What a Roster of Care Actually Is
A roster of care is a document that lists every support worker hour you need across a typical week. It’s not just a schedule — it’s the evidence that translates your support needs into specific NDIS funding.
The NDIS uses your roster of care to calculate SIL funding. Each hour on the roster is multiplied by the relevant NDIS Price Guide rate (standard weekday, evening, weekend, public holiday, sleepover, active overnight), and the total becomes your annual SIL package.
Because the funding is calculated this way, the roster of care is one of the most important documents in an SIL funding application. A vague or padded roster gets cut. A precise, evidence-based roster gets funded.
What a Roster of Care Includes
A complete roster of care shows:
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Day of week | Monday through Sunday, with each day broken down separately. |
| Time blocks | Start and end times for every shift (e.g. 6:30am-9:00am). |
| Activity | What’s happening in the shift (personal care, breakfast prep, medication, etc.). |
| Staffing ratio | 1:1, 1:2, 2:1, etc. |
| Worker type | Standard support worker vs high-intensity support worker. |
| Shift type | Weekday, evening, weekend, sleepover, active overnight. |
Example Roster of Care — One Day
To show what this looks like in practice, here’s an example Monday for a SIL participant with moderate-to-high support needs:
| Time | Activity | Staffing | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:30am – 9:00am | Wake-up, shower, breakfast, medication, morning prep | 1:1 | Weekday standard |
| 9:00am – 2:00pm | Participant at day program (no shift at home) | — | — |
| 2:00pm – 5:00pm | Afternoon support — light household, activity prep, social time | 1:1 | Weekday standard |
| 5:00pm – 7:00pm | Dinner preparation, medication, evening activity | 1:1 | Weekday standard |
| 7:00pm – 10:00pm | Evening routine, shower, wind-down, settling for sleep | 1:1 | Weekday evening |
| 10:00pm – 6:30am | Sleepover support (worker present, woken only for specific needs) | 1:1 | Sleepover |
That’s one day. The full roster runs across all seven days with weekend variations (typically more community access on weekends, fewer day program hours).
Sleepover vs Active Overnight
The NDIS distinguishes between two overnight models, and it matters for funding:
- Sleepover — worker sleeps in the home, woken only for specific needs (typically up to 2 wake-ups per night). Funded at a lower flat rate.
- Active overnight — worker is awake and available throughout the shift. Funded at a full hourly rate.
You can’t use sleepover funding if the participant actually needs active overnight (frequent wake-ups, seizure monitoring, regular toileting). The clinical evidence needs to justify which model is appropriate.
Shared Support (2:1, 1:2, etc.)
In shared SIL homes, support workers often cover multiple participants simultaneously. The ratios work like this:
- 1:1 — one worker for one participant (the standard)
- 1:2 — one worker supporting two participants at the same time (cost shared, funding lower per participant)
- 2:1 — two workers for one participant (required for manual handling or behaviour support)
For 1:2 shared shifts, the participant’s share of the cost is half the hourly rate, plus a small coordination loading. This makes shared SIL significantly more cost-effective than individual SIL for participants with similar support needs.
How the Roster Gets Agreed
The process typically runs like this:
- An OT completes a Functional Capacity Assessment identifying your support needs
- The SIL provider (or your support coordinator) drafts a proposed roster based on the FCA
- You review and adjust the roster — it should reflect what you actually want, not just what the provider offers
- The roster is submitted to the NDIS as part of your SIL funding request
- The NDIS reviews and either approves as submitted, reduces, or requests more information
Common Roster Mistakes
Padding hours
Adding hours you don’t need to boost the funding package. Planners spot this immediately — each hour needs to be justified by the evidence. Padded rosters get cut aggressively and make your legitimate needs look less credible.
Underselling your needs
The opposite problem — being modest about your support needs and missing out on funding you’re entitled to. If you need 1:1 overnight support because of seizures, say so — don’t list sleepover support because you don’t want to “ask for too much”.
Wrong worker type
Listing standard support worker hours when high-intensity trained workers are actually required. The NDIS funds the correct support type only — if your care includes PEG feeding, tracheostomy care, or complex bowel care, those shifts need to be listed as high-intensity, not standard.
Missing shift types
Forgetting weekend differentials, public holiday hours, or active overnight components. Each of these has different Price Guide rates and affects funding.
When Rosters Get Reviewed
Your roster of care isn’t fixed forever. It gets reviewed:
- At every plan review (scheduled, typically annually)
- When your needs change significantly (new diagnosis, hospital discharge, loss of informal supports)
- When your living situation changes (moving to/from shared SIL)
- If the NDIS requests a mid-plan review of your SIL funding
How We Help
As a SIL provider, one of the first things we do with new participants — even before a service agreement is signed — is work through a proposed roster of care. This gives you a clear picture of:
- What support would look like week-by-week
- The funding package that matches that support level
- Whether your current plan is adequate or whether you need to go back to the NDIS for more
That groundwork is free and comes with no obligation to sign. Call 07 3472 7562 to start the conversation.
