Personal Carer – Responsibilities

Personal carers, also known as personal care assistants or PCAs, provide direct, hands‑on support to NDIS participants and aged care clients with the intimate daily tasks that maintain health, comfort, and dignity. This is some of the most important work in the care sector, and it requires genuine people skills as well as practical competence.

The core of the role is personal hygiene support: assisting participants to shower or bathe, helping with dressing and grooming, supporting toileting and continence management, and helping with oral hygiene. Beyond that, personal carers often assist with mobility and transfers, provide medication reminders, help with meal preparation and eating, offer companionship, and assist with light household tasks that are part of a participant’s routine.

You work to an individual support plan developed with the participant and their care team. That plan describes what the person needs and, just as importantly, how they like things done. Respecting the participant’s preferences and maintaining their sense of control and privacy is not optional, it is the whole point. Many participants have been receiving personal care for years and know exactly how they want it delivered.

The people you support in Australia include older Australians managing age‑related decline, people with physical or intellectual disability, participants with acquired brain injury, and individuals with mental health conditions. The common thread is that they need reliable, respectful support to live at home on their own terms.

Required Qualifications & Experience





- Genuine commitment to person‑centred care and participant dignity
- Experience assisting with personal hygiene, showering, dressing, and grooming
- Competence with manual handling and mobility support, including transfers
- Familiarity with medication reminders and basic health monitoring
- Ability to follow individual support plans and report changes in a participant's condition
- Calm, patient, and adaptable in wide-ranging and sometimes challenging situations
- Reliable transport and current driver’s licence
- Certificate III in Individual Support (preferred) or willingness to complete it

Checks and Credentials

NDIS Worker Screening Check and Police Check must be current before any provider can formally engage you.

Manual handling competency is important for roles that involve transfers or mobility support, and you should be honest about your physical capabilities and any restrictions when registering.

CPR training (valid for 3 years) is required and should be refreshed every 12 months.

Driver’s licence and reliable vehicle are recommended.

Pay & Benefits

Personal carers in home care are usually paid under the SCHADS Award home care stream; those working in residential aged care are covered by the Aged Care Award.

- Weekday $30–$39 per hour
- Saturday $45–$58 per hour
- Sunday $59–$77 per hour
- Public holiday $74–$97 per hour
- Casual employees receive a 25% loading on top of these rates.

Notice that rates may vary by provider and may be higher under an enterprise agreement. These figures are indicative hourly rates based on the SCHADS Award (MA ) and are subject to review.

#J-18808-Ljbffr

📌 Personal Carer (Australia)
🏢 MD Homecare
📍 Australia