Spinal Hub

I just received a revised pricing structure from Australian HomeCare agency in Victoria. I am appalled at the amounts they charge to supply carers under ISP or other funding. They don't like Direct Payments and are only offering a 5% discount if your ISP funding is managed by AHC only - CHEEKY. You see Direct Payments allow you to move to another provider easily or have carers from a number of providers or even direct by Invoice with ABN. They don't want a competitive industry.

To pay workers around $20/hour they are going to charge (including GST) $46.53 as a base rate, $53.51 for shifts between hours of 8PM to 7AM, Sat $65.14, Sun $74.45, then Public Holidays $107.70. How they can justify charging $107/hr to pay carers $40/hr is blatant money grabbing.

Note: your carers' hourly base rate of around $20 (dependant on qualifications and seniority) has a cost component to companies of about 25% more for WorkCover, super, leave and holidays so is more like a base of $25 plus admin costs but that shouldn't be over $20 base rate more, let alone the obscene increases for penalty periods when the admin costs stay the same but salary costs increase.

I had arguments with AHC about them charging for after-hours care. Originally I was told that it was so they could pay their staff more. Talking with my carers, I found this to be untrue. They now say that their costs will rise due to Fair Work Australia back in 2010 to pay after-hours penalty rates to workers. This is going to be phased in over a number of years.

I fully agree with Carers being paid better with full penalties, it is only fair and the penalties should be bought in NOW not phased in over a number of years. The companies will only use each increase as an excuse to push their profits higher each increment.

They claim that the extra funds for any hours after 8PM and public Hols is to cover their After Hours Service. This is 'bull' as to be accepted as a provider by DHS they need to show that they offer that service to employees and clients, so it is part of their business costs across the board, for all their hours.

This type of money grabbing is what could very well destroy the future NDIS through private companies taking the lion's share of funding provided by the government. I'd like to see all companies have transparency to their fees and payscales.

Anyone else willing to post their provider's charges? Please let us do what the industry should but won't. Then there will be fairer competition to get your ISP, TAC, etc funding and some restraint on companies ripping off the system.

regarding attendant care companies I could not agree with you more! Support agencies that are unwilling to negotiate an hourly rate have had it too good for too long. I strongly believe that they should be excluded from the NDIS because they will milk it for every greedy cent that they can get.
also, I strongly believe that charities which have attendant care businesses attached to them should be excluded. Many of these organizations have been milking out money for years.

There is a new Award/pay conditions for AWAs for care workers being finalised and will hopefully be applied before the end of 2013 and that will hopefully give workers a better rate and conditions but will definitely be a reason to jump charges for supply by providers. The question is, by how much will they jump charges and what will be their final rates.

I think we should publish all the rate charts of the various providers to create:
a) Pressure to keep their rates competitive
b) A way to "comparison shop" by users of providers servicing their area
c) Transparency as to what various providers are charging and what their pay scales are for both users and workers
d) Knowledge is power and most companies don't like their rates being made public as it creates competition in rates.

I want good workers and to get them, they need fare salaries, but there is only so much funding in the coffers and we need suppliers to be fare on how much they charge for providing care workers. I'm in no way saying they should be non profit as otherwise they will disappear, it just needs to be fair. Our job, as consumers, is to "keep the b@stards honest"!