modifications
care management

Do not rely on broad wording such as “home support” if the family expects specific tasks.

For each important service, clarify:

what the worker will do
how often the service will occur
how long visits will last
preferred days and times
when services will begin
whether the provider or a subcontractor will deliver them

Check That The Agreement Matches The Care Plan

The service agreement and care plan have different purposes, but they should work together.

Support Plan

Records the needs, goals and approved pathways identified through the My Aged Care assessment process.

Care Plan

Explains how the provider intends to meet the participant’s needs, goals and preferences.

Service Agreement

Records the legal and practical terms governing the provider-participant relationship.

Service Schedule

Records the practical timing, frequency and commencement of agreed services.

If the care plan describes one arrangement but the service agreement records something different, ask the provider to explain the inconsistency before accepting the agreement.

Prices Should Be Clear

Support at Home providers must publish pricing information for the services they provide.

The service agreement should explain the prices that will apply to the participant’s agreed services.

Ask whether each price includes:

Worker Time

Check whether the price covers the full scheduled service or only direct time in the home.

Travel

Ask whether travel-related costs are included in the service price.

Subcontracting

Ask whether another organisation will deliver the service and whether this changes the price.

Materials And Equipment

Check whether supplies, equipment or materials create additional costs.

Weekends And Public Holidays

Ask whether different prices apply outside ordinary service hours.

Cancellations

Check whether the participant’s budget may still be charged when a visit is cancelled late.

Understand Participant Contributions

Depending on the service category and the person’s financial circumstances, the participant may be required to contribute toward some Support at Home services.

The agreement should explain how the provider will apply the contribution arrangements relevant to the participant.

Before agreeing, ask:

which services require a contribution
what contribution rate applies
how the contribution will be invoiced or collected
what happens if the person has difficulty paying
how contribution changes will be communicated

Do not confuse the service price with the participant’s personal contribution. The service price affects the available Support at Home budget, while the contribution is the amount the participant may need to pay toward eligible services.

Check How Care Management Is Covered

Support at Home providers must provide care management to participants.

The service agreement should help explain how the provider will coordinate, monitor and review the person’s support.

Main Contact

Who is the participant’s care partner or coordinator?

Regular Contact

How will the provider maintain contact and monitor whether services remain suitable?

Changing Needs

Who should be contacted when health, safety, goals or family support change?

Service Problems

Who takes responsibility when visits are missed or the agreed support is not working?

Check Worker And Subcontractor Arrangements

The agreement should make it possible to understand who may actually enter the home and deliver the support.

Ask whether services will be delivered by:

the provider’s employees
independent contractors
another organisation subcontracted by the provider
a combination of these arrangements

Also ask:

how workers are screened
what qualifications or training apply
whether consistent workers can be requested
how replacement workers are managed
how concerns about a particular worker are reported

OAP Decision Point: The provider named in the agreement may not personally deliver every service. Confirm who will actually provide the care and who remains accountable when subcontractors are used.

Understand Cancellation Rules

Cancellation conditions can affect both service reliability and the participant’s budget.

The agreement should explain:

how much notice the participant must give
whether a late cancellation charge applies
what happens when the provider cancels
whether a replacement worker will be offered
how services are rescheduled
what happens during hospital stays or extended absences

Pay particular attention to essential services such as personal care, meals or medication-related support. A cancelled visit may create a practical safety risk even when the contractual rule is clear.

Check How Service Changes Are Made

Support needs can change over time.

The agreement should explain how the participant and provider can change the service arrangements.

This may include changes to:

service frequency
visit times
service types
worker preferences
care goals
risk controls
provider prices

Ask whether changes must be made in writing and whether the care plan, budget or service agreement will also be updated.

Can The Provider Change Its Prices?

Providers may update their prices, but families should understand how price changes will be communicated and applied.

Check the agreement for:

Notice Period

How much notice will the provider give before a new price begins?

Participant Agreement

How will the provider obtain agreement to the revised service price?

Budget Impact

How will the increase affect the amount or frequency of support available?

Alternative Options

Can the service mix be changed or another provider considered if the new price is unsuitable?

Know Your Rights And Responsibilities

The agreement should record the rights and responsibilities of both the participant and the provider.

The Provider’s Responsibilities May Include

delivering safe and quality care
respecting dignity, privacy and preferences
providing clear information about services and prices
maintaining appropriate records
responding to changing needs
managing complaints
supporting continuity when services change

The Participant’s Responsibilities May Include

providing accurate information
treating workers respectfully
providing a reasonably safe service environment
giving required cancellation notice
paying applicable contributions
telling the provider when circumstances change

The agreement should not be written as though all responsibility sits with the participant while provider obligations remain vague.

Check The Complaints Process

The agreement should explain how to raise a concern about services, workers, prices, communication or provider conduct.

Before accepting the agreement, identify:

the first person to contact
how complaints can be made
how quickly the provider aims to respond
how the matter can be escalated internally
what external complaint pathways are available
whether an advocate or supporter can assist

A complaints process should be usable in practice, not hidden inside difficult contractual language.

Can You Change Providers?

Yes. A Support at Home participant can choose to change providers.

The service agreement should explain how the arrangement can be ended and what notice may be required.

Before changing providers:

Find A New Provider

Confirm that another provider can deliver the required services before ending the current arrangement.

Agree On An End Date

Coordinate when the current services finish and when the new provider will begin.

Manage Records And Referrals

Confirm how information, referral arrangements and outstanding records will be transferred.

Protect Service Continuity

Avoid creating a gap in essential personal care, meals, nursing or other support.

Do You Have To Sign Immediately?

No family should feel pressured to accept an agreement they do not understand.

The provider may need the agreement completed before or when services start, but that does not remove the need for informed consideration.

Ask for:

a copy to read
plain-language explanations
clarification of unclear clauses
written prices
confirmation of agreed changes
support from a family member, advocate or appointed decision-maker

Urgent need for care can create pressure, but signing quickly does not solve unclear pricing, unsuitable services or poor provider capacity.

Can The Agreement Be Negotiated?

Some legal and program requirements will apply across Support at Home agreements, but practical service arrangements should still reflect the participant’s individual circumstances.

Families can ask for changes or clarification relating to:

service days and times
worker preferences
communication arrangements
who may receive information
access to the home
cancellation processes
how service changes are approved
how provider commitments are documented

If the provider will not correct inaccurate information or explain important terms, consider whether the provider is the right organisation to proceed with.

What If The Participant Cannot Sign?

A participant may be unable to sign because of physical disability, communication difficulty or impaired decision-making capacity.

These situations are not all the same.

The first question should be whether the person still understands the agreement and can communicate a decision using appropriate support.

If an appointed decision-maker is involved, the provider should confirm their authority and include the correct details in the agreement.

OAP Decision Reliability: Do not assume that a person lacks decision-making ability simply because they communicate slowly, need support or cannot physically sign. The relevant question is whether they can understand and make this particular decision with appropriate assistance.

Warning Signs Before Agreeing

Services Are Vague

The agreement does not clearly identify what support will be delivered.

Prices Are Missing

The provider relies on verbal explanations instead of written service prices.

Start Dates Are Unclear

The provider wants the agreement accepted but cannot confirm when important services will begin.

Subcontracting Is Hidden

The family does not know that another organisation may actually deliver the care.

Changes Are One-Sided

The provider can change important terms without a clear notice or agreement process.

The Family Is Pressured

The provider discourages questions or insists the document must be signed immediately.

Questions To Ask Before Accepting The Agreement

What Exactly Will You Deliver?

Confirm the services, tasks, frequency and expected commencement dates.

What Will Everything Cost?

Ask for the agreed service prices, contribution arrangements and likely budget effect.

Who Will Deliver The Care?

Clarify whether workers are employees, contractors or subcontractors.

What Happens When A Visit Is Cancelled?

Understand participant cancellations, provider cancellations and replacement arrangements.

How Are Changes Approved?

Ask how services, prices and care arrangements will be reviewed and updated.

How Can We End The Agreement?

Confirm notice requirements and how the provider will support a transfer.