Community services worker coverage

Community services coverage under the Scheme

The scope of work carried out in the community services sector is broad and expansive.

Under the Scheme, covered community services workers include those in roles providing support to people living with disability or who are vulnerable, disadvantaged or in crisis including:

• training and employment support or employment placement
• financial support or goods for assistance
• accommodation or accommodation related support services
• home care support services
• community legal services, community education services or community advocacy services
• community development services
• fundraising assistance for community groups
• social work, welfare work and youth work services
• home care support services provided in a private residence, irrespective of the age of the client
• crisis counselling
• emergency material relief
• custodial or supportive care and social welfare
• assessment of individual of family needs
• social and community development, education and advocacy
• family support services
• youth services
• housing and homelessness services
• family violence prevention and response
• neighbourhood houses
• drug and alcohol services
• migrant and refugee support services

Workers who support, supervise and/or manage the provision of community services are also covered workers under the Scheme.

Community health centres and women's health services

Community health centres and women’s health services are covered employers for the Scheme.

NDIS services and children’s activities

From 1 January 2020, activities funded by the NDIS are included in the scheme as community services work.

Children’s services

From 1 January 2020, children’s services provided by non-profit licensed children’s services and approved providers under the Education and Care Services National Law are included in the Scheme as community services work.

The Scheme does not cover for-profit entities that are approved children’s service providers.

Find your employer

Find out if your employer is registered with the Portable Long Service Authority by using our employer lookup tool.

Worker coverage criteria

Covered workers in the community services industry are:

• employed by a covered employer for the Scheme; and
• covered by one of the 5 community services sector awards included in the Long Service Benefits Portability Regulations 2020 (listed awards).

Workers for the community services sector can be employed on a full-time, part-time, casual or seasonal basis.

Employers in the community services sector who employ people to perform work in Victoria must register with the Portable Long Service Authority if they are:

• a non-profit entity employing at least one person to perform community services work
• an entity for profit that employs at least one person to perform community services work for people with a disability

Listed awards

The listed awards are very broad and cover most workers in the community services sector.

The awards are:

• the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010
• the Children's Services Award 2010
• the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2010
• the Labour Market Assistance Industry Award 2020
• the Supported Employment Services Award 2020.

Note:

Workers covered by one of the listed awards are considered to be employed under that award even if an enterprise agreement exists in the workplace.

Workers on an individual agreement, common law contract or employed under the National Employment Standards are still covered workers if one of the listed awards covers them.

Exclusions

The following entities are not employers for the Scheme, even if they employ workers performing community services work:

• federal or state government departments or agencies
• local governments or other public statutory bodies
• entities with a governing body appointed under an Act of the Commonwealth or the State
• a public health service or a public hospital and aged care services operated by hospitals
• bush nursing centres
• an entity for profit that is an approved children’s service under the Children’s Services Act 1996 or an approved provider under the Education and Care Services National Law (Victoria).

Health services (as defined in section 3(1) of the Health Services Act 1988) and residential aged care are not classified as community services work for the Scheme.

Further information