How Home Care Providers Can Manage the Documentation Demands of Support at Home.
Australia's aged care sector went through its biggest reform in decades when the Support at Home program launched on 1 November 2025, replacing the Home Care Packages Program. For home care providers, the transition brought not just new funding arrangements — it brought a significantly heavier documentation load.
If your team is feeling the pressure, you're not alone. Here's a clear breakdown of what's changed and how to keep your records organised, audit-ready, and compliant.
What changed for home care providers under Support at Home
The Support at Home program operates under the Aged Care Act 2024 and the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. For home care providers, this means new obligations around how care is planned, delivered, recorded, and reported.
Key documentation requirements now include:
Updated service agreements — all participants must have a current service agreement in place that reflects the new program structure
Care notes and evidence of service delivery — providers must retain records confirming services were delivered, including care notes, invoices, and participant confirmation
Monthly statements — issued to participants by the end of the following month
Care plan documentation — care plans must be developed, reviewed, and documented as part of ongoing care management
SIRS incident reporting — providers remain obligated to notify the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission of serious incidents
Audit-ready records — all care management activities must be documented and auditable
Why admin is harder under the new model
The shift to a fee-for-service funding model means providers are now invoicing directly against services delivered — which requires more detailed and consistent record-keeping than the previous lump sum Home Care Package structure.
Care management is also now a mandatory component, with providers required to document at least one direct care management activity per participant each month. Every interaction needs to be recorded, timestamped, and tied to the participant's care goals.
For small and independent home care providers with lean teams, this level of documentation can quickly become overwhelming — especially when the same staff delivering care are also responsible for the paperwork.
Where admin support can help
Clerica provides remote administration support for home care providers navigating the documentation demands of Support at Home. We help with:
Care plan documentation formatting — formatting and organising care plans based on your team's notes
Service agreement administration — preparing and updating participant service agreements
Case notes and progress documentation formatting — turning your team's notes into clean, consistent records
Audit-ready file organisation — keeping participant files organised and compliant
SIRS incident notification drafting — preparing incident notification documents based on information provided by your team
Aged Care Quality Standards documentation support — ensuring your records reflect the strengthened Quality Standards requirements
All support is provided based on information supplied by your team. Clerica provides administrative assistance only and does not provide clinical care, compliance advice, or regulatory guidance.
Getting ahead of your next audit
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission monitors compliance with the strengthened Quality Standards across all registered providers. Having well-organised, consistently formatted documentation is one of the most straightforward ways to reduce audit stress.
If your files are scattered, your care notes inconsistent, or your service agreements out of date, the time to address that is now — not when a review is scheduled.
Ready to lighten the load?
Clerica works with aged care providers across Australia to keep documentation organised and teams focused on care.
Get in touch today to find out how we can support your home care service.