Inner Sydney Voice, on behalf of the Regional CHSP Leaders’ Network has lodged a submission to the recent Senate Inquiry on The Transition of the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) to the Support at Home Program (SAH).
In our submission, we emphasise that Australia urgently needs a universal, preventative, easy‑entry program that keeps older people connected, independent, and out of crisis care. This vital function, currently provided by CHSP, cannot be replicated within an individualised, transactional SAH market.
We highlights major risks: service disruption, loss of social connection, thin markets, reduced provider viability, workforce casualisation, and significant equity impacts for First Nations, CALD, traumatised, and marginalised communities.
We are calling on the Senate to:
- Pause the transition and extend current CHSP arrangements;
- Recalibrate CHSP outside SAH as a fit-for-purpose, prevention-focused program;
- Protect and fund community-based social connectionservices; and
- Adopt a staged, opt-in pathwayto SAH only when safeguards and infrastructure are in place, for clients who genuinely required packaged care.
This is essential to ensuring older people remain supported, connected, and able to age well in their communities.
Read the enquiry here to see our full list of concerns and recommendations.
CHSP Forum:
We would encourage CHSP providers to join us at our first CHSP forum of 2026, taking place on February 26th at Inner Sydney Voice in Waterloo. We are looking forward to hearing from Jane Mears as our guest speaker, who has for decades contributed wisdom to Australia’s public policy debates. Jane brings both academic expertise and lived experience of CHSP.
For more information and event details, please email Lalla sspo@innersydneyvoice.org.au.