Guidelines and policies
The Lifetime Care and Support Scheme pays for treatment, rehabilitation and care for people who have been severely injured in a motor accident in NSW.
Our legislation, guidelines and policies provide the governing framework that determine how we make decisions.
Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines
The Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines are issued under the Motor Accidents (Lifetime Care and Support) Act 2006 and provide information about:
- eligibility for the Scheme, and how decisions are made about eligibility
- how we make decisions
- services, and requests for services.
Service providers should refer to the Guidelines when completing requests for services.
Download Parts 1-23 of the Guidelines and their Companions (plain English)
Select the Guidelines tab to download an individual part of the Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines.
Select the Companions tab to download an individual part of the Companions to the Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines (the plain English version). The companions consolidate and reframe the content of the Guidelines in plain English so they are more accessible to participants and the community.
Guidelines
- Part 1- Eligibility for participation in the Lifetime Care and Support Scheme (PDF, 0.2 MB)
- Part 2 - Guidelines for disputes about eligibility (PDF, 0.2 MB)
- Part 3 - This part has been left blank (PDF, 0.0 MB)
- Part 4 - Guidelines for disputes about participants' treatment and care needs (PDF, 0.3 MB)
- Part 5 - Assessment of treatment and care needs (PDF, 0.2 MB)
- Part 6 - Determination of reasonable and necessary treatment and care needs (PDF, 0.2 MB)
- Part 7 - Rehabilitation (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Part 8 - Attendant care services (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Part 9 - Education support services (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Part 10 - Respite care services (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Part 11 - Participants living overseas (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Part 12 - Transport modification (modifications to a motor vehicle) (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Part 13 - Aids and appliances (equipment) (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Part 14 - Home modifications (PDF, 0.2 MB)
- Part 15 - Prostheses (PDF, 0.0 MB)
- Part 16 - Vocational rehabilitation and vocational training (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Part 17 - Buying into the scheme (PDF, 0.2 MB)
- Part 18 - Approved providers and special circumstances (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Part 19 - Alternative expenditure option (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Part 20 - Ambulance transportation (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Part 21 - Dental treatment (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Part 22 medical treatment including pharmaceuticals
- Part 23 - Workplace and education facility modifications (PDF, 0.1 MB)
Guidelines currently open for consultation
The current Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines (the Guidelines) are being reviewed and updated.
Companions (plain English)
The Companions are a plain English version of the Guidelines to make them more accessible.
- Companion to Part 1 - Eligibility for participation in the Lifetime Care and Support Scheme (PDF, 0.2 MB)
- Companion to Part 2 - Guidelines for disputes about eligibility (PDF, 0.2 MB)
- Companion to Part 3 - This part has been left blank (PDF, 0.0 MB)
- Companion to Part 4 - Guidelines for disputes about participants' treatment and care needs (PDF, 0.3 MB)
- Companion to Part 5 - Assessment of treatment and care needs (PDF, 0.2 MB)
- Companion to Part 6 - Determination of reasonable and necessary treatment and care needs (PDF, 0.2 MB)
- Companion to Part 7 - Rehabilitation (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 8 - Attendant care services (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 9 - Education support services (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 10 - Respite care services (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 11 - Participants living overseas (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 12 - Transport modification (modifications to a motor vehicle) (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 13 - Aids and appliances (equipment) (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 14 - Home modifications (PDF, 0.2 MB)
- Companion to Part 15 - Prostheses (PDF, 0.0 MB)
- Companion to Part 16 - Vocational rehabilitation and vocational training (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 17 - Buying into the scheme (PDF, 0.2 MB)
- Companion to Part 18 - Approved providers and special circumstances (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 19 - Alternative expenditure option (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 20 - Ambulance transportation (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 21 - Dental treatment (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 22 - Medical treatment including pharmaceuticals (PDF, 0.1 MB)
- Companion to Part 23 - Workplace and education facility modifications (PDF, 0.1 MB)
Prosthetics guidance
Health Literacy Framework
Guidance on the support needs of adults with spinal cord injury
Guidelines and policies for the prescription of wheelchairs and mobility scooters
- Guidelines for the prescription of a wheelchair 3 MB(pdf)
- Summary of the guidelines for the prescription of a seated wheelchair or mobility scooter 0.38 MB(pdf)
- Consumer information - Wheelchair Guidelines 1 MB(PDF)
- Wheelchair Guidelines - supplement on wheelchair features - standing wheelchair 0.42 MB(pdf)
- Technical report on the guidelines for the prescription of a seated wheelchair or mobility scooter 2 MB(PDF)
- Goals checklist for wheelchairs 0.20 MB(pdf)
- Shoulder injury prevention checklist 0.13 MB(pdf)
- Long term needs checklist for wheelchairs 0.13 MB(pdf)
- Training topics checklist for wheelchairs 0.13 MB(pdf)
- Injury prevention during transport checklist 0.13 MB(pdf)
- Maintenance checklist for wheelchairs 0.13 MB(pdf)
- Wheelchair comfort tool 0.17 MB(pdf)
Social Support Policy
Capital Management Policy
Restrictive Practices Policy
Building Capability and Safeguarding Policy
Child Safety Policy
Lifetime Care Sexuality Policy
Consequential Injuries Policy
Family and friends as support worker policy
Neuropsychological assessment guidelines
These neuropsychological assessment guidelines provide information on assessment and reporting of neuropsychological impairment following traumatic brain injury sustained in a motor accident. Visit the SIRA website to learn more.
ACT Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines
We have an agreement with the ACT Commissioner to pay for reasonable and necessary treatment, rehabilitation and care services for participants on behalf of the ACT Lifetime Care and Support Scheme.
We use the ACT Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines to make these decisions which are issued under ACT legislation. Information about the ACT Lifetime Care and Support Scheme can be found at the ACT Treasury website.
Guidelines and Updates
The current Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines (the Guidelines) are being reviewed and updated.
The updates to the Guidelines aim to simplify wording, enhance clarity and amend any terms that are now outdated.
Parts of the Guidelines currently open for consultation
Feedback for the below parts are open until 11 September 2024.
- Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines - Part 1 0.30 MB(pdf)
- Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines - Part 2 0.37 MB(pdf)
- Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines - Part 3 0.19 MB(pdf)
- Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines - Part 4 0.36 MB(pdf)
- Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines - Part 5 0.20 MB(pdf)
- Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines - Part 6 0.21 MB(pdf)
- Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines - Part 7 0.19 MB(pdf)
Submit your feedback
Comments or feedback can be sent by email to icare's Scheme Integration and Resolution team at sir@icare.nsw.gov.au.