Home Assist Program

The services of the Gawler Home Assist Program are available to Council residents who are aged over 65 years (or 50 years and over for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people).
To access subsidised services, residents must be registered and have undergone an assessment with My Aged Care, who then issue the appropriate referrals either to our organisation directly or via a referral code.

Residents who are aged over 65 years and who would benefit from support from the Program must first register with My Aged Care, either by calling 1800 200 422 or by visiting www.myagedcare.gov.au.

The Town of Gawler appoints Independent Contractors to provide services on behalf of the Home Assist Program. We are currently seeking more Independent Contractors to become a part of our Program. If you are interested in becoming a contractor, please complete the Home Assist Contractor Application Form.

REQUIREMENTS FOR BECOMING AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

It is a requirement that all Independent Contractors with the Gawler Home Assist Program are required to hold:

a) An Australian Business Number (ABN)

As the Town of Gawler sub-contracts the direct provision of services to Independent Contractors, it is a requirement that all Contractors have an ABN with the Australian Taxation Office.

It is the responsibility of Independent Contractors to comply with all requirements of the Australian Taxation Office.

The Town of Gawler requires a complying Tax Invoice, within the meaning defined in A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (Cth) to make any payment to the Contractor.

b) Public Liability Insurance –

All Contractors must maintain Public Liability insurance. This may be either:

• 1) A Contractor-maintained public liability policy, in your name for an amount of not less than $20 million

Or

• 2) Where applicable, the Town of Gawler facilitates public liability insurance for and on behalf of the Contractors who carry out community services on their behalf and who do not maintain their own public liability insurance (Principal Maintained Public Liability Policy). There is an hourly deductible cost for those Contractors requiring access to Principal Maintained Public Liability Insurance. If a claim is made via this policy, the Contractor is responsible for the cost of any deductable expenses.

It is important to note – that Principal Maintained Public Liability Policy does not provide Professional Indemnity or Personal Accident Insurance coverage.

c) Qualifications (as required) –

While qualifications are not essential for the provision of some services, it is a requirement that Contractors hold relevant qualifications for some service types. This includes:

• A builders licence for any Home Modifications services.
• An accredited provide first aid certificate, if providing social support services.

d) A satisfactory Criminal History Check –

A Contractor that is engaged to provide services on behalf of the Home Assist Program must obtain a criminal history check that satisfise the requirements under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) Grant Agreement and CHSP Program manual.

At a minimum requirement, this must be a National Criminal History Check or a National Police Certificate that has been prepared by either:

• the Australian Federal Police;
• a state or territory police service, or an;
• Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) accredited agency.

In many cases, you can apply for a criminal history check through an approved Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission accredited agency online.

A valid screening check must be dated less than three (3) years old.

e) Training

Home Assist Contractors will be required to participate in mandatory training (as directed) to ensure compliance with best practices and the Aged Care Quality Standards

For further information about becoming a Home Assist Contractor, please contact a member of the Home Assist Team on 8522 1177 or email chsp@gawler.sa.gov.au.