Isabelle TorresThe Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 — commonly known as the SCHADS Award — is one of Australia's most significant modern awards, covering more than 250,000 workers across the disability support, home care, community services, and crisis accommodation sectors. Whether you are a disability support worker assisting NDIS participants in their homes, a community welfare case manager, a crisis shelter coordinator, or a family day care scheme employee, this award sets the legal minimum pay rates, penalty rates, leave entitlements, and conditions of employment that apply to you. Introduced as a modern award by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) under the Fair Work Act 2009, the SCHADS Award has been significantly strengthened over recent years, most notably through the Equal Remuneration Order (ERO) and the Aged Care Work Value Case, both of which have delivered substantial wage increases to historically underpaid feminised workforces.
What Is the SCHADS Award and Who Does It Cover?
The Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (instrument code MA000100) applies to employers and employees in the social and community services industry across Australia. The award is structured into five separate employee streams, each with its own pay schedule:
- Schedule B — Social and Community Services (SACS): Community welfare workers, intake officers, case managers, outreach workers, child protection support workers, disability support workers in non-home-care settings, Indigenous community workers, youth workers, and similar roles.
- Schedule C — Crisis Accommodation and Supported Housing: Workers in crisis shelters, refuges, transitional housing, and supported accommodation services.
- Schedule D — Family Day Care Coordination: Employees working in family day care coordination schemes.
- Schedule E — Home Care – Disability Services: Workers providing in-home support to NDIS participants under disability funding streams.
- Schedule F — Home Care – Aged Care: Workers providing in-home aged care services under Commonwealth aged care programs (Commonwealth Home Support Programme, Home Care Packages).
Workers covered by the SCHADS Award are employed across government, not-for-profit, and private organisations. Registered nurses and enrolled nurses are covered by the Nurses Award 2020, and residential aged care workers fall under the Aged Care Award 2010 rather than the SCHADS Award. Health professionals such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists have their own award (Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020).
Pay Structure and Classification Levels
The SCHADS Award uses a multi-level classification structure tied to qualifications, experience, and job complexity. Each stream has its own pay schedule. Employees in the SACS (Schedule B) and Crisis Accommodation (Schedule C) streams benefit from the Equal Remuneration Order, meaning their published rates already incorporate ERO uplifts designed to address historic gender-based undervaluation of community services work.
SACS Employees (Schedule B) — Effective 1 July 2025
| Level | Pay Point | Hourly Rate (AUD) | Weekly Rate (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 1st year | AUD $28.24 | AUD $1,073.30 |
| Level 1 | 2nd year | AUD $29.61 | AUD $1,125.30 |
| Level 2 | 1st year | AUD $29.94 | AUD $1,137.60 |
| Level 2 | 2nd year | AUD $30.98 | AUD $1,177.40 |
| Level 3 | 1st year | AUD $32.07 | AUD $1,218.70 |
| Level 3 | 3rd year | AUD $34.26 | AUD $1,301.90 |
| Level 4 | 1st year | AUD $35.50 | AUD $1,349.00 |
| Level 4 | 3rd year | AUD $38.45 | AUD $1,461.20 |
| Level 5 | 1st year | AUD $40.64 | AUD $1,544.40 |
| Level 6 | 1st year | AUD $47.44 | AUD $1,802.70 |
| Level 7 | 1st year | AUD $55.23 | AUD $2,098.70 |
| Level 8 | 1st year | AUD $63.68 | AUD $2,419.70 |
Home Care – Disability Services (Schedule E) — Effective 1 July 2025
| Level | Pay Point | Hourly Rate (AUD) | Weekly Rate (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 1st year | AUD $26.51 | AUD $1,007.50 |
| Level 2 | 1st year | AUD $27.98 | AUD $1,063.40 |
| Level 3 | 1st year | AUD $29.46 | AUD $1,119.40 |
| Level 4 | 1st year | AUD $30.63 | AUD $1,164.00 |
| Level 5 | 1st year | AUD $31.81 | AUD $1,208.60 |
Home Care – Aged Care (Schedule F) — Effective 1 October 2025
Following the Aged Care Work Value Case decision, Schedule F home care workers received a separate additional increase from 1 October 2025:
| Level | Pay Point | Hourly Rate (AUD) | Weekly Rate (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 1st year | AUD $31.13 | AUD $1,182.94 |
| Level 2 | 1st year | AUD $32.86 | AUD $1,248.68 |
| Level 3 | 1st year | AUD $34.59 | AUD $1,314.42 |
| Level 4 | 1st year | AUD $35.97 | AUD $1,366.86 |
| Level 5 | 1st year | AUD $37.35 | AUD $1,419.30 |
Employees advance to the next pay point after 12 months of service demonstrating satisfactory performance and required competency. Use the Pay Calculator tab above to estimate your take-home pay at your current classification level.
Penalty Rates and Overtime
The SCHADS Award prescribes specific penalty rates for work outside ordinary Monday-to-Friday daytime hours. Weekend penalty rates are particularly significant given that home care and disability support work frequently occurs on weekends and public holidays.
Penalty Rates (% of ordinary rate)
| Time and Day | Full-time / Part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours (Mon–Fri) | 100% | 125% |
| Saturday | 150% | 175% |
| Sunday | 200% | 225% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 275% |
| Afternoon shift (finishing after 8 pm, at/before midnight) | +12.5% | — |
| Night shift (finishing after midnight / starting before 6 am) | +15% | — |
Shift allowances and weekend penalty rates do not stack — only the higher rate applies.
Overtime
- SACS and Crisis Accommodation (Schedules B and C): 150% for the first 3 overtime hours, then 200%.
- Home Care, Disability, and Family Day Care (Schedules D, E, F): 150% for the first 2 overtime hours, then 200%.
- All streams on Sundays: 200% for all overtime hours.
Casual Loading
The casual loading under the SCHADS Award is 25% of the ordinary hourly rate, added to all hours worked. This compensates casual employees for the lack of paid leave, notice entitlements, and other permanent employment benefits (Fair Work Act 2009 s.67B).
Sleepover Allowance
A distinctive feature of this award is the sleepover allowance: workers required to sleep over at a client's residence or care facility during an 8-hour overnight period receive 4.9% of their standard weekly rate per sleepover (rather than full overtime pay for those hours). If called upon to perform active duties during a sleepover, overtime rates apply with a minimum payment of 1 hour per disturbance.
Annual Leave
Under the SCHADS Award, full-time employees are entitled to 4 weeks (20 days) of paid annual leave per year, consistent with the NES minimum under the Fair Work Act 2009 s.87. This accrues progressively throughout the year.
Annual leave loading: Most SCHADS employees are entitled to a leave loading of 17.5% of their ordinary rate while on annual leave. Shiftworkers receive whichever is higher — the 17.5% loading or the penalty rates they would have received if they had worked those shifts.
Casual employees are not entitled to paid annual leave; the 25% casual loading compensates for this. Part-time employees accrue annual leave on a pro-rata basis proportional to their contracted hours.
Notice Periods
The SCHADS Award reflects the NES notice periods prescribed by Fair Work Act 2009 s.117. The notice period for termination of employment is determined by the employee's length of continuous service:
| Years of Continuous Service | Minimum Notice |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 1 week |
| 1 to 3 years | 2 weeks |
| 3 to 5 years | 3 weeks |
| 5 years or more | 4 weeks |
| Over 45 with 2+ years of service | +1 additional week |
Payment in lieu of notice is permitted. The same scale applies to both employee resignation and employer-initiated termination. Employers who fail to provide the required notice must pay out the equivalent amount at the employee's ordinary rate.
Redundancy Pay
Where a role is genuinely redundant, SCHADS Award employees are entitled to redundancy pay under the NES (Fair Work Act 2009 Sch 4, s.119). The genuine redundancy scale is:
| Years of Continuous Service | Weeks of Pay |
|---|---|
| 1 year | 4 weeks |
| 2 years | 6 weeks |
| 3 years | 7 weeks |
| 4 years | 8 weeks |
| 5 years | 10 weeks |
| 6 years | 11 weeks |
| 7 years | 13 weeks |
| 8 years | 14 weeks |
| 9 years | 16 weeks |
| 10 years or more | 12 weeks (statutory cap) |
Small business exemption: Employers with fewer than 15 employees are exempt from NES redundancy pay obligations (Fair Work Act 2009 s.123). Community and disability sector workers employed by small providers should check whether this exemption applies to their situation.
Redundancy pay above the tax-free threshold is treated as an eligible termination payment (ETP) for tax purposes. The tax-free component is calculated as AUD $12,524 plus AUD $6,264 per completed year of service (2025-26 limits).
Superannuation
The SCHADS Award does not contain sector-specific superannuation provisions beyond what is required by law. Employers must contribute at the current Superannuation Guarantee (SG) rate under the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992:
- 12.0% of ordinary time earnings from 1 July 2025 onwards
The employer contribution is paid in addition to (not deducted from) the employee's wages. HESTA (the Health Employees Superannuation Trust Australia) is widely used in the community services and aged care sector and offers insurance options tailored to this workforce, but employees may choose any complying superannuation fund (Fair Work Act 2009 s.149A — Choice of Fund). Government sector SCHADS workers may be enrolled in a state defined benefit scheme with different contribution rules.
The annual concessional contributions cap (including employer SG and salary-sacrifice) is AUD $30,000 for the 2025-26 year.
Important Allowances
In addition to base pay and penalty rates, the SCHADS Award provides for a range of sector-specific allowances (from 1 July 2025):
| Allowance | Amount | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Broken shift (1 break) | AUD $20.82/shift | Home care and SACS disability work; max 12-hour span |
| Broken shift (2 breaks) | AUD $27.56/shift | Written agreement required |
| First aid certificate | AUD $17.75/week (FT) | Hold current first aid certificate and required to perform first aid |
| On-call (Mon–Fri) | AUD $24.80/24-hour period | Employee must be contactable and available to return to work |
| On-call (weekend/public holiday) | AUD $49.63/24-hour period | Same conditions, weekend/public holiday |
| Vehicle/travel | AUD $0.99/km | Use of personal vehicle for work purposes |
| Uniform | AUD $1.27/shift or AUD $6.35/week | Employer-required uniform |
| Laundry | AUD $0.38/shift or AUD $1.92/week | Employer-required laundering |
| Meal allowance (overtime) | AUD $18.35 (first occasion); AUD $16.20 each additional 4 hours | Overtime extends 1+ hour beyond ordinary hours and no meal provided |
| Heat/cold disability | AUD $0.67/hour | Work in temperatures above 46°C or below 0°C |
| Remote area | AUD $30.88/week | Designated remote work locations |
State and Territory Variations
The SCHADS Award is a federal modern award, meaning pay rates and conditions are uniform across all Australian states and territories. However, certain entitlements are governed by state and territory legislation and therefore differ by jurisdiction:
Long service leave: The qualifying period and entitlement differ significantly across states. Workers in Victoria qualify after 7 years of continuous service (6.067 weeks), while workers in most other states must complete 10 years before accessing long service leave. South Australia and the Northern Territory provide 13 weeks of leave at the 10-year mark, compared to approximately 8.7 weeks in NSW, QLD, WA, and Tasmania. Use the Long Service Leave tab in the calculator above to estimate your entitlement based on your state.
Public holidays: Federal public holidays — New Year's Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday, ANZAC Day, King's Birthday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day — apply nationwide. Each state and territory adds its own public holidays: Melbourne Cup Day (VIC), EKKA Exhibition Day (QLD), Adelaide Cup Day (SA), Foundation Day/Western Australia Day (WA), Eight Hours Day (TAS), Family and Community Day/Reconciliation Day (ACT). Workers rostered on state-specific public holidays are entitled to the 250% SCHADS Award public holiday rate.
Workers compensation: Workers compensation schemes are state-based. Different premium structures, weekly payment rates, and rehabilitation requirements apply depending on whether you are employed in NSW (icare), VIC (WorkSafe), QLD (WorkCover QLD), SA (ReturnToWorkSA), WA (WorkCover WA), TAS (WorkSafe Tasmania), ACT (WorkSafe ACT), or NT (NT WorkSafe).
Your Rights at Work
SCHADS Award employees have access to the full suite of Fair Work Act 2009 protections:
Unfair dismissal: Most SCHADS employees can make an unfair dismissal application to the Fair Work Commission after completing the minimum employment period — 6 months for employers with 15 or more employees, or 12 months for small business employers (Fair Work Act 2009 s.382). Claims must be lodged within 21 days of the dismissal taking effect.
General protections: The general protections provisions (Fair Work Act 2009 Part 3-1) prohibit adverse action (including dismissal, demotion, or reduction in conditions) against an employee for exercising a workplace right — such as making a complaint, taking personal leave, or participating in industrial action.
Right of entry: Unions that are party to the SCHADS Award — the Australian Services Union (ASU), Health Services Union (HSU), and United Workers' Union (UWU) — have right-of-entry entitlements under Fair Work Act 2009 Part 3-4. Union officials may enter your workplace to investigate suspected Award breaches with 24 hours' notice, or without notice in specific circumstances.
Right to disconnect: From 26 August 2024, employees of non-small-business employers covered by the SCHADS Award have the right to refuse contact outside of working hours unless the refusal is unreasonable. Small business employers must comply from 26 August 2025 (SCHADS Award cl.25A).
Minimum engagement: Full-time and part-time SCHADS employees must be paid a minimum of 2 hours per shift (3 hours for SACS non-disability roles), even if fewer hours are worked. Casual employees have the same minimum per-engagement guarantee.
This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For questions about your specific employment situation, contact your union (ASU, HSU, or UWU), the Fair Work Ombudsman (1300 724 690), or a qualified employment lawyer. Pay rates and allowances in this article are based on the SCHADS Award as of 2025-26 and are subject to Annual Wage Review increases by the Fair Work Commission.
