Attendant care

Please note: All service providers funded by the TAC to deliver a disability service for a TAC client with disability in Victoria must comply with the requirements of the new Social Services Regulator that came into effect on 1 July 2024.

Please refer to the TAC’s Social Services Regulations webpage to find out how this may impact the services you deliver and/or refer to the Social Services Regulator webpage for more details on registering with the new regulator.

Because of these changes, this policy is under review.

We’re here to help you get your life back on track after your transport accident.

If you need help with personal care and daily living after your accident, we can pay for attendant care provided within Australia.

If you require temporary services and support with personal care and everyday living after you leave hospital we can fund post-acute support.

Your safety

The TAC takes your care, safety and wellbeing very seriously. Your attendant care or post acute support should be delivered in a way that makes you feel safe and respected. For more information, please refer to Your Care.

How attendant care will help

Attendant care support workers will visit you to help you with a number of activities. These can include personal care, daily living or accessing the community. Attendant care can also include daytime or overnight support, depending on your needs.

This support service aims to help you regain your independence and get back on track.

How post-acute support will help

Attendant care support workers will visit you to help you with temporary services after you leave hospital. We refer to these services as post-acute support. They can include help with showering, dressing, mobility, banking and shopping.

This service aims to support you while you recover and can then do these tasks yourself.

The below registration requirements apply to all post-acute support providers.

Choosing a provider

Clients should engage a provider who meets our Independent Registration against Quality Standards (IRQS). By requiring providers to meet these standards, we can better ensure a high-quality service.

See our information on Choosing an attendant care agency.

If you are unable to find an IRQS provider who meets your needs, please contact the TAC to discuss. We may consider registration of a new provider.

You can also access information about using family and friends as your attendant care support worker below.

Provider registration requirements

Attendant care providers must meet our minimum standards to be registered. These ensure that providers:

understand our standards when they apply for attendant care registration
meet best practice expectations in their policies and work practices
adhere to TAC policies and guidelines, including attendant care provider guidelines
can have their registration refused or revoked if they fail to meet these standards

These requirements ensure you receive quality and safe care and that processes will support you if issues occur.

In exceptional circumstances we may elect to register providers who don’t meet all minimum standards, on a conditional basis in order to meet specific client need. The same registration process is to be followed, with the expectation that the provider continues to work towards meeting all minimum standards.

Providers must follow the formal registration process and receive registration approval in writing before they deliver support.

How we approve these services

After your transport accident, your doctor, occupational therapist or treating team may recommend that you need help with personal care and everyday living.

Your occupational therapist or other medical professional in your treating team will complete an assessment of your needs and capabilities. This will make us aware of your needs.

When necessary we will work with your treating team to ensure you receive the attendant care you need. This can support you and help you regain as much functional independence as possible.

If you require attendant care for a period of overseas travel, a member of your treating team should provide us with details. They should outline the travel and the care you require.

We may contact your treating team to discuss your progress or request an assessment. The aim is to make sure that:

You have access to the most appropriate treatment and support.
You are getting proven, evidence-based treatment and not receiving treatment that isn't helping you recover.
You are moving towards getting your life back on track or being able to live independently.

For post-acute support services, your hospital will contact us to ask that you get the help with the tasks of everyday living while you recover at home.

How these services are paid for

We pay for these services:

Directly to your service provider, when you have given them your TAC claim number, or
If you have to pay, use myTAC to send a copy of your receipt to us and we will repay you.

We pay for your services in line with our responsibilities under the Transport Accident Act 1986.

How much we will pay

There is a limit to how much we will pay for each service. If your service costs more than our maximum rate, you may need to pay the difference.

For the list of rates for providers who have met our minimum standards and registration requirements, see: TAC Attendant Care Fee Schedule.

If you are in receipt of individualised funding and utilising attendant care, see: Individualised Funding and Financial independence.

If you are travelling overseas, any attendant care should be provided by a suitable agency from your holiday destination. We can approve attendant care for up to 8 weeks in any year while you are travelling overseas. An additional 4 weeks on top of those 8 weeks are available where you require attendant care while undertaking travel as part of your employment.

We can only pay for up to 40 hours per week for any combination of post acute support, child care and home services (cleaning and gardening). Post acute support can only be paid for up to 5 years from your accident unless you have a ‘severe injury’.

What we won’t pay for

We cannot pay for services that:

Do not treat, or are not related to, your transport accident injuries.
Are not reasonable, necessary or appropriate.
Are not clinically justified, safe and effective.

We also cannot pay for:

Attendant care while you are an inpatient in a public, contracted or arrangement hospital.
Your support worker’s incidental expenses such as travel, meals and tickets/entry fees for recreational activities or entertainment.
Fees associated with cancelled shifts.

Requests for family members or friends to provide your attendant care

The TAC does not support the employment of family members as paid support workers. This is intended to help preserve your family relationships and to avoid conflicting responsibilities.

If you are unable to find suitable support workers to meet your needs, you can call the TAC to discuss this further. The TAC can pay for services to assist you, such as a Case Manager.

In some circumstances, it may not be possible to find suitable support workers because of your location or exceptional support needs. An attendant care provider may consider a family member as your support worker for short-term employment of up to three months, while other appropriate support workers are found. This arrangement may be extended beyond three months when the provider requires additional time to find an appropriate support worker.

It is at the discretion of the attendant care provider as to whether your family member is employed. This decision should be based on TAC’s policy, Attendant care provider guidelines and other provider employment requirements.

For family members

A family member who is eligible to provide paid support as described above must be employed by a TAC IRQS registered attendant care provider. They must meet all the requirements of that provider. This is to ensure that services delivered to you meet industry and community standards. Employer and employee must strictly follow the expectations and responsibilities set out in the Attendant care provider guidelines.

As paid employees, family members engaged as paid support workers are subject to the full requirements of the Disability Service Safeguards Code of Conduct (Code) operating in Victoria, and the NDIS Code of Conduct in Victoria and in all other States and Territories.

If you are a family member who was employed to provide support to a TAC client (your family member) prior to 1 July 2021, you can continue to be paid for the attendant care support by your employer as long as you meet all requirements of your employment including those set out in the Attendant care provider guidelines.

Provider responsibilities

Attendant care providers are responsible for determining if they have suitable staff available to meet the service need. They must determine if a family member is suitable to be engaged in a paid capacity temporarily.

Definitions

The term "family member" in this policy is used to represent a person who is identified by the client as a member of their family, or part of their close personal support network. This could include but is not limited to an immediate or non-immediate family member, partner, household member, friend and/or legal guardian.

The term “support worker” refers to a person being paid for attendant care (AC) or disability work who provides personal support, therapy support and/or community access.

For providers

If you are an attendant care provider, please refer to our Attendant care provider guidelines.


Attendant care Please note: All service providers funded by the TAC to deliver a disability service for a TAC client with disability in Victoria must comply with the requirements of the new Social Services Regulator that came into effect on 1 July 2024. Please refer to the TAC’s Social Services Regulations webpage to find out how this may impact the services you deliver and/or refer to the Social Services Regulator webpage for more details on registering with the new regulator. Because of these changes, this policy is under review. We’re here to help you get your life back on track after your transport accident. If you need help with personal care and daily living after your accident, we can pay for attendant care provided within Australia. If you require temporary services and support with personal care and everyday living after you leave hospital we can fund post-acute support. Your safety The TAC takes your care, safety and wellbeing very seriously. Your attendant care or post acute support should be delivered in a way that makes you feel safe and respected. For more information, please refer to Your Care. How attendant care will help Attendant care support workers will visit you to help you with a number of activities. These can include personal care, daily living or accessing the community. Attendant care can also include daytime or overnight support, depending on your needs. This support service aims to help you regain your independence and get back on track. How post-acute support will help Attendant care support workers will visit you to help you with temporary services after you leave hospital. We refer to these services as post-acute support. They can include help with showering, dressing, mobility, banking and shopping. This service aims to support you while you recover and can then do these tasks yourself. The below registration requirements apply to all post-acute support providers. Choosing a provider Clients should engage a provider who meets our Independent Registration against Quality Standards (IRQS). By requiring providers to meet these standards, we can better ensure a high-quality service. See our information on Choosing an attendant care agency. If you are unable to find an IRQS provider who meets your needs, please contact the TAC to discuss. We may consider registration of a new provider. You can also access information about using family and friends as your attendant care support worker below. Provider registration requirements Attendant care providers must meet our minimum standards to be registered. These ensure that providers: understand our standards when they apply for attendant care registration meet best practice expectations in their policies and work practices adhere to TAC policies and guidelines, including attendant care provider guidelines can have their registration refused or revoked if they fail to meet these standards These requirements ensure you receive quality and safe care and that processes will support you if issues occur. In exceptional circumstances we may elect to register providers who don’t meet all minimum standards, on a conditional basis in order to meet specific client need. The same registration process is to be followed, with the expectation that the provider continues to work towards meeting all minimum standards. Providers must follow the formal registration process and receive registration approval in writing before they deliver support. How we approve these services After your transport accident, your doctor, occupational therapist or treating team may recommend that you need help with personal care and everyday living. Your occupational therapist or other medical professional in your treating team will complete an assessment of your needs and capabilities. This will make us aware of your needs. When necessary we will work with your treating team to ensure you receive the attendant care you need. This can support you and help you regain as much functional independence as possible. If you require attendant care for a period of overseas travel, a member of your treating team should provide us with details. They should outline the travel and the care you require. We may contact your treating team to discuss your progress or request an assessment. The aim is to make sure that: You have access to the most appropriate treatment and support. You are getting proven, evidence-based treatment and not receiving treatment that isn't helping you recover. You are moving towards getting your life back on track or being able to live independently. For post-acute support services, your hospital will contact us to ask that you get the help with the tasks of everyday living while you recover at home. How these services are paid for We pay for these services: Directly to your service provider, when you have given them your TAC claim number, or If you have to pay, use myTAC to send a copy of your receipt to us and we will repay you. We pay for your services in line with our responsibilities under the Transport Accident Act 1986. How much we will pay There is a limit to how much we will pay for each service. If your service costs more than our maximum rate, you may need to pay the difference. For the list of rates for providers who have met our minimum standards and registration requirements, see: TAC Attendant Care Fee Schedule. If you are in receipt of individualised funding and utilising attendant care, see: Individualised Funding and Financial independence. If you are travelling overseas, any attendant care should be provided by a suitable agency from your holiday destination. We can approve attendant care for up to 8 weeks in any year while you are travelling overseas. An additional 4 weeks on top of those 8 weeks are available where you require attendant care while undertaking travel as part of your employment. We can only pay for up to 40 hours per week for any combination of post acute support, child care and home services (cleaning and gardening). Post acute support can only be paid for up to 5 years from your accident unless you have a ‘severe injury’. What we won’t pay for We cannot pay for services that: Do not treat, or are not related to, your transport accident injuries. Are not reasonable, necessary or appropriate. Are not clinically justified, safe and effective. We also cannot pay for: Attendant care while you are an inpatient in a public, contracted or arrangement hospital. Your support worker’s incidental expenses such as travel, meals and tickets/entry fees for recreational activities or entertainment. Fees associated with cancelled shifts. Requests for family members or friends to provide your attendant care The TAC does not support the employment of family members as paid support workers. This is intended to help preserve your family relationships and to avoid conflicting responsibilities. If you are unable to find suitable support workers to meet your needs, you can call the TAC to discuss this further. The TAC can pay for services to assist you, such as a Case Manager. In some circumstances, it may not be possible to find suitable support workers because of your location or exceptional support needs. An attendant care provider may consider a family member as your support worker for short-term employment of up to three months, while other appropriate support workers are found. This arrangement may be extended beyond three months when the provider requires additional time to find an appropriate support worker. It is at the discretion of the attendant care provider as to whether your family member is employed. This decision should be based on TAC’s policy, Attendant care provider guidelines and other provider employment requirements. For family members A family member who is eligible to provide paid support as described above must be employed by a TAC IRQS registered attendant care provider. They must meet all the requirements of that provider. This is to ensure that services delivered to you meet industry and community standards. Employer and employee must strictly follow the expectations and responsibilities set out in the Attendant care provider guidelines. As paid employees, family members engaged as paid support workers are subject to the full requirements of the Disability Service Safeguards Code of Conduct (Code) operating in Victoria, and the NDIS Code of Conduct in Victoria and in all other States and Territories. If you are a family member who was employed to provide support to a TAC client (your family member) prior to 1 July 2021, you can continue to be paid for the attendant care support by your employer as long as you meet all requirements of your employment including those set out in the Attendant care provider guidelines. Provider responsibilities Attendant care providers are responsible for determining if they have suitable staff available to meet the service need. They must determine if a family member is suitable to be engaged in a paid capacity temporarily. Definitions The term "family member" in this policy is used to represent a person who is identified by the client as a member of their family, or part of their close personal support network. This could include but is not limited to an immediate or non-immediate family member, partner, household member, friend and/or legal guardian. The term “support worker” refers to a person being paid for attendant care (AC) or disability work who provides personal support, therapy support and/or community access. For providers If you are an attendant care provider, please refer to our Attendant care provider guidelines.