# Adding a Flexible Group Shift Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/adding-shifts/adding-a-flexible-group-shift > Build a group support from per-worker blocks, so each worker can cover different Participants at different rates within the one shift. Scheduling add-on - This feature requires the Scheduling add-on, which is available on Astalty Premium. See How to enable Scheduling. > **Flexible Group Support is in beta** > > Flexible Group Support is enabled per account while in beta. Contact Astalty Support to turn it on. > **Built for shared supports in Supported Independent Living (SIL)** > > Flexible Group Support suits [Supported Independent Living (SIL)](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/adding-shifts/adding-supported-independent-living-sil-or-assistance-with-self-care-shifts) and other shared living arrangements, where Support Workers move between Participants during a shift and the ratio of support changes across the day - for example, 1:3 across the house in the morning, then 1:1 while one Participant is supported to an appointment. Each Participant bills against their own Charge Item Set in each block, so their charges reflect the ratio they received. > > In Astalty, a Group Support is any support with more than one Participant - it isn't limited to NDIS group and centre-based activities. If every Support Worker supports every Participant for the whole session, use a standard [Group Support](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/adding-shifts/adding-a-group-shift) instead. ## Overview A Flexible Group Support is a group shift built from **blocks** instead of a shared billing ratio. Each Support Worker's shift is split into one or more blocks - a time window, the Participants covered in it, and a Charge Item Set per Participant - so one worker can bill different Participants at different rates across the same shift. For the standard ratio-based group shift, see [Adding a Group Shift](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/adding-shifts/adding-a-group-shift). Use Flexible instead of an ordinary Group Support when workers don't all cover the same Participants at the same rate. ## Understanding Blocks - A block belongs to one Support Worker. It has its own **From**/**To** time (a window inside the worker's shift) and the Participants the worker is **With** during it. - Each Participant in a block carries its own Charge Item Set, defaulting to **Same as default** - the Charge Item Set chosen for that Participant when they were added to the support. Pick a different set to bill that block against a different rate for that Participant only. - The ratio shown next to a block (e.g. `1:2`) is the worker against however many Participants are ticked **With** for that block. - Toggle **No charge** on a Participant within a block to keep them in the headcount without billing them. - A worker's blocks must cover their whole shift with no gap between the first start and the last end. **Add block** defaults to filling the next open window, so building blocks back-to-back is the normal flow. - Blocks for *different* Participants on the same worker can overlap - that's how a Participant joins mid-block. A worker can't have two blocks covering the same Participant at the same time. - A worker holds at most one shift on a Flexible Group Support - you can't add the same worker twice. > **Whole-group ratio overrides and Support Time Segments aren't available** > > A Flexible Group Support takes each ratio from its blocks, so the group-wide ratio override used on an ordinary [Group Support](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/adding-shifts/adding-a-group-shift#update-the-billing-ratio-for-the-whole-group-support) isn't offered - set the ratio inside the block instead. [Support Time Segments](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-time-segments) aren't available on a Flexible Group Support either. ## How to Create a Flexible Group Support ### Navigate to the Schedule From the left-hand menu, click [Schedule](https://app.astalty.com.au/scheduling/schedule), then click **Add Shift**. ### Select the Event Type Choose **Flexible** - *"A support that allows many workers to support different Participants at different times, for the most flexibility."* ![The When & Where section of the create form with Flexible selected, described as a support that allows many workers to support different Participants at different times, for the most flexibility, above a 17/11/2026 09:00 to 17:00 time and the Repeat this Flexible Group Support toggle highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/flexible-group-support-event-type.png) ### Set the Time and Repeat Set the **Start Time** and **End Time**, and the **Timezone**. Toggle **Repeat this Flexible Group Support** to set the recurrence - see [Recurring Shifts](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/recurring-shifts). ### Select the Site and Support Type Choosing a **Site** restricts the Participant list to that Site. Choose the **Support Type** from the searchable dropdown - see [Support Types](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-types). ### Name the Flexible Group Support and Set the Address Enter a name in **Flexible Group Support Name**, then click **Update** next to **Address** to look up or enter the location the group is actually at. ![The Flexible Group Support form repeating every 1 Week on Tue until 08/12/2026, with Support Type set to Community Access, a Flexible Group Support Name of Tuesday Social Club entered, and the Update button next to the Address field highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/flexible-group-support-name-address.png) In the **Update Address** window, search **Address Lookup** for an existing address, or use **or enter the address manually** to add a new one, then click **Create Address**. ![The Update Address window with an Address Lookup field, and the manual entry section below filled in for Riverside Community Hall at 45 Riverside Drive, West End, QLD 4101, with the Create Address button highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/flexible-group-support-update-address.png) ### Set the Charge Option Choose **Automatic Charges** or **Manual Charges**, and toggle **This flexible group support includes Centre Capital Costs** if it applies - see [Centre Capital Costs](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/scheduling-faq/adding-centre-capital-costs). ### Select Participants Click **No Participants Selected** and tick each Participant attending. For each one, choose their **Charge Item Set** - this is the rate a block falls back to for that Participant when left on **Same as default**. **Funding Utilisation** shows each Participant's funding for their Services, with what this support adds for them when it uses **Automatic Charges**. See [Checking Funding While You Book](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-funding-utilisation#checking-funding-while-you-book). ![The Select Participants for Group Support window with Aileen Greenholt, Alison Satterfield and Aniyah Block ticked in the alphabetical Participant list.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/flexible-group-support-select-participants.png) ![Aileen Greenholt's Charge Item Set dropdown open under 3 Participants Selected, with CA Community Access highlighted above GROUP Group Activities and SILR Supported Independent Living, plus Create New Plan Service.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/flexible-group-support-participant-charge-item-set.png) > **A Participant needs a plan service before you can bill them in a block** > > A Participant with no matching service shows **No plan service** next to their name, with a **Click to create** link. ### Select Support Workers Click **No Support Workers Selected**, tick each worker delivering the support, then click **Done**. Use **Add unassigned shift** instead to reserve a slot without naming a worker yet. If your account uses [custom allowances](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/setup/custom-allowances), choose any that apply to each worker in their **Custom Allowances (optional)** field. > **Rostering someone who's on leave or unavailable?** > > If a selected worker has approved leave, recorded unavailability, or a pending leave or availability request overlapping their blocks, Astalty asks you to confirm before creating the shift. See [Confirming an Unavailable Worker When You Create a Shift](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/managing-availability#confirming-an-unavailable-worker-when-you-create-a-shift). ### Build Each Worker's Blocks A newly added worker shows *"No blocks yet, so this shift bills nothing."* For each worker: ![The Workers & Blocks section listing Ceasar Hegmann and Earnestine Mueller, each Available, and below each a card saying no blocks yet so their shift bills nothing, with an Add block button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/flexible-group-support-workers-blocks-empty.png) 1. Click **Add block**. The From/To defaults to the next open window in that worker's day. 2. Tick which Participants the block is **With**. 3. Leave each ticked Participant's Charge Item Set on **Same as default**, or pick a different set to bill that Participant at a different rate for this block only. Toggle **No charge** to include a Participant without billing them. 4. Click **Add block** again to add the worker's next window - it picks up where the previous block left off, so the worker's blocks stay gap-free. ![Ceasar Hegmann's three back-to-back blocks with each From and To highlighted: 9:00 to 12:00 With all three Participants at 1:3 on Same as default, 12:00 to 14:30 With Aileen Greenholt and Alison Satterfield at 1:2 overridden to GROUP, and 14:30 to 17:00 With all three at 1:3 overridden to SILR.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/flexible-group-support-workers-blocks-guide.png) Repeat for every worker, then toggle **Includes paid meal break** if one applies. ### Add Support and Admin Details Enter **Details** (visible to Support Workers) and **Admin Details** (desktop only). Click the note-template icon to **Insert note template** - see [Note Templates](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/tasks-notes-settings/note-templates). ![The Details section with the Details and Admin Details editors, and Insert note template open on Details with a Search box, listing Support Details - Transport Requirements, highlighted, and Support Details - Communication Support.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/flexible-group-support-insert-note-template.png) ### Create the Shift Once all details are complete, click **Create**. ## Editing a Flexible Group Support Open the Support and click **Update Details**. You can change the **Group Support Name**, **Support Type**, **Site**, **Start**/**End** time, **Charge Behaviour**, and the blocks themselves - add, resize or reassign them the same way as at creation. ![A Flexible Group Support's Details tab showing Tuesday Social Club, its date, time, location and Charge Behaviour of Auto with the Update Details button highlighted, and a Workers & Blocks panel listing Ceasar Hegmann's three blocks, the second at 1:2 on GROUP and the third on SILR.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/flexible-group-support-update-details.png) ![The Update Group Support Details window scrolled to the blocks, with Earnestine Mueller's block highlighted: its To time field open on a November 2026 date picker with 17 selected, and its Charge Item Sets showing Same as default below.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/flexible-group-support-edit-blocks.png) > **Changing the shift's times doesn't resize existing blocks on its own** > > Stored blocks are refused if a change would leave one outside the shift's new times, leave a gap in a worker's day, or stop a sent block set covering every Participant still on the support. Once any charge has been invoiced, the blocks for that session can no longer be changed. ## Things to Keep in Mind - A Flexible Group Support's billing ratio always comes from its blocks - there's no whole-group ratio override, and Support Time Segments aren't available. - A worker can hold only one shift per Flexible Group Support. - "Same as default" bills a Participant on the Charge Item Set chosen for them in **Select Participants** - picking a different set in a block overrides it for that block only.