Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions - Carers

What does Find a Carer do?

What does Find a Carer do?

Find a Carer is an online marketplace (website) for self-employed Carers to promote their services and connect with clients who require in home or community care. It is free to join, safe and makes owning your own business as a Carer simple. We ensure that you are guaranteed payment for your services and are covered by our group insurances for your peace of mind.
How does this website work?

How does this website work?

Find a Carer has been designed as a fast, effective and safe way for Clients (Care Seekers) and Independent Carers (yourself) to find and contact one another. It is free to join and easy to use.

Independent Carers register their details and provide a snapshot of their skills, qualifications and experience which is displayed to clients without disclosing any of your personal information. This information is turned into a Carer Profile which the Client can view and search for with our advanced search capability. Clients are able to search our database of carers for free. Most carers will offer an introductory half hour free to meet potential clients in order to work out if you are a fit for each other.

As an Individual Carer you will need to register your details and enter all your skills and experience that you are able to offer. You will also need to specify the area you will be servicing for clients to be able to find you using our simple search engine. Your area does not have to be restricted to your residential area. If you travel around the country, you can update the area you can service.

If your profile is selected by a potential client you will receive a message to notify you that a client wants to make contact with you. It is very important that you respond to clients quickly, as booking enquiries expire if not responded to within 48 hours. In our experience, those responding within a couple of hours have the best outcomes with potential services being booked.

Your bookings are made via the Find a Carer website and payments are processed via FindaCarer's secure online payment gateway. The payment will be released directly to your bank account 7 business days after the service has been completed. For further information, check out our 'Who We Are' video by clicking here.
Are you an agency?
How much does it cost to join the site?
Do I need an Australian Business Number (ABN)?
Do I need an Australian Business Number (ABN)?
This will depend on various factors such as:
- client / care seeker needs
- your annual income
- hours accrued with one Client over a specific time period
- number of clients you take on
Many Clients (Care Seekers) and all Service Providers (who are able to search the Find a Carer platform for Carers), will want to select Carers who have an ABN. So, having an ABN is likely to increase your chances of being selected.

For more information on or to apply for an ABN, go directly to the Australian Business Registry

It is free to register and usually takes about 10 - 15 minutes.
How can I learn more about becoming a sole trader or independent contractor?
Do I need a Police Check?

Do I need a Police Check?

Yes, all Independent Carers on Find a Carer must have a recent Police Check(Standard) suitable for employment purposes and it must have been undertaken within the last 3 years. If your work involves children under 18 years of age then a Working with Children Check is also required, regardless of whether it is required by law. We cannot accept Volunteer Police Checks.
What types of opportunities are available?
What types of opportunities are available?
Enquiries will come from individuals and service providers who require carers/support workers in Aged Care, Disability Care, Special Needs Child Care, general household assistance, transportation assistance, companionship or any combination of these. Some examples of services that clients are looking for are:
- Personal Care - may include washing, showering, toileting, dressing, grooming, feeding, cutting nails and more
- Home Help - may include cooking, cleaning, vacuuming, dish washing, clothes washing, ironing, making beds, hanging out clothing, watering plants, taking out the garbage, shopping and more.
- Running Errands - may include accompanying Care Seeker to appointments, helping with the pick-up and drop off at school, banking, paying bills and more
- Companionship - this may be as simple as going for a cup of coffee or to a movie. Carers can accompany Care Seekers to community events, sporting events or visiting family and friends.
Can I work with more than one Client?
Why do I need to provide a street address?
When will I meet the person / family I will be caring for?

When will I meet the person / family I will be caring for?

All communication must be done via the Find a Carer website to ensure safety and security. You may want to exchange contact details when you feel comfortable about the client intentions and clear on their needs. The decision to meet and work with the client is entirely yours.

Most Carers offer an introductory half hour free to meet potential clients in order to work out if you are a fit for each other. This will be automatically created as a service item on your services list on the Find a Carer platform.

Please do however note that all bookings by the client must be done via Find a Carer and going off-site places both you and the client in breach of the Terms and Conditions that you agree to. Doing so also means that you and your Client(s) will not be covered by CSN's Group Insurance policies.
How do I charge for my services?
How do I charge for my services?
Find a Carer offers an opportunity for Carers to increase their earning potential above the constraints of employment awards and EBAs. At the same time, having very low overheads means that the end price for Clients is also lower than what they may pay for traditional service provision.

It is really important that you set an hourly rate that is going to make you profitable and at the same time a fair and reasonable hourly rate for the client you will be supporting. When setting your price don't forget:
- to factor in your qualifications and experiences;
- to take into consideration that you will be paying your own tax and superannuation;
- that if you are registered for GST you must allow for additional 10% GST oncost as your displayed price will be GST inclusive;
- to allow for a small transaction fee of 2.5%. This will ensure that your payment is guaranteed and processed into your account after the service is complete.
With Find a Carer you have the ability to add, delete and edit service items as you see fit. As a general guide we would suggest a minimum hourly rate of $30 per hour Monday to Friday and $45 for Saturday and Sundays.

An upcoming feature will enable you to offer discounts to the Client / Care Seeker.

For more information in regard to your pay rate and entitlements for continuous work with the same client please visit FairWork Australia.
What if a client suggests making payments outside of CSN website?

What if a client suggests making payments outside of CSN website?

The very minimal percentage you are charged guarantees that the payment for the services you provide is received straight into your account. This means that you will never have to worry about outstanding payments!

Should arrangements be made outside the CSN website you will not be covered by our Public Liability, Professional Indemnity, and Personal Accident insurances.

You will be doing this at a great risk to yourself and risk having your account deactivated. We expect you to let my CSN know if somebody should approach you to make this kind of arrangement.

We are committed to make your business successful and enable you to reach as many Clients in your area as possible!
How do I get paid?

How do I get paid?

During the on-boarding process you will be required to provide your nominated bank account details - they will be encrypted and cannot be seen by anybody, even not by our employees. Clients will use the secure, online payment gateway to make payments for your services. The payment for your services will appear in your nominated bank account 7 business days following the completion of the service.
How do I update my profile?
How often do I need to log in?

How often do I need to log in?

We recommend you log in daily as you don't want to miss an opportunity to engage with a client who may be seeking your services. From our experience, when a client is seeking services they don't want to be waiting more than 48 hours to receive a response so we would encourage you to aim to answer any messages the same day. Please note that any booking requests that are not responded to within 48 hours will expire.
Do I need to have a car?
Are my personal details kept confidential?

Are my personal details kept confidential?

Absolutely! Find a Carer will never disclose personal or contact details of Carers or Clients / Care Seekers. The website has been designed so that both Carers and Care Seekers can communicate safely and securely without revealing personal details or email addresses. Please view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for further information.
Do I need insurance?

Do I need insurance?

All transactions booked and paid for via the Find a Carer payment gateway are covered by the Find a Carer Public Liability, Professional Indemnity, and Personal Accident group insurance policies. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE that by trading with Find a Carer sourced Clients outside the Find a Carer platform you do not honour the sign-up Terms and Conditions that you agree to, and you will not have the benefit of this complimentary offering. You will also be in danger of losing access to our website.

All Independent Carers are encouraged to consult an insurance broker to see what other insurance covers are relevant to your business as you may be required to take out your own Workers Compensation cover.

All bookings made and completed via the Find a Carer platform are covered by our group Public Liability, Professional Indemnity, and Personal Accident insurance.
Do I need to have a formal qualification?

Do I need to have a formal qualification?

This will depend on what requirements/criteria the Client is looking for. Some Clients will value experience more than formal qualifications, whilst others will specify the need for qualifications. This will also depend on the service(s) being offered.

Independent Carers with qualifications in the Aged Care or Disability Support sectors are in high demand in many areas of Australia.
Easy ways to make your profile stand out
Easy ways to make your profile stand out
1. Your profile picture is very important, in fact a client's decision to engage with you is often based on the photo supplied. First Impressions are everything, make sure you look friendly. It is your first opportunity to make the care seeker comfortable about contacting you. Make sure you have a clear headshot as your profile picture.
2. Upload your personal ID (driver's licence or passport), Police Check and/or Working With Children's Check and any other relevant certification documents for verification.
3. Include as much information about your qualifications and/or experience in simple English.
4. Make sure your payout details are set up otherwise your profile will not be enabled for Clients to view.
5. Set up your service items, making sure that the rate per service item is competitive but fair to cover your needs and payment gateway processing fees.
(VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Find a Carer will never disclose personal or contact details of Carers or Care Seekers. This information is disclosed at the discretion of the Carers and Care Seekers themselves.)
What does making my Carer Profile 'Enabled' mean?

What does making my Carer Profile 'Enabled' mean?

You have the option of making your profile Enabled or not. An enabled profile will show up in search results. If you are unavailable, have enough work, are unwell or on holiday, you can 'disable' your profile by switching off the Enabled button on your profile until you are ready to take on more work.
Are you on Facebook?

Are you on Facebook?

Yes. Come visit us at Facebook at www.facebook.com/CareSupportNetwork! We will keep you updated on community news and urgent opportunities. It's really important to advertise your services and market yourself at every opportunity. We suggest advertising on all social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and let all your friends and followers know what you are doing.

To keep updated on community news and urgent opportunities you must LIKE and FOLLOW our page.

Need more information? We would love to hear from you. Contact us

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Frequently Asked Questions - Carers

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