Managing the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)

Grant (funding) agreements

If your CHSP grant application is successful, we will send you a grant agreement. This is a legally binding document between you and us (the Department of Health and Aged Care).

Your grant agreement outlines:

• specific grant requirements, including the funding you are receiving and what services you will deliver
• any extra conditions that apply to you
• how you must report to us

When both parties have signed the grant agreement, we will process the grant payments.

Your grant funding will be paid in standard monthly payments in arrears for all CHSP providers, excluding Sector Support and Development (SSD) providers. This standard monthly payment is the total value of the grant agreement divided by 12. 

SSD provider funding will remain as upfront quarterly payments.

Client support plans

Support plans

When a person is referred for CHSP services, a Regional Assessment Service (RAS) will assess their needs. The RAS assessor works with the person to identify their needs, set goals and write a support plan.

The support plan:

• focuses on what the person can do
• details what help the person needs to complete difficult tasks
• includes strategies to manage daily tasks
• outlines what reablement strategies may be useful — for example, time-limited support or aids that can build confidence and independence

Once you receive the referral for service and the person’s support plan from the RAS, you develop a care plan that details how you will work with the person.

Care plans

A care plan breaks down the goals in the home support plan (such as showering independently) into achievable steps that your service can provide (such as strength-building exercises, balance classes, or installing grab rails in the shower).

Your care plan for a client will include:

• details of services you will provide to meet the client’s needs
• costs that are agreed upon by you and the client
• schedule of services, when they start and who will be providing the services

You must also enter this information into the My Aged Care Service and Support Portal.

Reviews

You must review your client’s services at least every 12 months (see ongoing care discussions).

Assessors may include review dates on the person’s support plan for people who are receiving reablement support. This helps track their progress towards their goals and check whether they need any changes. In these cases, the services you provide may be time-limited.

You need to refer a client back to My Aged Care for reassessment if:

• they can stop receiving a service
• their needs have changed and they need new service types
• current services are no longer enough and they may need a Home Care Package

For more on client support plans, read the CHSP Manual and the When to Request a Support Plan Review from an Assessor fact sheet.

Ongoing care discussions

Ongoing care discussions are regular conversations with your care recipients to help you manage their care. In these conversations, you discuss:

• whether the person is making progress towards the goals in their care plan
• whether your current services are still suitable
• whether you need to change the way you are helping them
• any changes to fees (check whether they are experiencing financial hardship)
• any concerns they may have
• what happens next

These conversations are part of the review process and must happen at least once a year. If your client’s needs are changing, you can review them at any time.

We do not expect you to completely reassess the client’s needs. This is the role of the Regional Assessment Service (RAS). If you and your client think they need different services, or can stop services, refer them back to My Aged Care for a review assessment.

Record any changes on the client’s care plan.

Client contributions

Under the CHSP, fees and charges are called client contributions.

Service providers set their own client contribution levels according to:

• our client contribution framework, which is detailed in the CHSP Manual
• the Guide to the National CHSP Client Contribution Framework (Appendix F).

The CHSP Manual contains the reasonable client contribution range for each service type (Appendix G). These ranges are provided as a guide only and may not be suitable for all client contribution policies.

As a service provider, you must:

• tell people what their client contributions are before you start delivering services to them
• include the amount and how to pay on the person’s care plan
• monitor their contributions so they do not experience financial hardship
• collect contributions according to your own business systems
• record contributions on the Data Exchange
• display your client contribution policy on your website.

You can only change fees for a person if they understand and agree to the changes. Make sure the changes will not cause them financial hardship. If they understand and agree, you must put the agreed changes in writing and provide it to them.

You must refund any contributions the client has paid in advance if they stop receiving your services or move to another provider.

For more information about client contributions, see the CHSP Manual.

Changing services

The services a client receives under the CHSP may need to change if:

• their condition improves or worsens significantly
• their situation changes, such as a carer no longer being able to provide care
• current services are no longer enough and they may need a Home Care Package
• something is not working as expected.

The Regional Assessment Service (RAS) reassesses clients for the CHSP.

If the reassessment recommends different service types for a client, you need to record the changes on My Aged Care.

Exiting clients

Exiting clients are different to transferring clients. Clients exit the CHSP when they leave the program permanently, because they:

• choose to exit the program
• don’t need CHSP services any more
• have not used CHSP services for over 12 months
• pass away.

For more on what to do when clients pass away, see the CHSP Manual.

Reporting

Item E of your grant agreement sets out what reports you must submit to us, and when.

Day-to-day reporting of services delivered

You must report each session of service delivered to a care recipient or carer in the Data Exchange. You use this data to prepare your performance reports. 

See CHSP Organisation Overview Report Guide for information on how to do this.

Financial reports

Financial reports help us check that you spent the grant as specified in the grant agreement during the relevant financial year. If you have not spent all the grant, you must return the rest of the money to us.

Even if your grant covers multiple years, you must report on spending each year. This helps us check whether you are on target.

Performance reports

Performance reports help us check that you are delivering the services specified in the grant agreement. All CHSP providers are required to submit monthly performance reports through Data Exchange. 

You use the Data Exchange to generate and submit these reports on service delivery activities and outputs.

SSD providers should check the CHSP Manual for their reporting requirements. 

Wellness and reablement reporting

Wellness reports help us review your progress towards embedding wellness and reablement approaches in your services. Your Funding Arrangement Manager will provide the latest template for you to use.

You can read about wellness and reablement in the CHSP Manual.

See CHSP wellness and reablement initiative for more information.

Sector Support and Development reporting

You report activities under the Sector Support and Development sub-program separately to other sub-programs.  Your Funding Arrangement Manager can provide the latest template for you to use.

Help with performance reporting

The CHSP section of the Program-specific guidance for Commonwealth agencies in the Data Exchange includes examples of how to report:

• CHSP services
• outputs
• client contributions.

View a recording of a Data Exchange webinar on CHSP Organisation Overview reports.

For help with Data Exchange, contact the Data Exchange Helpdesk.

Your Funding Arrangement Manager can help you with general CHSP grant or program questions, including how to report outputs and fees for service types. You can find their contact details in your grant agreement (Item L).

For more on reporting, read the CHSP Manual.

Service continuity and emergency management

You must ensure your clients continue to receive the services they need. This includes creating an Activity Continuity Plan that addresses the:

• risks associated with being unable to continue delivering services
• systems, internal policies and processes for managing, monitoring and reporting incidents
• management of serious incidents such as natural disasters and emergency events
• provisions for transitioning out of service.

For more on Activity Continuity Plans, read the CHSP Manual.

Contacts