FAQs | CARED

Getting Started

No. CARED does not operate waitlists. When you contact us we aim to have you fully onboarded, matched and booked in within 72 hours. If we can't match you quickly in your area or discipline, we will tell you straight away rather than leaving you waiting.

CARED provides a range of allied health supports delivered by fully vetted, qualified practitioners, including occupational therapy, speech pathology, psychology, physiotherapy, dietetics, exercise physiology, neuropsychology, behaviour support and support-related assessments. If you're unsure which discipline suits your situation, call us and our Service Navigation team will help you work it out.

Both. Telehealth is available Australia-wide via a secure video link, and face-to-face appointments are available in many metropolitan and regional areas, over 120 locations, depending on practitioner availability. Because coverage changes as our team grows, the fastest way to confirm face-to-face availability at your address is to call 1300 367 117 or send us your suburb and postcode by email.

We support children, young people, adults and older people. Many of our clients are NDIS participants, but we also work with privately funded clients, Medicare-referred clients and clients funded through other schemes.

You can refer yourself, or a family member, support coordinator, plan manager, GP, school or other professional can refer on your behalf. Complete our online client referral form here or email hello@cared.io with the client's name, location, funding type and the supports being requested. If you'd prefer to talk it through first, you can book a call with our Service Navigation team or phone us directly.

Enquiries received during business hours are responded to on the same business day, and always within one business day. Our intake team will confirm what we've received, tell you what's still needed, and outline the next steps.

Our intake team reviews the referral and matches you with a practitioner who suits your needs, location and preferred appointment times. We then send you a service agreement to review and sign, and once that's returned we confirm your first appointment and send your appointment details. You can usually start therapy within days, not months.

Service agreements and paperwork

The service agreement sets out what we'll deliver, how much it costs, how your funding will be claimed and how either party can end the arrangement. It protects you and us, and it's a requirement before services commence. Appointments are confirmed once the signed agreement is received.

The agreement is sent to you as a secure online form - you complete and sign it in your browser, on a phone, tablet or computer. No printing or scanning is needed.

Just let us know and we'll reissue the form or send you a link to the section that needs finishing. Common gaps are a missing signature, a missing plan manager email or an unanswered consent question. We'll always tell you exactly which field needs attention.

For NDIS-funded clients we ask for a copy of the current plan or a service booking confirmation, and your plan manager's contact details if you're plan managed. For Medicare-funded work we need a valid referral and care plan from your GP. For privately funded clients, no additional documentation is required.

Direct therapy is the time your therapist spends working directly with you.

This may be face-to-face, by telehealth, or sometimes with a family member, carer or support person involved.

Direct therapy can include:

talking with you about your needs and goals
completing assessments
observing skills, behaviours or everyday activities
providing therapy or treatment
practising strategies
reviewing your progress and discussing next steps.

Indirect therapy is the clinical work your therapist completes for you when you are not present.

Although you are not attending the appointment during this time, the work is still directly related to your care and support.

Indirect therapy may include:

reviewing your referral information and previous reports
gathering and analysing information
scoring or interpreting assessments
planning your therapy
writing clinical and progress notes
preparing resources
communicating with other people involved in your care
documenting recommendations and next steps.

Your therapist often needs time outside your appointment to review information, document what happened, analyse assessment results and plan the next steps in your care.

This work is an important part of providing safe, appropriate and personalised clinical support.

If your therapist comes to see you at your home, school, workplace or another community location, they may need to travel to and from your appointment.

Travel time may be charged separately from the time your therapist spends with you and is charged in accordance with applicable NDIS pricing arrangements.

No. There is no therapist travel charge for telehealth appointments.

Appointments

Once your appointment is booked, you'll receive a confirmation with the date, time, practitioner name and either the address or your telehealth link, plus automated reminders before the session. If you can't find the link, check your junk folder first, then call or email us and we'll resend it.

Contact us as early as you can on 1300 367 117 or to hello@cared.io, or reply to your appointment reminder. Cancellations at 48 hours or less will attract a fee, eg: for appointments scheduled for 9:00 am on a Monday, notice of cancellation will need to be made on Saturday before 9:00 am. The specific terms that apply to you are set out in your service agreement. Typically, a late fee of the hourly CARED hourly rate will be charged for cancellations if notice is given after this time or for non-attendance without notice.

Some practitioners offer late-afternoon and early-evening appointments, and telehealth after 4:00 pm is often the easiest option to arrange. These times are in high demand, so tell us your preferred window when you enquire and we'll match you with a practitioner whose availability fits.

Occasionally a practitioner's availability changes due to illness or a clinical emergency. If that happens we will contact you to agree a new time rather than simply moving it. If you've received a changed time you didn't agree to, please call us so we can correct it.

Pricing, invoicing and funding

Standard therapy sessions are charged at the NDIS price limit for the relevant discipline. Travel is charged in line with NDIS travel rules where a practitioner travels to you, and is quoted separately so there are no surprises. Private and Medicare fees differ - ask us for a written quote for your situation before you commit.

A comprehensive Functional Capacity Assessment typically involves around 15 hours of assessment, analysis and report writing, charged at the applicable hourly rate - approximately $2,909.85 excluding travel at current rates. Shorter, more targeted assessments are available for private clients from around $1,939. We always confirm the scope, hours and total in writing before booking.

If you're plan managed or NDIA managed, we invoice your plan manager or claim through the NDIS portal directly - you don't need to do anything. If you're self-managed or privately funded, we invoice you directly with payment terms shown on the invoice. If your plan manager needs anything specific on our invoices, such as a purchase order number or service booking reference, let us know and we'll include it.

Assessments and reports

Draft reports are provided within CARED's standard report turnaround time in relation to the final assessment session, with a period for you to review and provide feedback before the report is finalised. If you have a plan review date coming up, tell us when you book so we can work backwards from that deadline.

Yes. Contact us as early as possible with your plan review date and we'll arrange the necessary review sessions and prepare the documentation your planner or support coordinator needs.

Yes. A good working relationship matters, and you can ask to change practitioner at any time without explaining yourself. Email hello@cared.io or call us and we'll rematch you.

Contacting us and getting urgent help

Phone 1300 367 117, email hello@cared.io, Monday to Friday 8:30am – 5:30pm. Outside those hours you'll receive an acknowledgement and we'll respond on the next business day.

If you are in crisis, or need urgent health or medical advice, the following services can assist.

In an emergency, please call 000 or visit your local hospital emergency department immediately.
For free instant health advice anytime, please call Health Direct on 1800 022 222. You'll speak to a registered nurse who will help you get the care you need.

In a crisis, please contact one of the following: