Scheme coverage examples for community services workers
Find example scenarios about when a worker is covered by the community services industry portable long service leave scheme.
Scheme coverage eligibility examples
These examples help workers understand when they are covered by the community services industry portable long service leave scheme (the scheme).
1. Not covered by the portable long service scheme
Example organisation: Allied health private practice
BrightSteps Allied Health is a private allied health clinic. It employs physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and admin staff. Clients include National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants, Medicare patients and private clients.
Workers at this practice would not be covered by the scheme.
Even though workers here may work with people with disability, the business provides clinical allied health services only. A standalone allied health clinic’s predominant purpose is clinical allied health, not community services under the scheme.
- You do not join the scheme through this job.
- If you are eligible for long service leave under the Long Service Leave Act 1955, this will not change.
2. Covered by the portable scheme
Example organisation: Disability support organisation with allied health staff
Community Ability Supports provides disability support services such as daily living support, community access and supported accommodation. Alongside support workers, the organisation also employs an occupational therapist and a speech pathologist.
All workers are covered, including allied health staff.
The organisation’s predominant work is disability support, which is a community service. Allied health staff are employed to support that service.
- You will accrue portable long service leave.
- Your employer pays levy contributions on your wages.
- Any long service leave you built up before the scheme started stays under the Long Service Leave Act 1955.
3. Different outcomes
Example organisation: Mental health service with a Visiting Medical Officer (VMO) and workers
Hopewell Community Mental Health Service provides community-based mental health supports.
The organisation has 2 different working arrangements for their workers:
- Mental health clinicians, peer workers and admin staff are workers.
- A psychiatrist works as a Visiting Medical Officer (VMO) and invoices the organisation under their own ABN.
Workers are covered. However, the VMO is not covered by the organisation.
If you work as a contractor or VMO:
- the organisation does not pay levy for you
- you are not automatically included in the scheme
- you may choose to opt in to the scheme yourself, but that’s your decision, not the employer’s
- if you were ever an worker (here or elsewhere), any long service leave from that time stays covered by the Long Service Leave Act 1955.
4. Some workers covered by the portable long service scheme
Example organisation: Aged care organisation with a small in-home care team
SilverYears Ltd mainly runs residential aged care facilities, which are not part of the scheme. The organisation also has a small in-home community care team supporting people in their own homes.
- Residential aged care workers are not covered.
- In-home community care workers are covered.
Only workers delivering community care services are included.
If you work in residential aged care, your long service leave continues under the Long Service Leave Act 1955.
If you work in the in-home care team, you will build portable long service leave through the scheme.