Baptcare vs Bolton Clarke: fees and models compared

Last updated 21 August 2026

Provider fees verified from published pricing, August 2026 (Baptcare 2026-27 price guide; Bolton Clarke prices effective 1 July 2026). Budget figures current as at 1 July 2026.

The short version

Two large not-for-profit, full-service providers with genuine geographic overlap and complete published 2026-27 price guides - and the rates are close enough that this is a real contest, not a blowout.
The headline rates split both ways: Baptcare is cheaper for personal care ($119/hr vs $126) and nursing runs higher ($198/hr RN vs $189); Bolton Clarke is cheaper for cleaning ($112/hr vs $116).
Both are faith-heritage NFPs: Baptcare (merged with BaptistCare) spans VIC and TAS plus NSW, ACT and WA through the merged entity; Bolton Clarke - Australia’s largest independent NFP in-home care provider - covers QLD, NSW, SA, VIC and WA.
The fee shapes are near-identical (10% care management, similar third-party and assistive-technology admin), so the decider is which rates suit your roster, and who serves your suburb well.

Side by side

Baptcare and Bolton Clarke - published figures, August 2026
	Baptcare	Bolton Clarke
Model	Full-service	Full-service
Ownership	Not-for-profit (faith-based; Baptcare and BaptistCare merged)	Not-for-profit
Care management fee	10% of quarterly budget (government allocation); care management $150/hr, uniform across all time periods (2026-27 price guide)	10% of quarterly budget (government allocation); care management rate $155/hr for ongoing services ($185/hr restorative and end-of-life)
Other admin / loading fees	Assistive technology admin up to 10% of cost or $500 (lower of); home modifications coordination up to 15%; third-party provider services charged at the provider’s fee plus 10%	No separate package administration fee. Assistive technology admin 10% capped at $500; home modifications 15% capped at $1,500
Personal care, weekday	$119/hr (6am-8pm; same rate for social support and respite)	$126/hr (weekday standard)
Cleaning, weekday	$116/hr (domestic assistance and meal preparation)	$112/hr (general house cleaning/laundry/shopping)
Coverage	VIC and TAS (Baptcare), plus NSW, ACT and WA via the merged BaptistCare entity (the price guide does not itemise states)	QLD, NSW, SA, VIC, WA
Distinctive features	RN $198/hr, EN $187/hr; cancellation with less than 2 business days’ notice may be charged; GST may apply to privately funded services	RN $189/hr, EN $157/hr; physio $235, podiatry $241, dietitian $230, psychology $251; 24/7 nursing heritage (RSL Care and RDNS legacy); overnight respite (minimum 10 hours); group social support minimum 6 hours

Both price guides are current 2026-27 documents. Neither itemises every state or suburb, so confirm each provider actually services your area - and at these rates - before comparing further.

What the fee structures mean in practice

Here is one worked example at Classification 5, which has a quarterly budget of $10,182.38 in 2026-27. With both providers, the government’s 10% care management allocation comes off first: $1,018.24, leaving a service pool of $9,164.14 for the quarter. Care management is clinical care, so it costs you nothing personally.

Baptcare

Classification 5 · $10,182.38/qtr: 10% care management = $1,018.24, leaving $9,164.14
Then: No general loading - the pool goes to services at published rates (third-party services attract a 10% add-on)
In hours: ≈ 77 hrs/qtr of personal care at $119/hr - around 6 hours a week

Bolton Clarke

Classification 5 · $10,182.38/qtr: 10% care management = $1,018.24, leaving $9,164.14
Then: No separate package administration fee - the pool goes to services at published rates
In hours: ≈ 72 hrs/qtr of personal care at $126/hr - around 5-6 hours a week

On a personal-care-heavy roster, Baptcare’s lower rate buys roughly five extra hours a quarter at this level. Flip to a cleaning-heavy roster and Bolton Clarke’s $112/hr pulls ahead of Baptcare’s $116. Nursing runs the other way again - Bolton Clarke’s RN rate is $9/hr lower. In short: build your own weekly mix and price it against both lists, because neither wins across the board. Your own means-tested contribution then applies per service - see what you’ll pay.

Prices change - confirm before you sign

Every figure on this page was verified from Baptcare’s and Bolton Clarke’s published pricing in August 2026. Providers adjust prices often, and the government publishes a quarterly National Summary of Support at Home Prices for benchmarking. Ask each provider for its current price list in writing before signing a service agreement.

Which suits you?

Choose Baptcare if…

Personal care, social support or respite make up most of your week - its $119/hr rate covers all three.
You live in Victoria or Tasmania, its heartland, or in the NSW/ACT/WA areas the merged BaptistCare entity serves.
A uniform care management rate ($150/hr at all times) appeals for predictability.

Choose Bolton Clarke if…

Cleaning and domestic help dominate your roster, or you expect regular nursing (RN $189/hr) and allied health visits.
You want the scale and clinical heritage of Australia’s largest independent NFP in-home provider (RSL Care and RDNS legacy), including overnight respite.
You live in QLD or SA, where Baptcare’s merged entity doesn’t list coverage.

Neither answer is “better” - the lists are close, and the comparison genuinely turns on your own mix of services and suburb.

Not sure which fits your situation?

Tell us your classification, postcode and the services you use most, and we can help you compare these two - and any others servicing your area - for your situation.

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Common questions

Are Baptcare and BaptistCare the same organisation?

They have merged. Baptcare historically served Victoria and Tasmania and BaptistCare served NSW, the ACT and WA; the combined entity now spans all five, though the 2026-27 price guide doesn’t itemise coverage state by state. If you’re near a boundary, confirm which brand and price list applies to your address.

Their rates are so close - what should actually decide it?

Three things: your service mix (price your real weekly roster against both lists - each wins on different services); availability in your suburb, including how quickly each can start; and the practical details - Bolton Clarke’s minimums for group social support (6 hours) and overnight respite (10 hours), Baptcare’s cancellation terms (less than 2 business days’ notice may be charged). See choosing a provider for a fuller checklist.

Will I pay a contribution on these rates?

It depends on the service category and your means assessment. Nursing and allied health are clinical care - free for everyone. Personal care carries a means-tested contribution until 30 September 2026, then becomes free from 1 October 2026 - see free personal care from October 2026. Cleaning sits in everyday living, where contributions are highest. Details at what you’ll pay.

Do either charge exit fees?

No provider can - exit fees are banned under Support at Home. Neither Baptcare nor Bolton Clarke publishes an exit fee, and if you change your mind you can switch providers at any time, with unspent funds following you.

Sources

Baptcare - Home Care Support at Home Price Guide 2026-27 (PDF, May 2026), cdn.baptcare.org.au, accessed August 2026.
Bolton Clarke - Support at Home pricing (effective 1 July 2026), boltonclarke.com.au/support-at-home/support-at-home-program/sah-pricing/, accessed August 2026.