If your organisation uses the SCHADS Award, start by identifying the roles affected by the announced changes and the information needed to prepare. Give HR, payroll and finance a shared plan, with a named person responsible for each next step.
There are two key transition dates to distinguish. A headline percentage is not enough to calculate an individual employee’s future pay.
The dates to put in your plan
The Fair Work Ombudsman’s 21 September 2026 announcement describes changes to definitions, pay-point progression, classifications and minimum rates under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award.
- 1 December 2026: Home care employees providing disability care receive an initial increase of up to 15% to their minimum award rate, from the first full pay period starting on or after this date.
- 1 October 2027: Most wider changes take effect from the first full pay period starting on or after this date. Any remaining increase for home care disability employees also applies then; the rates will incorporate the 2027 Annual Wage Review.
That does not describe a universal 15% increase for everyone working in disability services. Check the affected employee group and applicable rate. Fair Work links to its pay tool, December pay guide and Commission documents in the announcement above.
Five practical steps to take now
1. Build a useful picture of the work
Bring together your employee list, current classifications, position descriptions and employment arrangements. Ask managers whether those descriptions reflect the work people actually do. Record gaps that need clarification, such as a role taking on extra supervision or duties that have changed since recruitment.
A good working file makes the reasoning visible. For each role, record the source of the current classification and the person who will check the transition. If something is uncertain, flag it for review instead of copying an assumption across the whole team. Our SCHADS Award support guide outlines the information useful for a coverage and classification discussion.
2. Separate confirmed costs from planning assumptions
Ask finance and payroll to distinguish verified calculations from estimates. Keep a dated note of the source, the employee group included and any information still outstanding. This makes a budget easier to revisit when your role review or further official guidance changes an assumption.
Useful questions for that discussion include: Which employees require an assessment? What is their current pay arrangement? Who will check the applicable minimum and any implications for their actual remuneration? What else needs to be considered before a revised cost is approved?
3. Agree the payroll handover
Decide who checks the employment position, who enters approved changes into payroll and who verifies the result. Give each task an owner and a date. Ask your payroll provider how a dated change will be handled and what evidence they need from you.
Before implementation, plan a sample check using representative roles and pay arrangements. Record the inputs and the expected outcome so a reviewer can follow the calculation. A software update is one part of the process; your team still needs to know which decisions have been made and which questions remain open.
4. Prepare managers to answer questions consistently
Draft a short internal briefing explaining what the business is reviewing, who is coordinating it and where managers should send questions. Avoid promising individual outcomes while calculations or classifications are unresolved.
Once the relevant checks are complete, agree who will communicate with each affected employee, what will be explained and which documents need updating. Keep a record of the approved communication so managers and payroll work from the same information.
5. Put review points in the calendar
Choose dates to check official guidance, complete outstanding role information, approve calculations and review implementation. Work backwards from the applicable pay period with payroll, leaving time to resolve questions. Keep the longer-term preparation visible even if an earlier change needs more immediate attention.
A simple preparation worksheet
Use one row per role or clearly defined employee group. Keep personal payroll information in your normal restricted system; a shared project tracker can use role names and task references.
- Role and work: What duties, responsibilities and current documents need checking?
- Current arrangements: Where is the classification and pay basis recorded, and who will verify it?
- Applicable timing: What date and pay period have been confirmed for this group? What remains unresolved?
- Cost assumptions: Which calculations are verified, and what is still an estimate?
- Payroll action: Who approves, enters and checks any required change?
- Communication: Who briefs managers and employees, and which documents need attention?
- Next checkpoint: What is the next action, its owner and its due date?
A planning example
Imagine a small service provider whose managers use different versions of position descriptions. Before asking payroll to model the changes, the business could allocate a short review to confirm the duties of each role and assemble the current employment documents. HR can then identify the questions requiring advice, while finance clearly labels any preliminary budget figures. This is an illustrative workflow, not a client case study or a classification assessment.
Turn the announcement into a plan for your team
CCG can help you gather the right information, work through SCHADS questions and coordinate agreed changes to employment documents and manager guidance. We can scope a defined project or provide extra capacity alongside your existing HR team.
Explore our HR support for NDIS and disability services, or talk with us about the roles and questions you need to review. We agree the scope, fees and responsibilities before work begins.