The Lifetime Support Authority (LSA) will fund necessary and reasonable attendant care services for a Lifetime Support Scheme (LSS) participant requiring care as a result of a motor vehicle accident on South Australian roads. Attendant care must be pre-approved and delivered by an attendant care provider who is on our approved provider panel.
What is attendant care
Attendant care services are provided to LSS participants to assist them to manage their essential and regular personal care needs. This includes activities such as grooming, bathing, feeding, dressing, toileting and other personal or hygiene needs.
What is the role of an attendant care worker?
The attendant care worker implements the care program for a LSS participant as outlined in the LSS participant’s service delivery plan. Attendant care workers are recruited and appointed to meet a LSS participant’s specific needs.
Can an attendant care worker help a participant with their rehabilitation goals?
Attendant care includes providing care to help an LSS participant achieve their rehabilitation goals. This can include physical assistance, prompting and/or supervision.
The attendant care worker implements the program under the direction of a service professional. The worker cannot direct or change a program and should report regularly to the service professional overseeing the program through the attendant care supervisor/coordinator.
The LSA has a panel of attendant care service providers, this is currently closed to any new providers.
Where any opportunities arise to join the panel, or the formation of a new panel, these will be advertised on the SA Tenders website. Register an account on SA Tenders and create a search profile. You will be notified when an opportunity arises.
The LSA reserves the right to engage providers outside of the panel, typically in circumstances where panel providers are unable to provide services. In these situations, the LSA will approach potential providers for further information.
What attendant care services will the LSA fund?
The LSA will fund attendant care services to provide participants with support that is required as a result of their motor vehicle injury. Attendant care services can include assistance with personal care, activities of daily living such as cooking or shopping, attendance at medical or therapy appointments, or for other community access.
The funding for attendant care services is based on the LSS Rules and the necessary and reasonable criteria. The amount and type of care required will be assessed by an Occupational Therapist and will be dependent on the participant’s goals for daily functioning, rehabilitation and participation. The LSA Service Planner will coordinate the assessments needed to determine the necessary and reasonable supports and will advise providers re the level and type of services that have been approved for each participant.
The Lifetime Support Authority (LSA) requires that all service providers ensure that staff and people contracted to work with Lifetime Support Scheme (LSS) participants have a Working with Children Check (WWCC) and that service providers maintain this for the duration of providing services for the LSA.
A NDIS Worker Check is accepted as an alternative to the WWCC unless:
- the service providers are working with an LSS participant under the age of 18.
- the service provider is a member of the LSA Attendant Care Services provider panel, in which a WWCC is mandatory.
LSA staff will discuss with individual service providers the screening requirements of the LSA as part of the initial contracting of services for LSS participants.
While we do not require a copy of these screenings prior to commencing working with LSS participants, we may, at any given time, ask service providers what screening checks they have in place or request copies, and document the response in our internal system.
The Attendant Care Handbook outlines the LSA’s expectations and requirements for the delivery of high-quality, person-centred attendant care participants. It provides practical guidance for both providers and participants on how attendant care is planned, delivered and reviewed to support individual goals, independence and wellbeing.
The Handbook addresses:
- roles and responsibilities of service providers, support workers and the LSA;
- what the LSA can and cannot fund;
- invoicing and payment practices; and
- requirements relating to quality, safety, restrictive practices and incident reporting.
We have an approved panel of providers to provide attendant care services to LSS participants. They are listed below.
The following rates have been set as the maximum the LSA will fund for attendant care services from 1 July 2025.
Download the 2025–2026 LSS Attendant Care Rates
