How to build strong relationships with Care Providers

Care Providers play a central role in connecting Support at Home (previously Home Care Package) recipients with meal services. Building strong, professional relationships with them can help your food business become a trusted option that they recommend to their clients.

Understanding Care Providers

Care Providers are organisations approved by the government to manage Support at Home (previously Home Care Package) funds on behalf of recipients. Their role is to administer budgets, ensure funds are spent in line with program rules, and connect recipients with a network of service providers such as meal businesses, cleaners, and allied health professionals. They also charge a management fee for these services.

Care Providers come in many forms. You’ll often come across:

• Religious organisations (e.g. Uniting Church)

• Charitable organisations (e.g. HammondCare, Salvation Army)

• Community organisations (e.g. RSL, LifeCare)

• Local government (e.g. Bayside City Council)

• Private companies (e.g. Regis, My Home Care)

All are responsible for administering funds and offering recipients a network of service providers to choose from. They typically charge around 15% of the package value to deliver these services.

Understanding the role of Care Managers and Coordinators

Within a Care Provider, recipients are usually supported by staff members called Care Coordinators or Care Managers. They are the main point of contact for recipients, helping them plan how their funds are used and approving services. Each Care Manager/Coordinator typically supports a group of recipients and plays a key role in introducing them to suitable providers.

For food businesses, these staff are important people to connect with. When Care Managers/Coordinators understand and trust your service, they are more likely to recommend your meals to the recipients they support.

How to build strong relationships with HCP Care Providers

Leverage existing clients

If you already supply meals to Support at Home recipients, start by introducing yourself to their Care Providers. Let them know you are already supporting one of their clients and explain why you are a suitable supplier. This helps build credibility and makes it easier for the Care Provider to extend your service to other recipients they manage.

Be visible and memorable

Care Managers and Coordinators are more likely to recommend your meals when they have experienced them firsthand. Arrange tastings for their team, provide coupon codes so they can trial your service, or share printed menus and flyers they can pass on to clients. These small steps demonstrate professionalism and make it easy for them to talk about your business.

Make referrals easy

Encourage Care Providers to send new clients your way by giving them a simple method to do so. This could be a dedicated referral form or a direct email process. The easier it is for them to connect a recipient to your business, the more likely they are to do it.

Show your value

When speaking with Care Providers, be clear about what sets you apart. Highlight that you are a local business producing small-batch meals, that you use technology to make Support at Home billing straightforward, and that you offer phone ordering for recipients who prefer not to order online. This combination of local care and professional systems gives Care Providers confidence that their clients will be well supported.