Become a carer Open roles Companion Carer
Casual carer · Sydney, NSW
Companion Carer
Be the friendly, familiar face a client looks forward to each week. This is the heart of Birchmere: time, conversation and company, led by what the client enjoys.
- Flexible hours
- Paid weekly
- Visits of at least 2 hours
About the role
This role is part of our companionship & social connection service in Sydney, NSW. You apply once, then choose which services you offer, this one and any others, and we offer you bookings that fit.
Birchmere is a private-pay home care service that matches clients to carers by shared interests, language and personality, not just who's free on a Tuesday. As a casual carer you choose the services you offer and when you're free, and we offer you bookings that fit.
What you'll be doing
- Share a cuppa and a proper chat, at home or out and about
- Play cards, do a puzzle, put on music or a favourite show together
- Look through photos and hear the stories behind them
- Be a steady presence, so clients and their families know who is coming
- Let your coordinator know if something doesn't seem right
What helps in this role
- Genuine curiosity about people and their stories
- Patience, and comfort with a quiet moment
- Warmth that makes conversation come easily
- Warm, patient and genuinely curious about people
- Reliable, because clients build their week around your visit
- Comfortable spending focused one-on-one time in someone's home
- Respectful of different backgrounds, cultures and personalities
- Looking for work that fits around study, family or a career change
A typical visit
Say yes to a booking
We offer you a booking that fits your availability and the services you offer. You accept the ones you like.
Arrive and say hello
Visits run at least 2 hours, so there's time to settle in, put the kettle on and ask how their day is going.
Do what the booking is for
A walk around the block, the weekly shop, a hand with the tablet, a video call with the grandkids, or just a good chat.
Head off knowing you made a difference
Your coordinator is a call away if anything comes up, and the admin is theirs to sort.
Why Birchmere
Why join the Birchmere team?
Work that means something, on the days that suit you. You spend real time with someone who has a lifetime of stories, and you have people behind you the whole way.
Personal
We match on shared interests, language and personality, not just who's free on a Tuesday.
Considered
Careful checks, a coordinator behind you, and at least 2 hours a visit to do things properly.
Individual
Dignity and respect for every client. Everyone has their own story, and the care follows their lead.
Know who you're visiting
Before each visit, your carer portal shows a 30-second brief: what they love talking about, the interests you share, what to steer clear of, notes from earlier visits and a few conversation starters. You walk in already knowing them a little.
Help when you need it
You're never on your own. Your coordinator is there for anything about your visits. You can also email carers@birchmere.com.au or call us on 02 5115 1162, including from a visit if something's urgent. Raise a pay query on a visit or report an incident straight from your carer portal, and our team follows it up.
What you get
Paid every week
You're a casual employee, paid weekly, with super and casual loading.
At least 2 hours a visit
Every visit is at least 2 hours, and the 2-hour minimum is paid. You're also still paid if a client cancels late.
Work around your life
You set your availability and the services you offer, and you accept or decline each booking with no penalty for saying no.
A coordinator behind you
Your coordinator is a call away, and the admin, rostering and paperwork are theirs to sort.
Training provided
An in-person induction, shadowing and an accompanied first visit, with check-ins at weeks 1, 2 and 4.
Fits around your studies
Studying in Sydney?
If you're a student at the University of Sydney, UNSW, UTS, Macquarie, Western Sydney University or ACU, or studying at TAFE NSW, this role can fit around your classes. Set your availability around your Sydney timetable, take bookings when you're free and say no when you're not.
Visits fit around lectures, clinical placements and exam blocks. You set your own availability, so it moves when your semester does.
Handy experience if you're studying
- Nursing
- Aged care
- Social work
- Allied health
- Psychology
- Community services
What you'll need
- To be 18 or older
- The right to work in Australia
- A National Police Check, which you arrange and pay for yourself
- A Working With Vulnerable People clearance, where your state or territory runs that scheme for this work
- Two referees who can speak to your care or character
- A front-on photo and a short bio for your profile
Good to know
- No formal care qualification is needed to start.
- Certificates, first aid or CPR help us match you with the right clients.
- You'll need a first aid certificate within 30 days of starting.
What's not part of the role
Clients are told the same thing, so everyone knows where the role starts and stops.
- Companions only provide support they're trained, qualified and insured to provide, and will decline anything outside that.
- No clinical or nursing care, such as injections, wound care, or catheter and stoma management, unless we've told you in writing that it's available to you.
- Companions can remind you that medication is due, but they don't administer it.
- Everyday companion visits don't include heavy cleaning, work at height or home repairs. Gardening, handyman, painting, electrical and plumbing work are their own services, booked separately.
- Electrical and plumbing work is only ever done by a licensed electrician or plumber.
- If you need support we don't provide, tell us and we'll help you find a suitable provider.
How applying works
Create your account and apply online
Fill in a short form, set a password and complete your application online straight away. No waiting, no CV, no cover letter.
Sign your contract
Your employment contract is issued when you submit. Sign it in your carer portal and add your TFN, super and bank details.
We check, and we say hello
We verify your documents and referees, and a coordinator calls to get to know you and answer your questions.
Induction and training
Meet the team for your in-person induction and training.
Shadow, then your first visit
Shadow an experienced carer on a visit or two. Then your coordinator or an experienced carer joins your first solo visit.
Bookings start coming your way
We start offering you bookings that fit. Your coordinator checks in at weeks 1, 2 and 4.
Most applicants are through their checks and on a first booking within 2–3 weeks.
Everyone's welcome here
We welcome applicants of every age, background and culture, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability and LGBTQIA+ people.
If you'd like us to make a reasonable adjustment at any point in the application, just ask. Call 02 5115 1162 or email hello@birchmere.com.au.
Ready to apply?
Create your account to start your application. It takes about three minutes, and you can ask us anything first.
Am I an employee or a contractor?
An employee. Every Birchmere carer is a casual employee. There's no contractor or marketplace arrangement.
Can I decline a booking?
Yes. You set your availability and the services you offer, and we offer you bookings that fit. You accept or decline each one, and there's no penalty for saying no.
Do I need a care qualification?
No formal qualification is needed to start. If you hold care-related certificates, first aid or CPR, tell us. It helps with matching.
Do I need a car?
No. Plenty of bookings need no transport. Transport bookings are opt-in, for carers who drive and want to offer them. You'll use your own phone.
How and when am I paid?
You're paid weekly. Every visit is at least 2 hours, and the 2-hour minimum is paid.
How long until I start?
Most applicants are through their checks and on a first booking within 2–3 weeks.