Are you part of the sandwich generation – do you need more help not only in your home but in your parents’ home? The desire for people to remain in their home is strong but is often needed with support. If you are looking for regular ongoing care the best option may be employing directly other than through an agency, who can often send different staff once the rapport is in place,
On the whole carers will be covered by the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (SCHAD) rather than the Miscellaneous Award.
The SCHAD is not as straightforward as the Miscellaneous Award, with different penalties in place. It is still manageable and significantly cheaper than hiring through an agency to employee directly but not as straight forward to apply the BOOT test. Depending on the hours worked, so if there are weekends, evenings split shifts you may be best paying in line with the SCHAD award rather than planning a flat rate.
For a carer employed directly by a family, the relevant part of the Award will generally be the Home Care sector. This section covers employees providing personal care, domestic assistance or home maintenance to an older person or a person with a disability in the home.
There are several levels within each classification, based on the employee’s qualifications, experience, responsibilities and duties.
For a relatively straightforward private-home carer, the classification may be Level 2 – Home Carer, but the actual duties need to be considered for each carer.
The current pay guide describes Level 2 with a minimum ordinary hourly rate of $34.42 from 1 July 2026.
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