Fee structure and management of funds
Q1: How do you manage clients’ funds under their package (or under the Support at Home program)?
A: Under the Support at Home program, each participant is allocated a funding classification by the Government. Care Connect develops an individualised budget based on your assessed needs. Once services are delivered to you the government reimburses Care Connect. As a not-for-profit provider, we:
- Develop a care plan in collaboration with you, identifying services, equipment and supports aligned with your goals.
- Provide you with a service agreement, and regularly produce statements showing how your budget is being spent, how much remains, and progress against your plan.
- Monitor your budget and ensure services are delivered safely, effectively and in line with your preferences.
- Offer transparency so you understand how your funds are managed and spent.
Q2: What is your management fee, how is it calculated, and are there any hidden charges?
A: Under the Support at Home reform, 10% of each participant’s funding is set aside for care-management. As a not-for-profit provider we commit to:
- Clearly stating our care-management fee in your service agreement.
- Fully explaining upfront what the costs are – there are no “hidden” fees.
- Publishing our service prices, and ensuring you know what you are paying for.
If you ever see charges you don’t understand, we’re always available to explain them step-by-step.
Q3: How has the recent reduction in allowable management fee (to a maximum of 10%) impacted your services and pricing?
A: As a not-for-profit, our mission is to maximise value for participants. Operationally, we have adjusted our internal processes to operate even more efficiently:
- We’ve streamlined care-management workflows to meet the capped 10% while maintaining quality.
- We’ve introduced our own direct care workforce, to give us greater control over costs and quality. It also allows us to offer discounted off-peak services.
- We’ve communicated the change clearly to clients and you’ll see this reflected in your statement.
Q4: Do you provide an itemised breakdown (or transparent statement) showing how client funds are spent?
A: Yes – transparency is one of our foundational commitments. For each client we provide:
- A service agreement and Care Plan outlining planned supports, budget and profile of costs.
- Ongoing budget statements that show funds spent, remaining budget, types of supports delivered, and any equipment/services purchased. This follows the obligation under the program to document an individualised budget and service agreement.
- Open access to discuss any line items or questions you have. It’s important you understand how your budget is being used.
Supplier relationships and conflicts of interest
Q5: Do you have “preferred supplier lists” for equipment, mobility aids or home-modifications?
A: We maintain a curated list of suppliers who meet both government and our quality and value benchmarks. We communicate clearly to suppliers that being on our list is about meeting standards (quality, service reliability, cost-effectiveness).
Q6: How are suppliers chosen? What criteria do you apply (quality, cost, client choice, etc.)?
A: Supplier selection is guided by these criteria:
- Supplier must comply with safety, warranty, and service-performance standards relevant to the equipment or home modification.
- Relationship is free from bias or external incentives: we evaluate supplier performance, delivery reliability and outcomes for clients.
Q7: Do you receive any commissions, rebates or “monetary returns” from suppliers in exchange for referrals or business? A:
- We do not accept commissions or hidden rebates from suppliers for referring clients.
- If any supplier offers a benefit, it is redirected to support client programs or reinvested into service improvement – and that is reflected in our prices.
- This approach ensures your supplier choice is based purely on your needs and not on provider benefit.
Q8: How do you ensure that the client’s freedom of choice is respected?
A: We ensure freedom of choice through:
- Explaining your rights in the service agreement, including your right to choose or change from our suppliers.
- Recording your preference in your care plan and supplier selection process — ensuring you are not steered inadvertently.
- Being transparent about any arrangements and ensuring our recommendations are driven by your goals.
Client choice, transparency & ethics
Q9: How are clients informed about their rights of choice in selecting equipment, services or suppliers?
A: At the start of your engagement we provide you with a “client & family rights” pack, which includes:
- Explanation of your rights under the Statement of Rights (independence, autonomy, empowerment).
- How the Support at Home budget, service list and service agreement work.
- How to choose your services, equipment, suppliers and how to raise feedback or complaints.
- A plain-language guide to your individualised budget and how it may be used (services, equipment, home modifications).
We also review this with you as part of your first care-planning meeting and annually (or as required) thereafter.
Q10: What checks or processes do you have in place to ensure equipment recommendations are appropriate, necessary, and in the client’s best interests?
A: Our process includes:
- A needs assessment by an allied-health professional (as applicable) to determine suitability of equipment/modification in line with your goals.
- Review and sign-off by your Care Partner, ensuring alignment with your care plan, budget and goals.
- Continuous monitoring: once equipment or home-modification is installed, we review outcomes (functionality, client satisfaction, maintenance).
- If equipment becomes obsolete, unsafe or unused, we support review of return/upgrade or re-budgeting.
Q11: How do you handle situations where a supplier refuses to pay a commission or rebate – are they excluded? Recent media articles have suggested that suppliers can be blacklisted or removed from lists if they don’t pay.
A:
- We do not link supplier inclusion to payment of rebates or commissions.
- Suppliers are reviewed on performance, cost-effectiveness, client outcomes and ethical business practices.
- If a supplier fails to meet our standards (quality, delivery, ethics) then we may remove them from our supplier list – not because they refused to pay rebates, but because they did not meet agreed standards or performance requirements.
- We maintain an audit of our supplier-relationships and report any conflicts of interest appropriately.
Q12: What governance or ethics frameworks do you have in place to prevent conflicts of interest or “kickback”-type arrangements? A: As a not-for-profit provider under the new regulatory environment we adhere to:
- Our internal conflict-of-interest policy which requires staff and suppliers to declare any potential benefit or incentive.
- Regular internal audits of procurement, supplier lists, referral practices and financial disclosures.
- Board oversight (or governance committee) that reviews ethics and supplier-relationships.
- Compliance with the obligations for providers under the Aged Care Act 2024 and Support at Home program manual.
Service continuity and provider stability
Q13: Given reports of provider collapse in the sector, what is your financial/operational stability, how do you manage risk so that clients’ services won’t be disrupted?
A: As a not-for-profit with a 30-year history, we are committed to continuity of care and have risk-management frameworks in place:
- We maintain appropriate reserves and insurance to safeguard service delivery in unexpected events.
- We conduct annual financial risk reviews and ensure diversity of supplier and subcontractor relationships to avoid dependency on a single critical vendor.
- We have a continuity plan that includes: service handover protocols, transfer of care-plans if required, communication to participants in advance of any major change.
- We transparently share our accreditation status and governance structurewith clients on request.
Q14: How do you choose and maintain your supply-chain (equipment, modifications, external suppliers) to avoid the risk of non-delivery or supplier insolvency?
A: Our supply-chain management includes:
- Inclusion of contract clauses for delivery timelines, fallback arrangements and contingencies in case of supplier failure.
- Keeping alternative suppliers ready for key equipment/modification categories so that if one supplier fails we can seamlessly transition to another.
We aim to ensure your services and equipment are delivered reliably, on time and without disruption.
Changes under the policy reforms
Q15: How are the reforms (from the Home Care Packages program to Support at Home) affecting what you provide (costs, services, availability)?
A: The shift to Support at Home means:
- A clearer, more flexible, person-centred funding model (eight classifications) with individualised budgets.
- The service list is more expansive – covering clinical supports, independence services and everyday-living services. (Dept of Health, Disability & Ageing)
- Service pricing must be published and transparent; from 1 July 2026 there will be price caps for certain services.
As your provider we have updated our service model accordingly: our pricing schedules, care-management structure (10% cap) and service agreements now reflect the reform framework. We are continuously monitoring demand, service availability and service-quality metrics to ensure that availability remains strong and waiting times minimal. We communicate with you openly about any changes in service offer or budget implications.
Q16: What is your strategy for managing higher demand, growth in the sector, and possible pressures on service quality?
A: Our strategy includes:
- Monitoring service demand and client feedback to proactively scale up staffing and supplier capacity.
- Leveraging our not-for-profit status to reinvest into staff training, new service models (e.g., remote care-management) and partnerships to expand reach.
- Tracking performance metrics (waiting times, service-hours delivered, client satisfaction, outcomes) .
- Working with allied-health, community partners and technology to improve efficiency without compromising quality.
Value for clients and cost-effectiveness
Q17: With the large increase in government funding and the size of the sector, how do you ensure your services deliver high value to clients versus being driven by volume or cost pressures?
A: We are driven by impact, not volume. Our value-commitment includes:
- Designing care around your goals: e.g., staying home longer, maintaining independence, reducing hospitalisation risk. We review outcomes, not just service hours.
- Using wellness and re-ablement frameworks — rather than solely providing support, we aim to build capacity and independence.
- As a not-for-profit, reinvesting any surplus into service improvements, staff development and enhancing client choice, rather than distributing profits.
Client information and empowerment
Q18: What education do you provide to clients and their families about how the funding works, their rights, and how decisions are made (supplier selection, equipment purchase, etc.)?
A: We provide a comprehensive welcome and information pack which includes:
- Plain-language explanation of the Support at Home program, how budgets are allocated, how you can use them.
- Your rights under the Statement of Rights and participant rights around choice, dignity, autonomy, including how to ask questions and raise feedback or complaints.
- How your care plan, service agreement and individualised budget work.
- We also hold an initial meeting (with you and your supporter/family) to walk through the above and answer questions. We follow-up annually or when significant changes occur.
Q19: How do you handle complaints or disputes, especially if a client feels they were steered to a supplier that doesn’t deliver what they need?
A: Our complaints and dispute-resolution process is clear, independent and accessible:
- Onboarding: we provide you with written rights-and-complaints information.
- If you feel you were steered to a supplier without proper choice, you can lodge a complaint with us and we will conduct an internal review of the procurement/supplier-selection process (including potential conflict-of-interest).
- We commit to transparently sharing the findings, corrective actions and outcomes.
- If you remain unsatisfied, you may escalate to the external regulator Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission or other advocacy services.
As a not-for-profit in-home care provider operating under the Support at Home program, our mission is to put you first, to ensure your funds are used in your best interest, your choices are respected, your outcomes matter, and you can remain living independently at home for longer.