Calculate the cost of providing Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) Services
Unit costing tools for Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) providers
Use our free tool to calculate the cost to your organisation of providing one unit of CHSP service.
The Department of Health is changing how it pays CHSP service providers. Instead of paying upfront, providers will be paid in arrears. And you will need to calculate if you can provide a service within a price range set by the Australian Government.
Our tool helps you to:
- understand service unit costs
- calculate the full cost of service delivery
- confirm if your organisation can deliver a contracted service at the offered unit price
- ensure your business model is viable and sustainable.
Using the tools
Our easy-to-use tool includes a:
- How-to video – watch it to explain how to use the materials
- Workbook – work through topics, do activities, review case studies
- Spreadsheet – input your data to calculate service costs using built-in formulas.
Download the:
- ABC of Unit Costing in Commonwealth Home Support Programs (CHSP) Services workbook (PDF 3.4 MB )
- Unit Costing Tool Excel spreadsheet (XLS 131 KB)
NOTE: You need Windows 2010 or above for all the Excel formulas to work.
Download the Workbook and the Excel spreadsheet, and watch the video demonstration of the tool. The PDF workbook explains how to calculate the Unit Cost of delivering one unit of a CHSP Service. It includes examples from a Food Service, Transport Service and service that provides Domestic Assistance.
The Unit Costing tool is for Finance Managers and managers of Commonwealth Home Support Program Services. It is designed to help you work out what it costs to deliver one unit of service. For example, one meal, one trip, one hour of social support, one hour of allied health one hour of domestic assistance and a home modification service.
CHSP service payments – what’s changing
The funding for older people, people with disability and their carers is moving to individualised model. The Department of Health is moving to a new model of payment in arrears for CHSP services. Contracts have been renegotiated with Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) services between January and June 2022. In the transition to the Support at Home program in 2027, CHSP services need to know their costs and what that means for their organisations both now and in the future.
Contact us
Ask us to run an in-house Unit Costing workshop or contact us
Inclusive Practice with LGBTI older people
Purpose
This workshop explores attitudes to older people and sexuality and how to provide inclusive support to older people who are Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Intersex (LGBTI).
Course outline
Workshop participants will:
- identify attitudes to ageing and sexuality
- describe how attitudes to sexuality and ageing affect practice
- explore and discuss the history of the Gay and Lesbian rights movement in Australia
- describe what inclusive practice means for working work older people who are LGBTI.
- Discuss what inclusive practice means in relation to the Aged Care Standard
- Start to undertake an organisational self-assessment and start to develop an action plan for improving practice
- collaborate and network with agencies and share ideas for practice.
What you will get from attending the workshop
- A clear understanding of what inclusive practice for LGBTI people means
- Understanding of how LGBTI inclusive practice relates to the aged care standards.
Target audience
This workshop is designed for front line workers, managers, team leaders and service coordinators and case managers working in community care
and residential services with older people.
Delivery
This workshop can be delivered to aged care services or for specific agencies for up to 20 participants.
It can be delivered online via our zoom in 3, 1-hour sessions online.
The workshop can be tailored to the needs of your group or agency
Duration
4 hours face to face or 3 hours online in 1-hour sessions
All online sessions are recorded and can be listened to at a time that suits you.
In-house programs
Ask us to run this course for your
Human rights and older people
Purpose
People working with older people need to understand how to uphold the human rights of older people. In this workshop, you will explore what is meant by human rights and what this means for how you support and empower older people and their allies.
Course Outline
By the end of the workshop
participants will:
- Describe what are human rights;
- Describe the legal human rights frameworks that underpin the delivery of aged and community care to older people in Australia;
- Describe how to support older people and their allies or carers exercise their rights in their service;
- Describe the strategies to educate and engage staff in understanding what human rights mean for older people and their carers in Australia.
- List organisations that can support consumers to access further information about rights and advocacy; and
- Network with colleagues.
What you will from attending
- Understanding how to translate human rights into practice.
- Practical tips and resources that will support you and your service to embed a human rights approach across their services.
Target Audience
Managers, team leaders, support co-ordinators and frontline staff working with older
people
Delivery
Face to face for up to 18 participants or 3 hours face to face or three by 1-hour sessions
Duration
Face to face for up to 18 participants or 3 hours face to face or three by 1-hour sessions
In-house programs
Ask us to run this course for your
Enhancing Consumer Engagement in Aged Care
Purpose
Consumer outcomes and engagement are a key component of the Aged Care Standards for all aged care services.
- How do your staff engage with consumers?
- How could staff improve their engagement practice?
- How does your service involve consumers in the design and delivery across all services?
Course Outline
In this 3-hour face to face workshop you will:
- Explore what consumer engagement means for your practice;
- Apply practical resources to enhance your engagement practice;
- Identify engagement gaps in your service and identify one area that you could work on to improve consumer engagement;
- Network with colleagues to share ideas and improve engagement practice; and
- Be invited to be part of an online community to share ideas about consumer engagement practices.
What you will get from attending
- Access to resources and toolkits to improve the engagement with consumers in your service
- Creative ideas to improve engagement practice in working with individuals and consumers across your services
- The opportunity to connect with people passionate about engagement through our online community of practice engagement group.
Target Audience
All people working in aged care services including in-home and residential aged care
including Team leaders, Co-ordinators, Case Managers, Facility Managers
Delivery
Face to face for up to 20 participants or 3 by 1-hour sessions online
Duration
4 hours face to face or 3 by 1-hour sessions online
In-house programs
Ask us to run this course for your
Engaging with the Aged Care Standards
Purpose
The new aged care standards require staff and consumers to work differently in aged care services.
- How do you support your staff, board, consumers to understand the aged care standards?
- How can you engage people in plain English to understand the standards?
- What evidence does your service need to demonstrate consumer engagement?
- How does your service involve consumers in the design and delivery across all services?
Course Outline
In this workshop you will:
- Engage with the standards through playing the standards game
- Explore and debate the evidence that your staff, volunteers and consumers need to demonstrate meeting the outcomes of the aged care standards;
- Start to identify gaps in evidence in meeting the standards in a consumer and staff friendly format;
- Access templates that will assist your organisation in engaging staff, volunteers and consumers in understanding the standards including all templates used for the standards game.
- Network with colleagues to share ideas and improve engagement practice; and
- Be invited to be part of an online community to share ideas about consumer engagement practices.
What will you get from attending
- Better understanding of what the aged care standards mean for you in your role
Access to the templates for the Aged Care Standards Game that you can use with consumers, staff and volunteers in your organisation- Identify where there may be gaps in evidence in your service or organisation
- Engage with the standards that facilitates engagement with staff, consumers and volunteers
Target Audience
All people living and working in aged care services including in-home and residential aged care. This includes
consumers, Team leaders, Co-ordinators, Case Managers, Facility Managers, staff and volunteers
Delivery
Face to face or online for up to 20 participants.
Duration
3 hours face to face or 2 by 1-hour online workshops
In-house programs
Ask us to run this course for your
Implementing Wellness and Reablement with older people for frontline workers
Purpose
What does wellness and reablement mean for older people and their allies?
How do you work alongside people to encourage them to live the life they choose?
What practical strategies can you put in place to support the older people you work alongside?
Course outline
This workshop will give staff the skills to implement wellness and reablement in working with older people and their allies.
Workshop participants will:
- describe what wellness and reablement means in practice;
- apply practical techniques to support them to engage with older people and empowering older people to be in charge of their lives.
- access learning resources that will improve your practice with older people
- network and share practice ideas with other frontline workers.
- Be invited to be part of an online community of practice.
Target audience
This workshop is designed frontline workers including support workers working in the home, community or residential aged care services.
Delivery
This workshop can be delivered to aged and community care services for up to 18 participants. The workshop can be tailored to the needs of specific individuals and groups.
Duration
3 hours face to face. This workshop can also be delivered online via 2 one hour sessions via go to training.
In-house programs
Ask us to run this course for your
Co-production and co-design with older people
Purpose
Co-production can be a powerful way of changing how services are funded, designed and delivered. This workshop provides practical skills and knowledge on how to co-design and co-produce aged care services with older people.
Course Outline
By the end of the workshop participants will:
- describe the key principles of co-design and co-production;
- reflect on strategies to empower older people and their allies;
- apply practical tools to support co-design and co-production approach;
- reflect on actual case studies and stories of co-design and co-production and explore what that means for your service and team;
- Network with colleagues;
- Get access to a range of resources and tools on co-design and co-production;
- Access a free 60 minute follow up coaching session with the facilitator.
What you will get from attending
- A clear understanding of what is co-design and co-production and how you can use it in your work.
- Access to resources, learning activities and templates that will support you in using co-design in engaging older people
Target Audience
Managers, team leaders, support co-ordinators who are interested in knowing more about co-production and how it can transform residential services or community care services.
Delivery
Face to face for up to 20 participants for four hours or 3, 1-hour online sessions
Duration
Four hours face to face or for three, 1-hour sessions.
In-house programs
Ask us to run this course for your organisation. Contact us to discuss your requirements, ideas, and attendees.
Surviving or Thriving in a Consumer Directed World
Purpose
This workshop explores how to make your services more consumer directed and to adapt to the changing aged care and disability services landscape. The workshop provides opportunities to explore how to put the people that use services at the centre of the design and delivery of their supports. It also gives participant tools to think strategically about their organisation and how they will thrive and survive in a changing aged care and disability landscape.
Course outline
Workshop participants will:
- reflect on the strategic direction of your organisation or program in the changing aged care and disability service landscape;
- explore how their agency or organisation can become more consumer directed;
- share ideas for redesigning services through engaging service users;
- list strategies to empower people who use services to be active participants in the design and delivery of their supports;
- reflect on how to promote your work through social media;
- reflect on their practice; and
- network with other agencies
What you will get from attending
- An opportunity to reflect on how your service could improve their consumer engagement practice
- Access to practical tools and resources that you can use with your staff, consumers and other key stakeholders
Target audience
This workshop is designed for managers, team leaders, service coordinators and support facilitators and/or case managers.
Delivery
This workshop can be delivered face to face or online for up to 20 participants.
The workshop can be tailored to the needs of specific individuals and groups.
Duration
5 hours face to face or 4 by 1-hour online workshops
In-house Programs
Ask us to run this course for your organisation. Contact us to discuss your requirements, ideas, and attendees.
ABC of unit costing in community care
Purpose
This course provides an introduction to Unit Costing for Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) services
Course Outline
By the end of the workshop participants will:
- describe the key steps of Unit Costing;
- define how to develop a unit cost for their service type or program;
- apply practical tools and resources in developing Unit Costs;
- list the step by step process to know the Unit Cost of their service; and
- network with colleagues
What you will get from attending
- A clear understanding of how to calculate the unit cost for different
service
- Access to an excel spreadsheet tool to use in your service
Target Audience
This workshop is for Finance Managers, Coordinators and Managers working in Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) Services
Delivery
Online in a 90 minute workshop
Duration
90 minutes online
In-house Programs
Ask us to run this course for your organisation. Contact us to discuss your requirements, ideas, and attendees.
Nothing about Me without Me – Making the Community Aged Care System work for you and your allies
Purpose
Are you an older person or an ally of an older person?
Do you want to know how to make the community aged care services work for you and your support networks?
This workshop provides practical tips and strategies on how to get the right support at the right time.
Course outline
Workshop participants will:
- Learn about how to get access to the community aged care system;
- Learn how to negotiate and engage with service providers to get the right support at the right time;
- network and share other ideas with other people and their allies;
- Get access to a book that provides five key steps and activities for making the community aged care system work for you and your allies.
Target audience
This workshop is for older people and their allies (including carers, sons, daughters and friends) who want information and skills about how to get the most out of the community aged care system.
Delivery
This workshop can be delivered to small to medium groups ranging from 2 to 15 people.
Duration
2-3 hours
In-house programs
Ask us to run this course for your organisation. Contact us to discuss your requirements, ideas, and attendees.
Person Centred Thinking for Support Workers
Purpose
This practical engaging workshop is designed for support workers to apply person centred thinking and wellness to their practice. It encourages support workers to develop reflective practice and reflect on how they can support people to have the best life possible.
Course outline
Workshop participants will:
- describe the key principles of a wellness and person centred approach
- explore how to enhance the independence of people they support through practical case studies
- explore strategies to reflect on their practice
- identify opportunities for improving how they support people to have the best lives possible
- network and share practice ideas with other support workers.
What you will get from attending
- Practical skills in what wellness means for your practice
- Practical skills in what reablement means for your practice
- Access to practical resources that will support you to empower older people
Target audience
Support workers or care workers working with older people, people with disabilities and their carers.
Delivery
This workshop can be delivered to aged and community care services and disability services for up to 18 participants. The workshop can be tailored to the needs of your group or agency.
Duration
3 hours face to face or 2 by 1hour online sessions.
In-house programs
Ask us to run this course for your organisation. Contact us to discuss your requirements, ideas, and attendees.
Implementing Wellness and Reablement in Community Aged Care
Purpose
How can you apply the principles of wellness and reablement to your service?
What systems and processes does your agency need to implement wellness and reablement in working with older people and their allies?
How do you implement a wellness and reablement approach to encourage people to have the best life possible?
Course outline
This workshop will give staff the skills to implement person centred thinking to enhance the independence and wellbeing of older people, people with disabilities and their carers.
Workshop participants will:
- understand the key principles of person centred thinking, wellness and reablement;
- identify the research and evidence of wellness and reablement;
- apply practical tools to support your practice and agency in implementing person centred thinking, wellness and reablement;
- explore ways of measuring outcomes for older people and their carers;
- identify their role as adaptive leaders and how they can lead change in their organisations;
- identify systems and processes in your organisation that need to change to implement wellness and reablement with older people and their allies;
- network and share practice ideas with managers, co-ordinators and team leaders.
Target audience
This workshop is designed for managers, team leaders, service coordinators and support facilitators and/or case managers.
Delivery
This workshop can be delivered to aged and community care and disability services for up to 18 participants. The workshop can be tailored to the needs of specific individuals and groups.
Duration
4hours face to face. This course can also be delivered in 3 x 1 hour online workshops
In-house programs
Ask us to run this course for your organisation. Contact us to discuss your requirements, ideas, and attendees.
Consumer Directed Home Support Services - Thriving in an individualised funding world
Workshop for service providers
Purpose
How will Commonwealth Home Support Services operate in an individualised funding world? The workshop provides opportunities to reflect on the strategic direction of your service and explore how to put the people that use services at the centre of their supports.
Course outline
Workshop participants will:
- list strategies to engage and empower people to have more choice and control in how services are provided;
- Undertake part of an organisational assessment and develop a plan of action to operate in an individualised funding system;
- Discuss how to market their services including via social media;
- network with agencies and share ideas for practice; and
What you will get from attending
- Explore what choice and control means in practice for your work and service;
- Get access to practical resources and tips to support engagement practice;
- Get access to a 60 minute
follow up coaching session after the workshop with the facilitator
Target audience
This workshop is designed for managers, team leaders and service coordinators working in the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) including transport, meal, respite services, day programs, and any other CHSP service.
Delivery
This workshop can be delivered online or face to face for up to 20 participants.
Duration
4 hours or 3 by 1-hour online workshops
In-house programs
Ask us to run this course for your organisation. Contact us to discuss your requirements, ideas, and attendees.