The role of a service provider
Approved service providers work with the support agency in their State to deliver in home care to families. They fulfil a crucial role in service delivery, ensuring that educators are supported in their role and that families receive a high standard of care. Services are responsible for:
- Engaging qualified educators
- Undertaking home inspections
- Monitoring service delivery
- Undertaking Child Care Subsidy related activities such as submission of child care attendance records and making Additional Child Care Subsidy claims
- Reporting to the in home care support agency
The In Home Care Support Agency WA and NT support approved service providers in these areas by:
- Reimbursing their costs to visit families in outer regional, remote or very remote locations
- Making recommendations to the Department on the distribution of places amongst services
- Administering a complaints handling mechanism for service providers, educators and families
- Providing guidance, resources and professional development for educators
How in home care works
Once a family is approved for the in home care program, the in home care support agency will email them a list of service providers in their area. Families can then contact you and other available services to find out more about your fees, educator availability and policies and procedures.
All families are placed on the in home care support agency waitlist. You will be able monitor this list and advise when you can match a family with a suitable educator based on the family’s child care requirements captured in their Family Management Plan.
Once a place is available, you will connect the family with a qualified educator who meets their needs. Your organisation will support the educators through home visits and regular communication to create and implement an education program that caters to each child’s needs.
Make contact with the in home care support agency by calling 1300 164 2020 or emailing inhomecaresupportagencywa@wanslea.org.au (for WA) or inhomecaresupportagencynt@wanslea.org.au (for NT).
They will answer any questions you may have and will send you an agency application form to complete (WA) (NT).
Once the agency has received your form, they will send you a confirmation. You’ll then be asked to apply to become an approved service provider. This application is assessed and determined by the State Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE).
Once you have received approval from DESE, the in home care support agency will contact the Commonwealth DESE office to request a reallocation of places, so that you can begin providing in home care to families.
we can refer you to a teletypewriter service.
Your experiences are valuable in helping the in home care support agency to understand the impact of in home care services. If you believe your rights have been violated, are unhappy about a decision made on your behalf, or have been subjected to unfair or discriminatory behaviour, please let them know. The agency also welcomes you to share anything that can be implemented, improved upon or continued for the future benefit of the program. The feedback and complaint process is confidential, and you can remain anonymous.
Our feedback and complaint process is confidential, and you can remain anonymous.
