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Business Insurance For Disability Workers

Compare business insurance quotes with Savvy to help protect you as a disability care worker. 

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, updated on August 1st, 2023       

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As a disability support worker or NDIS care provider, you’re so busy looking after other people that it’s easy to overlook your own financial needs. However, having the right business insurance is vital for anyone in the caring professions to make sure you are covered for a range of events just in case something does go wrong. 

You can compare quotes for many types of business insurance here with Savvy. Just answer a few simple questions about the work you do and the insurance you need and you’ll have multiple quotes from a range of respected insurers to compare instantly. Use our quick and easy comparison service to help you get the best value insurance for a disability support worker. 

What types of insurance should I buy as a disability support worker?

There are several types of business insurance you need if you are a disability support worker or NDIS care provider. These include: 

Professional indemnity insurance 

Professional indemnity insurance can cover you against claims the service you provided was negligent or caused harm. This type of insurance can offer you protection against many types of claims, including: 

  1. Allegations the support you provided was incorrect, ineffective or unsuitable  
  2. Claims the care you provided caused personal injury 
  3. Claims the advice you offered as part of your support service was incorrect, negligent, misleading or contrary to professional standards  
  4. Allegations of misconduct (either clinical or administrative) 
  5. Failure to accurately carry out instructions around the care of a client 

Proof of professional indemnity insurance can be necessary to tender for some government care contracts and may sometimes be provided as part of union membership. Cover starts at $250,000 and can go up to $10 million or more. Note that this insurance does not provide cover for work carried out that requires a medical qualification to perform. 

What it covers:

  1. Payment of compensation if there’s a successful claim against you 
  2. Payment of court-awarded damages to the litigant 
  3. Cover for your legal defence costs 
  4. Cover for the cost of disciplinary proceedings or investigations 

Public liability insurance 

Public liability insurance is also essential for anyone who has regular contact with members of the public. It can cover you against claims that your actions caused injury to a member of the public or damaged their property. This insurance can offer between $5 million and $20 million worth of coverage. 

What it covers:  

  1. Third-party personal injury claims 
  2. Damage to a third party’s property 
  3. Legal fees to defend yourself 

Cyber liability insurance 

If you’re a disability support worker or NDIS care provider (or work in another allied health field, such as physiotherapy) you may be required to store confidential patient information. Cyber liability insurance can cover you just in case your laptop containing this information is stolen or hacked. It can offer protection from a wide variety of cybercrimes and help you recover your data if you are subject to a hacking attempt or theft of client data. 

What it covers:

  1. Data breaches including theft of client information stored on a computer or laptop 
  2. The cost of a forensic investigation into the cause of the breach 
  3. Data recovery costs 
  4. Cyber extortion and denial of service threats 
  5. Crisis management costs 
  6. Advertising and communicating with customers 
  7. Legal costs including any fines and penalties imposed 

What isn’t covered under business insurance for disability workers?  

The most common exclusions for the above types of insurance include: 

  1. Injury to yourself or your employees 
  2. Flood damage
  3. Unlawful activity or criminal negligence 
  4. Reckless behaviour or intentional damage 
  5. Anything to do with asbestos 
  6. The effects of pollution caused by your business activity 
  7. Damage to computer hardware 
  8. The upgrading of a computer system unrelated to cybercrime 
  9. Power outages or failure of satellite or telecommunication services 
  10. Prior known circumstances or risks 

Business insurance also does not cover your vehicle if you use your car for work, so you may need separate car insurance for business purposes. 

How much will business insurance cost for a disability support worker? 

There is no set cost for an insurance policy, as each applicant is different and faces unique risks. Many factors influence the cost of business insurance, including the following:   

  • The state you’re in  
  • Whether you live in a rural or urban area 
  • Whether you’re a sole trader, are in a partnership or run a larger business 
  • Your business size and turnover  
  • If you have any employees 
  • Your insurance history 
  • Whether you’ve made an insurance claim in the past five years 

The main factor which will affect the cost of your insurance is the industry you’re in. All businesses in Australia are classified according to the risk their industry poses, and are allocated a risk ratio. These ratios are used by insurers to calculate the comparative risk of any one business compared to another.  

However, the cost of insurance also varies depending on where you live. For example, a support worker buying public liability insurance in Western Australia may not receive the same quote as a disability worker in Queensland, which could be due in part to the nature of the business and the different environmental factors posed in the latter location. 

There are many more variables which will affect the cost of your public liability insurance, so the best way to find out how much your insurance will cost is to get a free, no-obligation quote through Savvy. Whether you’re employed under an NDIS scheme or as a private disability support worker, you’ll be able to consider a range of policies from top insurers through Savvy. 

Why do I need business insurance as a disability support worker?

You’ve worked hard to get where you are, and you may have spent a lot of time setting up your own business too, so it makes sense to want protection in case things go wrong. Because we’re all human, mistakes can happen, so you want to know you’re protected just in case you are the subject of a liability claim. 

Business liability insurance offers protection in case certain unforeseen covered events catch you off guard. It can give you peace of mind knowing you are protected from a wide range of incidents and occurrences which are included in your policy. If you have adequate insurance, you’ll stand a much better chance of defending yourself and getting back on your feet quickly if an issue does arise. 

Types of business insurance

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Frequently asked questions about business insurance for disability support workers

What is run-off cover and do disability support workers need it?

Run-off cover is a type of professional indemnity insurance which protects caring professionals from claims made after they have ended their career. It offers insurance coverage following retirement just in case a claim is made years after the original professional service was provided. Most workers in the caring professions are advised to have this type of coverage for at least six years following retirement or departing the industry. 

Do I also need management liability insurance as a disability support business owner?

Many small to medium businesses employing contract carers and other allied health professionals opt to take out management liability insurance as an additional precaution. This type of insurance can help protect you from claims of corporate mismanagement, such as unfair dismissal. 

Do I need to buy additional insurance even if professional indemnity cover is provided through my union? 

This will depend on your role and the risks you face. The professional indemnity insurance provided by some unions may be basic insurance, so if you’re working in a high-risk environment, you may wish to supplement it with additional cover. It’s always important to check with your union and read the policy’s terms and conditions carefully to determine how much additional cover (if any) you may need. 

What information will I need to make a claim?

The information you should have to hand when you contact your insurance company to make a claim will include: 

  • The name of the policyholder 
  • Your policy number and start date (which can be found on your Certificate of Currency) 
  • A detailed description of the incident (what happened to cause the damage or loss) 
  • Specific dates and times when the incident happened 
  • Contact details of any other parties involved (or witnesses to the event) 
  • Details of your police report number (if a crime took place) 
  • Details of the property lost or damaged (including its age and value) 
  • Your bank details for settling the claim

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Disclaimer:

Savvy is partnered with BizCover Pty Ltd (ABN 68 127 707 975, AFSL 501769) to provide readers with a variety of business insurance policies to compare. Savvy earns a commission from BizCover each time a customer buys a business insurance policy via our website. We don’t arrange for products to be purchased from these brands directly, as all purchases are conducted via BizCover.

Savvy does not compare all business insurance policies or providers currently operating in the market. Any advice presented above or on other pages is general in nature and doesn’t consider your personal or business objectives, needs or finances. It’s always important to consider whether advice is suitable for you before purchasing an insurance policy.

For any further information on the variety of insurers compared by BizCover or how their business works, you can read their Financial Services Guide.

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