Disability Support Worker Insurance

What Insurance Do I Need as a Disability Support Worker?*

Some of the major types of business insurance covers we may provide to disability support workers in Australia are explained below and include:

• Public Liability Insurance
• Professional Indemnity Insurance
• Personal Accident Insurance
• Commercial Motor Insurance

Public Liability Insurance for Disability Support Workers *

Public Liability Insurance coverage is essential for all disability support operations.

People may be hurt due to accidents involving your respite or care activities.

Protections for disability support workers through public liability insurance in Australia generally include:

1. Injury to other persons due to your support worker activities – For example, a client is injured when you are assisting them with support and respite services, on a walk, spectating an event,  travelling on public transport
2. Damage to others property due to your support worker activities.

Public liability insurance coverage may protect disability support workers from claims that arise when others allege they are negligent.

A disability support worker’s public liability policy may provide a defence against the ensuing lawsuit when needed and may pay the damages sought by the injured party.

Public Liability Insurance may provide disability support workers with protection while providing respite services including slip-and-trip accident.

Professional Indemnity Insurance for Disability Support Workers *

Professional indemnity insurance is an important cover for disability support workers.

Professional Indemnity Insurance may help disability support workers stay in business by paying for legal defence costs, public relation expenses, privacy brief costs and financial losses if awarded against them.

Professional Indemnity Insurance for support workers may cover the following:*

If legal action be taken against you for defamation, libel, or slander related to your professional activities:

• If legal proceedings are initiated against you following a Good Samaritan Act.
• If you are reported to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• If you face legal action due to malpractice or negligence.
• In case you are legally challenged for infringing on intellectual property rights.
• If you are summoned to testify before the Coroner.

A Self-employed Disability Care worker engaged in professional activities within a workplace should protect themselves against claims associated with the services or care they provide, including injuries or property damage.

This is crucial as their work can involve interactions with individuals in their homes and in community settings.

Suitable commercial insurance is a legal requirement for self-employed National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) contractors.

Claims can run into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, therefore it is important that an adequate level of cover is chosen to protect against major financial loss, which will not only have an impact on your business but could also affect your personal assets.

Personal Accident Insurance for self-employed carpenters*

As a self-employed support worker your personal safety is your livelihood.

Personal accident insurance for support workers may provide cover for 52 or 104 weeks and up to 85%* of weekly income at the time of the injury; depending on the amount of coverage agreed when the policy is taken out.

Time away from work from an accident will have a direct impact on a self-employed support worker’s income, and a long period away can negatively affect their savings, family, and lifestyle.

Personal Accident Insurance may help self-employed support workers pay for essential bills and other financial commitments if they have an accident.

Commercial motor insurance for disability support workers *

Commercial motor insurance should be considered for disability support workers that visit their clients in their home or workplace.