# Adding a Group Shift

Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/adding-shifts/adding-a-group-shift

> Add a group support shift in Astalty.

Scheduling add-on - This feature requires the Scheduling add-on, which is available on Astalty Premium. See How to enable Scheduling.

## Overview

You can add different types of shifts in Astalty, including

- Direct supports (1:1 Supports),
- Group supports (Supports with multiple Participants),
- Shift (internal/non-support activities),
- Breaks (Meal breaks).

Each shift can be configured with time, Participant, and Support Worker details, along with travel, charges, and other relevant information.

## Understanding Group Supports

Before creating a Group Support, it helps to understand how they are structured and how billing ratios work - so you can set up the support in a way that best reflects how it will be delivered.

> **Workers covering different Participants at different rates?**
>
> A Group Support bills every worker's shift at the same group ratio. If workers need to cover different combinations of Participants at different rates within the one shift, see [Adding a Flexible Group Shift](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/adding-shifts/adding-a-flexible-group-shift).

### Structure

A Group Support is made up of one or more **shifts** - one shift per Support Worker involved in the support. All shifts share the same session time, location, and Participant list.

You can assign a Support Worker to a specific Participant within the group. This is for coordination purposes - it lets the Support Worker know which Participants they should focus their attention on during the session. **It does not affect the billing ratio.**

#### One Group Support, multiple Support Workers

When multiple Support Workers are delivering the same support to the same group of Participants, set this up as a **single Group Support with multiple shifts** - one shift per Support Worker.

For example, two Support Workers and five Participants is created as one Group Support with two shifts. Each shift generates charges at a 1:5 ratio - one for each Support Worker - so each Participant's Finance tab will show two 1:5 charges, effectively totalling a 2:5 ratio across the support.

Astalty makes it easy to see which Support Worker the charge relates to by identifying their name on each row of the Participant's Finance page in the Support.

![The Finance tab for Aileen Greenholt under Supports Involved on a Group Support, with each charge row naming its Support Worker beneath the Charge Item, highlighted. Two Group Activities Weekday Daytime charges show a 1:5 ratio, one for Abigail Tran and one for Adam Nguyen, above a 12 unit Provider Travel charge and a 0.42 hour Group Activities Weekday Daytime charge, both under the Provider Travel claim type at 1:2.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-billing-2.png)

#### Two separate Group Supports

If two Support Workers are each exclusively supporting their own distinct group of Participants at different ratios, these need to be created as **two separate Group Supports** on the schedule.

For example, if Support Worker 1 is supporting three Participants at a 1:3 ratio and Support Worker 2 is supporting two Participants at a 1:2 ratio, you would create:

- **Group Support 1** - Support Worker 1, with their three Participants assigned
- **Group Support 2** - Support Worker 2, with their two Participants assigned

Each support has one shift, one Support Worker, and only the Participants that Support Worker is directly responsible for.

### Billing Ratios

When a Group Support uses automatic charging, Astalty calculates the billing ratio for each Participant based on the total number of Participants and Support Workers assigned to the support. If a Participant or Support Worker is cancelled or removed, the ratio adjusts automatically.

In most cases, this is the expected behaviour. There are two situations where you may want to override the automatic ratio:

- **The agreed ratio needs to stay fixed regardless of attendance** - for example, a support agreed at 1:6 where a Participant cancels and the auto-ratio drops to 1:5, but you still want to bill at 1:6.
- **Participants in the same group have different funded ratios** - for example, in a Supported Independent Living (SIL) home where one Participant has funding for 1:2 and another for 1:3.

You can manage both of these scenarios directly on the support after it has been created. See **Updating Charge Ratios** below.

> **Note**
>
> Only hourly charges are affected by ratio overrides - travel charges are not changed.

## How to Add a Group Support

### Navigate to the Schedule

- From the left-hand menu, click [Schedule](https://app.astalty.com.au/scheduling/schedule).
- On the right-hand side of the screen, click Add Shift.

![The Schedule in Week view for 02/11/2026 - 08/11/2026, grouped by Support Worker, with Abigail Tran's shifts on Wednesday and Thursday and an arrow pointing at the highlighted Add Shift button at the top right, between Settings and Publish (101).](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/add-shift-group-support.png)

### Select the Event Type

Choose from the following options:

- Direct Support - For one-on-one supports.
- **Group Support - For supports involving multiple Participants** (choose this option to create your group support).
- Shift - For internal or non-support activities (e.g., administrative work in the office).
- Unpaid Break - For meal breaks or other scheduled breaks.

![The Who & When section of the new shift form with Group Support selected and highlighted among the Direct Support, Flexible, Shift and Unpaid Break options, above the Start Time and End Time fields for 18/11/2026 from 10:00 to 14:00, with a 4 hours span.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-support-1.png)

### Set the Time and Date of the Scheduled Support

- Use the date and time picker to select the start time and date.
- Choose whether the support repeats (weekly, fortnightly, or monthly) and set an end date.

![The Start Time and End Time fields for 20/11/2026 from 09:00 to 17:00 with the Brisbane time Timezone, and the Repeat this Support panel highlighted and switched on: Every 1 Week, an empty Until field, and Repeat on with Fri selected.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/support-time-1.png)

> **Notes**
>
> - Astalty allows rostering Group Supports up to a year in advance.
> - Shifts can be added retroactively, allowing any last-minute or previously missed shifts to be recorded accurately.

### Select the Site

Select the Site from the drop-down menu. This restricts the Participant list to only those
Participants assigned to that Site. If the Site has a [Default Support
Type](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/creating-and-managing-sites#form-fields) set, choosing it also fills in the Support
Type below - leave the Site without one to choose a Support Type yourself each time.

![The Site, Support Type and Group Support Name fields of the Group Support form, all empty, with an arrow pointing at the Site field.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/site-1.png)

![The Site dropdown open with a search box and a list of Sites, with Acacia House highlighted at the top, followed by Banksia Residence, Blue Gum Support Home and Wattle Grove.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/site-2.png)

![The Group Support form with the Site set to Acacia House and the Support Type filled in as Supported Independent Living, highlighted. Below it, the Group Support Name is marked optional and the Group Support Address shows the Site's address with its Update button greyed out.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/site-3.png)

### Select the Support Type

Options include **Personal Care, Community Access, In-Home Support**, **Training** and more. The
dropdown is searchable, and each option shows a short description of when to use it. See
[Support Types](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-types) for the full list.

![The Support Type dropdown open and highlighted, with an arrow pointing at the Support Type field. The list has a Search box and support types each with a short description, starting with Behaviour Support Implementation, Capacity Building, Community Access, Education Support and Employment Support.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/support-type.png)

> **Need to schedule training related to Participant needs?**
>
> Use the Support Type: **Training** where the training is related to Participant support needs.

### Select the Group Support Name

After choosing the support type, enter a group name, such as **Craft Group**.

![The Group Support form with the Support Type set to Group Support and the Group Support Name field highlighted with Craft Group entered, above the Group Support Address of 21 Hall Street, Coorparoo, QLD, 4151.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-name.png)

### Set the Charge Item Set

Choose the Charge Item Set that contains the Charge Items you'll be billing from for this group. This determines how the support will be invoiced.

### Select the Group Support Address

Pick the address where the group is *actually located*.

- This will be different from the Participant's address.
- Use the location of the group venue, not the individual Participant's home address.

### Assign Support Workers

Supports can be created without assigning Support Workers by selecting **Create Unassigned Shifts** and entering the **Number of Shifts**. This ensures there are enough shifts available to be allocated to Support Workers later.

Select the worker or workers delivering the support. Each Support Worker added here will have their own shift created within the Group Support, and each shift will generate charges at the group ratio. For example, adding two Support Workers to a group of five Participants creates two shifts, each charged at 1:5 - effectively a 2:5 ratio across the support.

You can also assign a Support Worker to a specific Participant at this step or in the Participants step below. This is for coordination purposes - it lets the Support Worker know which Participants they should focus their attention on. It does not affect the billing ratio.

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. Each worker's allowances go on their own shift only.

> **Note**
>
> If you need to roster Support Workers at different ratios across separate groups of Participants, this requires two separate Group Supports. See **Understanding Group Supports** above for more detail.

![The Workers section of the Group Support form, with the No Support Workers Selected link and its pencil icon highlighted under Support Workers, between the Create Unassigned Shifts option and the Includes paid meal break checkbox.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/select-support-workers-1.png)

![The Select Support Workers window with a search box, an Availability is All filter and a list of Support Workers with their phone numbers, qualifications, regions and availability. Liam Bennett, Chadd Metz and Damian Barrows are ticked, and the footer reads 3 Support Workers Selected beside the Done button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-support-workers-1.png)

![The Workers section showing 3 Support Workers Selected, with the highlighted table listing Liam Bennett, Chadd Metz and Damian Barrows, each with an Available check, a Custom Allowances (optional) field and a delete icon.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/support-workers-1.png)

> **Rostering someone who's on leave or unavailable?**
>
> If a selected worker has approved leave, recorded unavailability, or a pending leave or availability request during the shift, Astalty asks you to confirm before creating it. 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).

### Meal break

Indicate if there is a paid meal break; if selected, this will appear in the shift details for the Support Worker(s).

![The Workers section with Liam Bennett, Chadd Metz and Damian Barrows selected, and the Includes paid meal break checkbox highlighted, unticked.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-meal-break-1.png)

### Selecting Participants

Search the Participant list and add the people receiving the group support. If the Group Support has a Site, the list includes only Participants assigned to that Site. The list shows each Participant's name using your account's [Participant Name Display](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/participants-settings#participant-name-display) setting, and shows an **External ID** beneath the name for a duplicate profile - see [Telling Duplicate Profiles Apart in Participant Pickers](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/optional-features#telling-duplicate-profiles-apart-in-participant-pickers).

![The Participants section of the Group Support form with the No Participants Selected link and its pencil icon highlighted, above the Workers section showing 3 Support Workers Selected.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/select-participants-1.png)

![The Select Participants for Group Support window with a Search participants box and an alphabetical list of Participants. Aileen Greenholt, Alia Ernser, Alison Satterfield, Aniyah Block and Berenice Satterfield are ticked, with a Close button at the bottom.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/participants-list-1.png)

> **Choose who gets an SMS reminder**
>
> If your organisation uses [SMS Reminders](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/sms-reminders), each Participant carries a bell icon next to the remove icon. Participants who can receive reminders get a green bell - click it to skip the reminder for that Participant. Participants who can't receive one get a read-only bell in amber, grey or red; hover over it for the reason and a link to fix it. You can also change it later from a Participant's **Update SMS Reminder** action. See [What each bell means](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/sms-reminders#what-each-bell-means).

Once the Participants have been selected, you can assign Support Workers from the drop down menu next to each Participant (assuming Support Workers have been assigned to the Support in the earlier steps).

![The Participants section showing 5 Participants Selected, with an arrow pointing at the open Support Worker dropdown on Aileen Greenholt's card. The highlighted list offers Liam Bennett, Chadd Metz and Damian Barrows, beside the Charge Item Set set to GROUP.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/assign-support-workers-1.png)

When Support Workers are assigned to Participants, this is for coordination purposes only and **does not affect the billing ratio**. Astalty automatically calculates the charge ratio for each Participant based on the total number of Participants and Support Workers in the Group Support.

![The Participants section showing 5 Participants Selected, with the cards for Aileen Greenholt and Alison Satterfield each set to Support Worker Liam Bennett and Charge Item Set GROUP, with a reminder bell and a delete icon.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/assigned-sw-1.png)

Each Participant also has their own **Charge Item Set**, which defaults to the one you chose for the group. Where that Participant's Charge Item Set has no kilometres-during Charge Item, a **Travel During KM Charge Item Override** selector appears on their row as well.

**Funding Utilisation** shows each Participant's funding for their Service, with what this group 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 transport override is set per Participant**
>
> Because each Participant in a Group Support has their own support record, the **Travel During KM Charge Item Override** is chosen per Participant. One Participant can bill travel during the support against an activity based transport line item from their own Services, while another falls back to their Charge Item Set. The override applies only to travel recorded as Travel Type - During Support. See [Travel (to, during and from)](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/travel-to-during-and-from#travel-during-km-charge-item-override).

## Group Travel

### Configure Travel (Optional)

Select **Add Travel** to add travel to, during or from the support.

You have the option to set travel to the support, during the support, and from the support. As well as specify the driver, distance, and estimated duration.

When creating travel to and from the support, you can assign both:

- Duration - The anticipated travel time (in minutes).
- Distance - The estimated distance (in kilometres) between the start point and the destination.

### Travel type - To Support

Used to record travel from the starting point (e.g., the worker's location or first Participant's home) to the support venue. Includes both duration and distance fields.

### Travel type - During Support

Record the kilometres expected while the support is taking place, such as travel between activities or locations. This field accepts distance only.

Any travel recorded under Travel Type - During Support will be automatically shared between all Participants assigned to that travel type.

> **Note**
>
> If you are billing from an 01 Support Category (e.g., Supported Independent Living), the Charge Item Set has no activity based travel line item, so kilometres for Travel During can't be charged against it. To charge them, set a **Travel During KM Charge Item Override** on the Participant so the kilometres bill against an activity based transport line item from their own Services. See [Travel (to, during and from)](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/travel-to-during-and-from#travel-during-km-charge-item-override).

### Travel type - From Support

Used to record travel from the support venue to the final destination (e.g., a Participant's home). Includes both duration and distance fields.

For group supports, travel can be configured for complex arrangements. For example, a Support Worker might pick up one Participant on the way to the group, transport all four Participants during the group, and then drop home two Participants afterwards. You can also assign different Support Workers to handle specific Participants for pick-up and drop-off, which is especially useful for larger, more complex groups.

Record who will drive, the expected kilometres, and any pickup or drop-off details the Support Worker needs. Travel can apply to some Participants without applying to the whole group.

![The Group Travel section with two travel entries, each with a Remove button. To Support has Driver Liam Bennett, 12 km, 25 minutes, Charge and Pay Behaviour Time & km, the details Pick up Aileen first, then Alison, and Aileen Greenholt and Alison Satterfield in the vehicle. From Support has the same driver, distance, duration and Participants, Charge and Pay Behaviour Kilometres only and the details Drop Alison home first. An Add Travel button sits below.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-travel-1.png)

Support Workers can review these travel details in the app.

![The Travel screen in the Support Worker app for a group support, showing the scheduled distance and duration with the Details pickup instructions highlighted, the odometer readings, times and kilometres still to be recorded, and the Participants listed at the bottom.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/support-worker-app-travel.png)

> **Group Support travel is visible on the Schedule**
>
> Group Supports with travel are marked on the Schedule with a travel line and a car icon, the same as 1:1 supports. Which trip appears on a tile depends on how you've grouped the Schedule - see [Travel on Group Supports](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/viewing-the-schedule#travel-on-group-supports).

### Add Support and Admin Details

- Support Details - Visible to Support Workers.
- Admin Details - Visible only from the desktop application.

![The Group Support Details section with the Group Support Details and Admin Details editors side by side, each with a formatting toolbar. The details describe the weekly craft group with a bulleted list of projects, and the admin details note the accessible room and where the craft supplies are kept.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/image12.png)

### Set Charges

- If billing from a Charge Item Set, configure automatic charges. For example, you would like to bill from the Community Access 04, Charge Item Set.
- For respite, bill from a **Short Term Accommodation** Charge Item Set - see [How to Claim for Respite?](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/scheduling-faq/how-to-claim-for-respite).
- For other billing types (e.g., SIL), you may wish to set up manual charges.
- If Centre Capital Costs apply, select the option in this list. See [Adding Centre Capital Costs](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/scheduling-faq/adding-centre-capital-costs).

![The Service & Billing section with Charge behaviour set to Automatic Charges and Manual Charges as the alternative, each with a description, above the Charge Item Set field set to CA.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/charge-options.png)

### Additional Charges

Add any Additional Charges (e.g., non-face-to-face work) using the drop-down. Enter details such as quantity, claim type, description, and any extra notes, then click Add Charge.

![The Additional Charges & Centre Capital section with no additional charges added yet, the Add an Additional Charge button highlighted, and an unticked This support includes Centre Capital Costs checkbox below.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/image10.png)

![The Additional Charges & Centre Capital section with a charge being added: Charge Item CA\_WK\_DAY, Quantity 1 hours, Claim Type Non-Face-to-Face Services, a Description of Non-face-to-face support and Additional Details filled in, with Cancel and Add Charge buttons.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/image4-1757919783.png)

### Manual Charges

There may be occasions where more than one type of support is delivered within a single shift-for example, 2 hours of Community Access and 1 hour of Assistance with Self Care. Instead of using Charge Item Sets (which would require creating separate shifts), you can use **Manual Charges** to record multiple supports within the same shift.

To do this, create the support as usual and complete all required details, then select **Manual Charges** under **Charge behaviour** in the **Service & Billing** section. The **Default Charge Item Set** field is hidden while **Manual Charges** is selected.

![The Service & Billing section with Manual Charges selected and highlighted under Charge behaviour, showing that charges will not be created or updated automatically.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-2.png)

Select **Add an Additional Charge** and choose the Charge Item. Enter the hours that should use that item, then add more Charge Items until the shift's delivered support is accounted for.

When using Manual Charges for **Group Supports**, Astalty asks during shift creation whether to apportion the Charge Items across all Participants. After the shift is created, manual charges cannot be apportioned or edited.

![The Additional Charges section of a Group Support with a charge being added: Charge Item GROUP\_WK\_DAY, Quantity 2 hours, Claim Type Direct Service and a Description of Group craft session, with the Apportion Charge option highlighted and selected above Do Not Apportion Charge, and Cancel and Add Charge buttons.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-5.png)

![The Additional Charges section of a Group Support listing two Charge Items, Group Activities Weekday Daytime with Qty: 2 and Access Community Social and Rec Activ - Standard - Weekday Daytime with Qty: 1, each with a Direct claim type, Apportion Charge and its description, above the Add an Additional Charge button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-6.png)

> **Add travel charges separately**
>
> **Manual Charges are not linked to automatic parts of a shift**, such as Travel. To claim travel, add a **Travel Charge Item** in **Additional Charges**. You can still complete the Travel section as normal.

To see more on this, check out the video walk-through.

Video walkthrough: using multiple support categories on a shift.

See [Managing Manual Charges](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/charges/managing-manual-charges).

### Create the Shift

- Once all details are complete, click Create to save the shift.

## Duplicating a Group Support

Clone a Support to copy an existing scheduled event, including its uploaded Documents. Use it when a new activity should keep details such as the group, Support Workers, transport, ratios, and location.

- Open the Support you want to duplicate
- Click **Actions**
- Select **Clone Group Support**
- Update any details that need to be changed (such as date, time, location, etc.)
- Once all updates are complete, click **Create** at the bottom of the pop-out

![A Group Support's details with the Actions button highlighted and numbered 1, and Clone Group Support highlighted and numbered 2 in the open menu, among Extend Group Support, Change Days, Delete Group Support, Cancel Group Support, Publish Shifts, Audit Trail, Email Notes, Email History and Message participants via SMS.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/clone-support-2.png)

### Support Workers Who Can No Longer Be Assigned

A clone brings across the Support Workers from the original Support, and one of them may no longer be assignable on the new date - a worker whose required qualification has lapsed, or one who is marked incompatible with a Participant on the group. Astalty tells you before you click **Create**.

A warning sits above the selected Support Workers, one line per worker, naming the reason:

> Sally Jones is missing First Aid Certificate, Police Check, Midazolam Training and cannot be assigned to this support.
>
> Daniel Roberts is marked as incompatible with Addie Nikolaus and cannot be assigned to them.

![The Workers section of a cloned Group Support, with a warning above the selected Support Workers that Sally Jones is missing First Aid Certificate, Police Check and Midazolam Training and cannot be assigned to this support, and the Support Worker table showing John Smith and Sally Jones with their checks.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-support-clone-blocked-worker-warning-guide.png)

There are two ways to take the worker off the Support:

- Click the bin icon on their row in the table below **Support Workers**, or
- Click **Support Workers**, find them in the list, and untick them.

A worker who is already on the Support can always be unticked, even though they can't be added back. Their row stays highlighted with a working tick and the chip reads **Qualification Not Met** rather than **Qualification - Selection Blocked**. Untick them and the row greys out, so they can't be re-selected.

> **Astalty doesn't drop the worker for you**
>
> The check depends on the date and the Participants on the Support, and both are still editable on the clone form. Changing the times or removing a Participant can clear the warning on its own, so the decision to remove the worker is left to you.

If you click **Create** with a blocked worker still selected, the Support isn't created and an error appears against the **Support Workers** field:

> Sally Jones cannot be assigned without the required qualification(s): First Aid Certificate.

Removing that worker clears the error straight away - you don't need to click **Create** a second time to make it go.

> **Qualification reasons need the Qualifications feature**
>
> Without [Qualifications](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/users-settings/qualifications), the warning still covers workers marked incompatible with a Participant, but not workers missing a required qualification. See [Qualification Checks When Rostering](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/qualification-checks) for what the checks cover.

## Editing a Group Shift

### Editing Shift Details

To make changes to a Group Support, open the relevant Support and select **Update Details**.

![A Group Support's Details tab for the Craft Group on Wednesday, 04/11/2026 from 10:00am to 2:00pm, with the Update Details button highlighted at the top right of the details card, above the Supports Involved section.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/edit-group-support-update-details.png)

You can edit the following fields:

- **Group Support Name**
- **Support Type**
- **Site** (when your account has Sites)
- **Start and End Times**
- **Group Support Details**
- **Admin Details**
- **Charge Option**

After updating the required information, click **Update** to save your changes.

![The Update Group Support Details window with its fields highlighted: Group Support Name, Support Type, Site, Start Time, End Time, a greyed out Timezone, Group Support Details and Admin Details, and the Update button highlighted at the bottom.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-group-support-2.png)

#### Changing the Charge Option

After a Group Support has been created, you can change the **Charge Option** from **Automatic Charges** to **Manual Charges** at any time. This is useful when you realise after the fact that a shift covers more than one type of support and needs to be billed manually.

To change the Charge Option:

1. Open the relevant Support and click **Update Details**.
2. Scroll down to the **Charge Option** section.
3. Switch between **Automatic Charges** and **Manual Charges** as required.
4. Click **Update** to save your changes.

> **Charge Behaviour**
>
> When **Manual Charges** is selected, charges are not created or updated automatically - you'll need to add and maintain each Charge Item manually within the Support.
>
> When switching from **Automatic Charges** to **Manual Charges**, you'll also be prompted to confirm whether you want to delete the automatic charges that have already been created. We recommend selecting **Delete**. If you do not delete them, any subsequent changes to the Support or to the clock in/out times will not update the Charge Item times and values.

![The Update Group Support Details window scrolled down, with the Charge Option section highlighted, showing Automatic Charges selected and Manual Charges as the alternative, above the Default Charge Item Set set to GROUP.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/change-charge-1.png)

![The Charge Option section with Manual Charges selected and the Delete the automatic charges that have already been created checkbox highlighted and ticked.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/change-charge-3.png)

> **Note**
>
> A Support that was originally created with **Manual Charges** cannot be changed back to **Automatic Charges**. The switch only works in one direction - from **Automatic Charges** to **Manual Charges**.

### Adding Notes to a Support

You can add Notes to a Support by selecting **Add Note**.

![The Supports Involved section of a Group Support with All Participants selected and the Add Note button highlighted on the Notes tab, where no notes exist yet.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/edit-group-support-add-note.png)

Enter the required information (you can also upload documents if needed) in the space provided, and then click **Done**.

![The Edit Group Support Note editor under Supports Involved, with the note text Bring aprons for the clay session next week. and the Done button highlighted, an Upload Documents button, and the Notes list below showing the saved note.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-group-support-edit-note.png)

The Note will now appear under **Supports Involved**.

![The Notes tab under Supports Involved with All Participants selected, and the new note highlighted, showing its date 30/10/2026, its author Admin User and its content.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-group-support-note-view.png)

If any changes need to be made to the Note after it has been added, you can click on the three dots next to the Note and select **Edit Note**.

![The Notes tab under Supports Involved with the three dots menu beside a note highlighted and its Edit Note option highlighted above Download.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-group-support-edit-note-2.png)

You can continue to add more Notes if required by following these steps again.

### Adding Support Workers after the Support is Created

If Support Workers were not assigned to Participants when the Group Support was created, you can assign them later by following these steps:

- Open the support.
- In **Supports Involved**, select a Participant to check whether a Support Worker has been assigned.
- If no Support Worker is assigned, click **Actions for {Participant Name}**.
- Select **Assign Support Worker**.

![A Group Support's details for the Craft Group with Alia Ernser selected under Supports Involved (1) and an arrow pointing at the note No support worker assigned. The Actions for Alia Ernser menu is open (2) with Assign Support Worker highlighted (3), among View Participant, Message via SMS, Update Charge Items, Update SMS Reminder, Update Support Time Segments, Cancel Support and Remove from Group Support.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/assign-support-worker-1.png)

- Choose a Support Worker from the dropdown list (limited to those already assigned to the shift), then click **Assign Worker**. The Support Worker will then be displayed on the Supports Involved for the Participant.

![The Assign Support Worker window for Alia Ernser with Adam Nguyen chosen in the highlighted Support Worker dropdown (1) and the Assign Worker button highlighted (2).](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/assign-support-worker-3.png)

![The Supports Involved section with Alia Ernser's support open and the Assigned Support Worker: Adam Nguyen line highlighted, with a 0/1 skills chip, above the Profile, Finance, Notes, Tasks and Goals tabs.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/assign-support-worker-2.png)

- To reassign a Participant to a different Support Worker, click **Actions for {Participant Name}** again and select **Update Support Worker**.

![The Supports Involved section for Alia Ernser with Adam Nguyen as the Assigned Support Worker, the Actions for Alia Ernser menu opened (1) and Update Support Worker highlighted (2), between Message via SMS and Update Charge Items.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-support-worker-1.png)

- A pop-up will show the current assignment. Select a new Support Worker from the dropdown list and click **Update Worker** to save your changes.

![The Update Support Worker window for Alia Ernser showing Currently assigned: Adam Nguyen, with an arrow pointing at the open New Support Worker dropdown listing Abigail Tran and Adam Nguyen, and the Update Worker button highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-support-worker-2.png)

- You can also remove the Support Worker and leave the Participant unassigned by selecting **Remove Assignment**.

![The Update Support Worker window showing Currently assigned: Adam Nguyen and an empty New Support Worker field, with the Remove Assignment button highlighted between Cancel and Update Worker.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-support-worker-3.png)

### Updating Participant Specific Details

Each Participant in a Group Support can be managed individually.

To update their details, select the Participant's name and click the **Actions** button. Which options appear depends on that Participant's support, but the full list is:

- **View Participant** - open their Participant profile
- **Message via SMS**
- **Assign Support Worker** / **Update Support Worker**
- **Update Charge Items** - change that Participant's [Charge Item Set](#updating-a-participants-charge-item-set), and their **Travel During KM Charge Item Override** where one applies
- **Update SMS Reminder** - see [SMS Reminders](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/sms-reminders)
- **Update Support Time Segments** - see [Support Time Segments](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-time-segments)
- **Cancel Support** / **Reinstate Support** - these apply only to the selected Participant
- **Remove from Group Support**
- **Delete Support** - see [Removing a Cancelled Participant](#removing-a-cancelled-participant)

Most of these are greyed out once the Participant's support is cancelled.

![The Supports Involved panel on a Group Support with the Participant Aileen Greenholt selected and highlighted, the Actions for Aileen Greenholt menu open and highlighted showing View Participant, Message via SMS, Update Support Worker, Update Charge Items, Update SMS Reminder, Update Support Time Segments, Cancel Support and Remove from Group Support, and the Finance tab below showing a Group Activities Weekday Daytime charge with its quantity, claim type and 1:5 ratio.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/participant-actions.png)

You can also add Notes specific to this Participant by selecting the **Notes** tab, and entering a Note following the same process as listed above for adding Notes to a Support.

![The Supports Involved section with Aileen Greenholt selected and highlighted, the Notes tab highlighted, and the Add Note button highlighted above an empty notes list.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/participant-notes-update-support.png)

### Updating a Participant's Charge Item Set

You can move one Participant onto a different Charge Item Set without touching how anyone else in the group is billed - and apply the same change across future sessions in a recurring series. Use it when a Participant's funding moves to a different set, for example when a new plan starts partway through a booking.

> **Before you start**
>
> **Update Charge Items** only appears for Participants whose support uses **automatic charging** and already has a Charge Item Set. Participants on manual charging, and those [billed only through Support Time Segments](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-time-segments) (who have no primary Charge Item Set), don't get the option at all. It is greyed out while the Participant's support is cancelled.

1. Open the Group Support.
2. In **Supports Involved**, select the Participant.
3. Click **Actions for {Participant Name}** and select **Update Charge Items**.
4. Choose the new **Charge item set**. The list only offers sets that sit on the Participant's plan for that support's date.
5. Where it appears, set the **Travel During KM Charge Item Override (optional)**. This field only shows when an override is already in place, or when the set you picked has no during-support travel Charge Item of its own.
6. Click **Update Charge Items**.

If the Group Support is part of a recurring series, the **Update Recurring Group Support** window opens next. The current session is always included and can't be unticked; tick any future sessions you also want to change, then click **Update {n} Group Supports**.

> **The new Charge Item Set must cover the same Charge Items**
>
> Astalty re-points the Participant's existing auto-created charges onto the matching items in the new set, so every slot those charges use has to be configured on the new set too. If one is missing, nothing is saved and the update is refused with a message naming the gap, for example:
>
> > Cannot update support charge item set: Saturday Charge Item is not compatible
>
> Travel is stricter still: the **Weekday Daytime Travel Charge Item** must either be configured on *both* sets or absent from *both*, whatever charges the support actually has. Without that, Astalty can't tell whether travel time should bill through the travel item or the ordinary time-based one.
>
> If you hit this, add the missing Charge Items to the replacement set - see [Creating and Updating Charge Item Sets](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/charge-items/managing-charge-item-sets/creating-updating-charge-item-sets) - then try again.

> **Invoiced charges block the change**
>
> A support that has any invoiced charge can't be updated: *"Cannot update a support that has invoiced charges."* Across a recurring series this is checked session by session, and the whole update is applied as one action - so a single blocked session stops all of them. The window lists which sessions had a problem and why, so you can untick those and re-run for the rest.

> **What changes, and what stays put**
>
> - **Auto-created charges** are re-pointed to the new set's Charge Items and re-rated at that set's prices, with claim types updated to match.
> - **Manually created charges** are left exactly as they are.
> - **Charge ratios** - both the [Group Billing Ratio and per-Participant overrides](#updating-charge-ratios) - are untouched.
> - **[Support Time Segments](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-time-segments)**, and any charges billing through a segment's own Charge Item Set, are left alone.
> - **Other Participants** in the Group Support are unaffected.
> - Sessions where the Participant is already on the chosen set, or isn't part of the group at all, are skipped.

### Removing a Cancelled Participant

When a Participant's support in a Group Support has been [cancelled](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-cancellations), you can remove them from the Group Support entirely so they no longer appear as a red cancelled entry on the support or the schedule.

A **Delete Support** action appears in the Participant's **Actions** menu, but **only when the Participant has no invoiced items** on that support. If any of the Participant's items have already been invoiced, the cancelled entry stays in place for your records and **Delete Support** is not available.

To remove a cancelled Participant:

1. Open the Group Support and select the cancelled Participant.
2. Click **Actions for {Participant Name}** and select **Delete Support**.

![The Supports Involved section with the cancelled Participant Alia Ernser selected, shown in red and highlighted, and Delete Support highlighted in the open Actions for Alia Ernser menu, below View Participant, Message via SMS, greyed out Assign Support Worker, Update Charge Items, Update SMS Reminder and Update Support Time Segments, and Reinstate Support. The Cancellation Details tab shows This support has been cancelled.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-support-delete-cancelled-participant.png)

3. Confirm the removal. The Participant's support is removed from the Group Support along with its shifts, notes and travel. Other Participants keep their bookings.

> **This cannot be undone**
>
> Deleting removes the Participant's support, shifts, notes and travel from the Group Support. If you may need the record later, [reinstate](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-cancellations#reinstating-cancelled-supports) the support instead of deleting it.

#### Repeating Group Supports

If the Group Support is part of a repeating series, selecting **Delete Support** opens the **Remove {Participant Name}'s Recurring Supports** window. The Participant is removed from the current session, and you can tick any future **cancelled** sessions to remove them from those in the one action.

![The Remove Alia Ernser's Recurring Supports window, with the current session on Wednesday 02/12/2026 ticked and greyed out and the cancelled sessions on 09/12/2026 and 16/12/2026 listed with checkboxes, and the Remove for 1 Group Support button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-support-remove-recurring-cancelled.png)

Only future sessions where the Participant is already cancelled (and has no invoiced items) can be selected. Tick the sessions you want, then click **Remove for {n} Group Support(s)**.

### Managing Charges for a Participant

You can delete individual line items within the Group Activity if they are not relevant to a Participant by clicking the **three dots** next to the Charge and selecting **Delete**.

![The Finance tab for Aileen Greenholt, highlighted under Supports Involved, with the three dots menu on a Group Activities Weekday Daytime charge highlighted and its Delete option highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/delete-charge-group-support.png)

To set custom Charges for a Participant, select **Create Charge**. This opens a pop-out window where you can choose specific Charge Items from within the Participant's current Services. This is especially useful when a Participant requires billing from a different funding category. On a recurring Group Support the window's submit button reads **Select**, and opens a list of the sessions to add the charge to.

![The Finance tab for Aileen Greenholt, highlighted under Supports Involved, listing the Participant's charges with their quantity, total cost, claim type and ratio, with the Create Charge button highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/create-charge-update-group-support.png)

![The Create Charge window for Aileen Greenholt, with the Charge item, Quantity, Claim type, Description and Additional Details fields highlighted and filled in for a Provider Travel charge of 10 units, a Charge Summary total of $10.00, and the Create Charge button highlighted at the bottom.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/charge-details-update-group-support.png)

### Updating Support Worker Shift Details

Once a Support Worker has been assigned to the Support, you can update additional shift information. Available actions include:

- **Add Break**
- **Clock In** - only on a published shift that hasn't been clocked into
- **Reassign Support Worker** / **Unassign Support Worker**
- **Contact {Support Worker Name}**
  - A pop-out will display their mobile number, allowing calls directly from your device (if supported).
- **Publish / Unpublish Shift**
- **View Approval Details**
- **Edit Shift** - when your account uses pay group overrides, cost codes or custom allowances
- **Delete Shift**
  - You cannot delete the last shift - Shifts can only be deleted if it is not the last remaining shift assigned to a support.

![A Group Support's details with the three dots menu on Abigail Tran's shift card highlighted and its options highlighted: Add Break, Reassign Support Worker, Unassign Support Worker, Contact Abigail Tran, Publish Shift, View Approval Details, Edit Shift and a greyed out Delete Shift.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/support-worker-options-update-group-support.png)

### Updating Travel for a Support

To adjust the Travel associated with a Support, select **Travel** at the top of the Support. Then click **Update Group Travel** to make any required changes.

![A Group Support's Travel tab, highlighted, showing Driver: Abigail Tran, a Total Travel Distance of 32 km and Total Travel Time of 50 mins, and To Support, During Support and From Support cards with distance, duration, Participants in Vehicle and details, with the Update Group Travel button highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-group-travel-group-support.png)

Once you've finished editing the details, click **Update** to save your changes.

![The Update Group Travel window with the travel entries highlighted: To Support, During Support and From Support, each with Travel Type, Driver, Distance (km), Duration (min), Charge Behaviour, Pay Behaviour, Details and Participants in Vehicle, an Add Travel button below, and the Update button highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-travel-details-group-support.png)

## Updating Charge Ratios

You can adjust how hourly charges are split in a Group Support without needing to create separate supports. There are two ways to do this - you can update the billing ratio for the whole Group Support, or update the ratio for an individual Participant's auto-created charges.

> **Ratios appear on invoices**
>
> For group supports, the billing ratio is shown on each affected line of the generated invoice (for example, `Ratio: 1:3`). It always reflects what was actually charged, including any overrides made here. See [Group Support Ratios on Invoices](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/finance/invoicing/invoices/group-support-ratios).

> **Travel charges keep their existing ratio**
>
> Only hourly charges are affected - travel charges are not changed by ratio updates.
>
> **Before you start, make sure:**
>
> - the Group Support uses automatic charging
> - the charges you want to update have not already been invoiced
>
> If charges have already been invoiced, the ratio cannot be edited.

### Update the Billing Ratio for the Whole Group Support

Use this when you want the group's billing ratio to stay fixed - for example, when the agreed ratio was 1:6 but a Participant cancellation has caused Astalty to automatically adjust the ratio to 1:5.

1. Open the relevant Group Support.
2. Go to **Group Support Details**.
3. Find the **Group Billing Ratio** field.
4. Click **Override** (or **Edit** if an override already exists).

![A Group Support's Details tab for the Craft Group on Wednesday, 18/11/2026, with an arrow pointing at the Override link beside the Group Billing Ratio, shown as 1:5 (auto), above the Supports Involved section.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-ratio-1.png)

5. Enter the new denominator for the group billing ratio.
6. Review the preview to confirm the ratio is correct.
7. Click **Save**.

![The Billing Ratio Override window with the denominator field highlighted and set to 4, previewing the ratio as 25%, above the Cancel and Save buttons.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-billing-override-2.png)

![A Group Support's Details tab with the Group Billing Ratio highlighted as 1:4 (override) with an Edit link, and Aileen Greenholt's two Group Activities Weekday Daytime hourly charges highlighted in the Finance tab at a 1:4 ratio.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-ratio-2.png)

For recurring Group Supports, you'll be asked which supports in the series should be updated.

To return to automatic billing ratios at any time, open the same window and select **Clear override (use automatic ratios)**.

![The Billing Ratio Override window with the Clear override (use automatic ratios) button highlighted, below the ratio field set to 4 and above the Cancel and Save buttons.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-billing-override-4.png)

### Update the Ratio for an Individual Participant

Use this when one Participant needs a different billing ratio from the rest of the group - for example, in a SIL home where one Participant has funding for 1:2 and another for 1:3, and you need each Participant's Finance tab to reflect their actual funded rate.

1. Open the relevant Group Support.
2. Go to the Participant's **Finance** tab.
3. In the charges table, find the hourly charge you want to update.
4. Click the value in the **Ratio** column.

![A Group Support's Details tab with Aileen Greenholt selected under Supports Involved (1), the Finance tab opened (2), and the 1:5 value in the Ratio column of an hourly charge highlighted (3).](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-billing-override-6.png)

5. In the **Update Charge Ratio** window, enter the new **Numerator** and **Denominator**.
6. Check the percentage preview to confirm the ratio is correct.
7. Click **Update Hourly Charges**.

![The Update Charge Ratio window with the Numerator and Denominator fields highlighted and set to 1 and 3, previewing 33%, above the Update Hourly Charges button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-billing-override-7.png)

![A Group Support's Details tab with the Group Billing Ratio highlighted at 1:5 (auto), and Aileen Greenholt's hourly charge in the Finance tab highlighted at a 1:3 ratio.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-billing-override-8.png)

For recurring Group Supports, Astalty will ask which supports in the series should receive the change. You can apply the update to just this support or across the recurring series.

> **The numerator cannot be greater than the denominator**
>
> A ratio can only **reduce** a charge, so the first number (the numerator) cannot be greater than the second number (the denominator). Ratios that split a cost across Participants - such as `1:2` or `1:3` - work exactly as before, but a ratio like `2:1` is blocked.
>
> If you enter one, the **Save** button greys out and a short message explains why. A numerator above the denominator would push the unit price above the standard rate, which leads Plan Managers to reject the invoice.
>
> To charge for two Support Workers on one Participant, **increase the hours or quantity** on the charge instead - this keeps each line within NDIS price limits.

> **A Participant ratio updates all their hourly charges**
>
> Updating an individual Participant's ratio changes **all** auto hourly charges for that Participant in that Group Support - not just the single row you clicked. If you later update the group billing ratio, it can overwrite individual Participant ratio changes.

## Support Time Segments

[Support Time Segments](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-time-segments) split one Participant's time into windows that each bill their own way - through a different Charge Item Set, or not at all. On a Group Support they also let you set a **Charge ratio** for part of a session, which the ratio overrides above cannot do.

Group Supports work differently to direct supports in four ways.

**Segments belong to each Participant, not the group.** There are no group-level segment rows. Open the Group Support, select **Update Details**, then select **Edit Segments** against the Participant you want to change. One Participant's time can be marked **No charge** while everyone else on the same Group Support bills normally.

**A Group Support with segments can have only one Support Worker.** This is enforced, not advisory - Astalty blocks adding a second worker, changing a shift's Support Worker, approving a shift broadcast, and adding Participants, with the message *"Support time segments are only available for group supports with a single support worker."* Where two workers are already assigned, **Edit Segments** is disabled. If the group genuinely runs with two workers, set it up as [two separate Group Supports](#two-separate-group-supports).

**A charge ratio can be set per segment.** Leave it blank and the segment uses the group ratio. Enter one and it applies to that segment only - and unlike a per-Participant override, a later change to the **Group Billing Ratio** will not overwrite it. A **No charge** segment cannot carry a ratio.

**A Participant can be billed through their segments only.** Ticking **Bill only through Support Time Segments** on a Participant's row means time outside their segments is not billed at all, rather than falling back to a primary Charge Item Set. That Participant's Charge Item Set must then be left blank. When *every* Participant on the Group Support uses it, the segments must cover the full session without gaps, and travel cannot be charged. It cannot be used on a sleepover Group Support - *"Segment-only billing cannot be combined with a sleepover support."*

On a sleepover Group Support, ordinary segments are available once a [Sleepover Window](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/sleepover-window) is set - the **Support Time Segments** section stays hidden until the window is filled in, and each segment must sit outside it.

For the full procedure, validation rules and billing behaviour, see [Support Time Segments](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-time-segments#group-supports).

## Adding Participants After a Group Support has Ended (before Invoice or Timesheet Batching)

If a Participant was not added before or during the group support, you can still add them after the support has ended.

#### Steps

1. Open the relevant **Group Support**.
2. Open **Supports Involved**.
3. Click on **Add Participant**.

![A Group Support's details with an arrow pointing at the highlighted Add Participant button in the Supports Involved section, which lists the Participants with All Participants selected.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-support-update-1-guide.png)

![The Add Participants to Group Support window with an arrow pointing at the highlighted No Participants Selected link and its pencil icon under Select Participants, above the Add participants to future group supports in this schedule checkbox and the Add Participants to Group Support button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-support-update-2.png)

4. Select the relevant Participant from the available options.
5. Click **Close** to update the Participant's support details.

![The Select Participants for Group Support window searched for Amelia, with Amelia McCullough ticked and highlighted in the list, and an arrow pointing at the Close button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/group-support-update-3.png)

6. Assign a **Support Worker** and select the appropriate **Charge Item Set**.
7. Click **Add Participants to Group Support** once you have finished selecting additional Participants.

![The Add Participants to Group Support window showing 1 Participant Selected, with the Support Worker set to Adam Nguyen and the Charge Item Set set to GROUP highlighted on Amelia McCullough's card, and an arrow pointing at the Add Participants to Group Support button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-group-support-4.png)

#### Recurring Supports

If the group support is part of a recurring series, the window also shows **Add participants to future group supports in this schedule**. Leave it unticked to add the Participants to this group support only. Tick it and the button changes to **Select**, which opens **Add Participants to Selected Group Supports**: the current group support is always included, so tick any future group supports to add the Participants to as well, then click **Add Participants to {n} Group Supports**.

![The Add Participants to Selected Group Supports window with the session list highlighted: Wednesday 25/11/2026 (Current) ticked and greyed out, and 02/12/2026, 09/12/2026 and 16/12/2026 unticked, with an arrow pointing at the Add Participants to 1 Group Support button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-group-support-5.png)

#### Effects on Ratios, Charges and Activities

- The **support ratio** will automatically update based on the number of Participants added.
- Charges will be recalculated and distributed accordingly across Participants.
- If the selected **Charge Item Set** is not configured in the Participant's profile, it must be set up before completing this process.
- For group supports linked to an **Activity**, the Participant details will also update within the associated Activity records.

![A Group Support's details with Amelia McCullough highlighted at the bottom of the Supports Involved list, and her Assigned Support Worker, Adam Nguyen, and her Finance tab charges highlighted, listing two Group Activities Weekday Daytime charges at a 1:6 ratio, with the Group Billing Ratio above now 1:6 (auto).](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-group-support-6.png)

## Adding a Group Support Video

This video walks through how to add group support.

Video walkthrough: group activities overview.