What is self-management
in home care?

What does self-management mean? 

Self-management gives you the freedom to take control of your Home Care Package funds and how they’re used. Instead of having a provider manage everything for you, you’ll take the lead in organising your supports, choosing who provides them, and deciding when and how they’re delivered.

With a self-managed package, you still have a provider (like PlanCare) supporting you behind the scenes, but you’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to day-to-day decisions and coordination.

What are the benefits? 

Self-management offers a number of advantages, especially for those who want more flexibility and independence:

• Greater choice: You can choose who delivers your care and supports, even non-traditional or local providers that larger agencies may not use. As long as they’re able to pass our verification process, you’ll be able to utilise them for the services you need.
• More control: You can set schedules, negotiate rates, and personalise services to better match your preferences, meaning that you can shop around amongst providers to get the best deal.
• Cost savings: Because you’re taking on more of the admin yourself, the provider fee is often lower (e.g. PlanCare charges just 13% for self-managed services).
• Empowerment: Many people find that self-management gives them a stronger sense of autonomy and involvement in their care, and more control over who provides their services and equally as importantly, who doesn’t.

What are my responsibilities?

While self-management gives you more control over your funds, it also comes with more responsibility. Here’s what you’ll need to do when you self-manage your Home Care Package:

• Find and manage your providers
  You’ll be responsible for sourcing, booking, and communicating with your chosen service providers. This involves finding suitable alternatives if your provider is unavailable, or if you wish to swap to a different service provider.
• Get your providers verified
  Before they can be paid, providers need to be verified by your package provider (PlanCare). Whilst PlanCare will reach out to the provider to obtain these documents, you’ll need to provide the contact details of the provider. The documents that your providers will need to submit include:
  • ABN
  • Insurance certificates (public liability & professional indemnity)
  • A current police check or NDIS Worker Screening Check
  • Any required professional qualifications
• Review invoices
  With PlanCare, you’ll receive invoices for approval before payment. This ensures you’re happy with the services received before funds are used, and you can choose to reject the invoices that you think may be incorrect.
• Stay on budget
  You’ll need to track your spending and ensure it stays within your Home Care Package allocation. If you want to spend more on your goods and services than what you have been allocated, you will need to pay the extra amount out of pocket.
• Resolve issues directly
  If problems arise with a provider, it’s up to you to manage the conversation and seek a resolution and, if necessary, find an alternative provider.