By Luke Benson. Last reviewed 13 September 2026, against Support at Home program manual V4.4.
A third-party worker is “an aged care worker who is not an employee of the provider but is engaged by the provider to deliver a service to a participant”. That is the definition in section 11.5 of the Support at Home program manual. The worker can be engaged on an ongoing or ad hoc basis.
Under the Act, a registered provider must engage a third-party worker either directly or through an associated provider in order to deliver funded services. Either way, the manual is explicit: “The provider remains responsible for meeting all regulatory requirements and provider obligations for all services delivered to a participant, including those delivered by third parties.”
That responsibility has practical consequences.
Screening. The worker must meet worker obligations under the Act, including worker screening. The manual’s own case study describes the provider conducting “a thorough screening” before the worker starts.
A documented decision. Where a participant asks to use a particular worker, the provider must genuinely consider the request, make a clear decision, document it, and tell the participant the outcome and reasons. The provider can decline where obligations cannot be met.
The care plan. Third-party worker arrangements should be clearly documented in the participant’s care plan.
Evidence of delivery. Section 10.5 requires confirmation of delivery for services delivered by third-party workers, the same as for employees.
Price and payment. Where the participant sourced the worker themselves, the provider can charge an overhead capped at 10% of the third-party service price (section 11.5.1). The final price and who pays the invoice should be agreed and documented.
A family member can be engaged as a third-party worker, but only when no other option is available and the conditions in section 10.6.2 are met.
How DidYouGo fits. Third-party workers register with a phone number and scan the participant’s QR code. They never need an account in your systems, and you still get the delivery record section 10.5 asks for.
