# Adding a Sleepover or Active Overnight Support Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/adding-shifts/creating-a-sleepover-or-active-overnight-support > Schedule sleepover and active overnight supports that cross midnight. Scheduling add-on - This feature requires the Scheduling add-on, which is available on Astalty Premium. See How to enable Scheduling. ## Overview Active Overnight and Sleepover supports are scheduled shifts that cover an overnight period. These supports are set up in the scheduler in the same way as any other shift. Most span two different days (for example 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM the next day), but a sleepover can also start and finish on the same calendar day when it begins in the early morning - see [Same-Day (Early Morning) Sleepovers](#same-day-early-morning-sleepovers). > **Need one shift for evening, sleepover and morning support?** > > Use a [Sleepover Window](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/sleepover-window) when the Support Worker should see one overnight shift but the support includes active hours before and/or after the inactive sleepover period. For Sleepovers, these supports may be scheduled in a variety of scenarios, such as: - **In-Home Supports** - **Supported Independent Living (SIL) Supports** - **Respite** Before payroll, check the [SCHADS sleepover rules](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/scheduling-faq/schads-interpretations-in-astalty#sleepovers) or [Aged Care sleepover rules](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/scheduling-faq/aged-care-award-interpretations-in-astalty#sleepovers). Nurses and Health Professionals interpretations do not pay a passive sleepover or sleepover allowance. > **A 24-hour care shift is not a sleepover** > > For a SCHADS home care worker paid 8 hours for each 24-hour period, mark the support as a [24-hour care shift](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/scheduling-faq/schads-interpretations-in-astalty#24-hour-care) instead of a sleepover. > **Need to change an overnight support while you're away from your desk?** > > [After-Hours Scheduling](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/after-hours-scheduling) covers how to fill, reassign or cancel a support from your phone. ## Steps to Create an Overnight Support (Active or Sleepover) 1. **Go to the Scheduler** - Open **Schedule** from the Scheduling menu. - Click **Add Shift** to create a new shift. 2. **Set the Time and Date** - Enter the **Start Time** (e.g. 10:00 PM). - Enter the **End Time** (e.g. 6:00 AM the next day). - The shift usually crosses midnight, but a sleepover can also start and finish on the same day when it begins before 6:00 AM (e.g. 12:00 AM to 8:00 AM). See [Same-Day (Early Morning) Sleepovers](#same-day-early-morning-sleepovers). - For SCHADS, use an eight-hour passive sleepover, for example 10:00 PM-6:00 AM. Aged Care uses an eight-to-ten-hour span; check the worker's award. 3. **Sleepover vs Active Overnight** - If this were a **Sleepover Support**, tick the **Sleepover** box. - For an **Active Overnight**, leave this box unticked. 4. **Assign Details** - Select the **Support Type** (e.g. In-Home Supports, Supported Independent Living, Respite, etc) - Select the **Participant/s** - Select a **Support Worker**. - Add any **Support Details**. - Add **Admin Details** if necessary. 5. **Charges** - For **In-home supports**, you may wish to use the relevant **Charge Item Set** so the correct NDIS line items are applied when billing. - For **Respite (STA)**, use 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 **SIL supports**, you may choose to use **Direct Charges** instead. 6. **Create the Shift** - Click **Create** to finalise the support. ## Same-Day (Early Morning) Sleepovers A sleepover no longer has to cross midnight. An overnight sleepover that **starts and finishes on the same calendar day** can be saved, as long as it **begins before 6:00 AM** - for example a **12:00 AM to 8:00 AM** shift booked entirely on the one day. This applies when creating or updating **single**, **group**, and **continuous** supports, and pay is calculated correctly for these overnight sleepovers. > **Why before 6:00 AM?** > > A shift that begins in the small hours of the morning is genuinely overnight, whereas one that starts later in the day is not. To keep the sleepover allowance accurate, a same-day shift can only be marked as a sleepover when it starts **before 6:00 AM**. If a same-day shift starts at **6:00 AM or later**, it cannot be marked as a sleepover. The **This is a Night-time Sleepover Support** option will not be available for those times, and if a sleepover is submitted the app explains: > A sleepover support that starts and ends on the same day must begin in the early morning, before 6:00 AM. To roster a sleepover for those times instead, set the end time on the following day so the shift crosses midnight. ### Sleepovers Within a Package That Crosses Midnight A sleepover can also sit **after midnight** as part of a package of shifts that crosses midnight overall. For example: - An **active** shift from **10:00 PM to 2:00 AM** - Then an **8-hour sleepover** (inactive) from **2:00 AM to 10:00 AM** - Then an **active** shift from **10:00 AM to 12:00 PM** Here the sleepover starts and ends on the same day (2:00 AM to 10:00 AM, before 6:00 AM), and the surrounding active work is treated as part of the same continuous shift for pay purposes. > **Roster active work either side of a sleepover** > > The SCHADS Award (clause 25.7(f)) requires at least **4 hours** of active work to be rostered or paid immediately before or after a sleepover. If a sleepover has no adjacent shift, a **Sleepover Adjacent Work** award alert appears in [Schedule Alerts](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/scheduling-award-alerts) so it can be reviewed before the roster is confirmed. ![The Schedule Alerts page filtered to Shift Duration, with the highlighted Award Alerts popover open on a sleepover's 1 alert badge. It shows a Sleepover Adjacent Work alert citing clause 25.7(f), applying to Full Time, Part Time and Casual.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/sleepover-adjacent-work-alert.png) ## Billing Active Overnight or Sleepover Supports - For **In-home supports**, you may wish to use the relevant **Charge Item Set** so the correct NDIS line items are applied when billing. - For **Respite (STA)**, use a **Short Term Accommodation** Charge Item Set - both presets include the per-night sleepover Charge Item. See [How to Claim for Respite?](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/scheduling-faq/how-to-claim-for-respite). - For **SIL supports**, you may choose to use **Direct Charges** instead. For more information on how to set up and use direct charges, see: [Direct Charges Guide](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/finance/direct-charges) ## Viewing an Overnight Shift - In **Weekly View**, the shift will appear across both days (e.g., 10:00 PM - 6:00 AM). - In **Daily View**, select the start date to see the full Active Overnight or Sleepover shift. ### Date Ranges and Overnight Supports Date range filters pick a support up by the day it **starts**. The day it finishes makes no difference, so a support running 4:00 PM Sunday to 9:00 AM Monday falls inside a range ending on the Sunday, and outside one beginning on the Monday. This is how the following decide which supports fall in the range: - A Participant's supports list, in both **List View** and **Calendar View** - see [Viewing a Participants Schedule](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/viewing-a-participants-schedule) - [Shift Approvals](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/shift-approvals), including the shift alert count shown there - [Shift Alerts](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/shift-alerts) - [Timesheet Batches](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/timesheet-batches) - The [Completed Shifts Export](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/exports/completed-shifts-export) Falling in the range is not always enough on its own. Timesheet Batches and the Completed Shifts Export add a second condition - the support must also have **ended** - so one still running is left out until it has. The [Schedule](https://app.astalty.com.au/scheduling/schedule) is the exception. It draws every shift that overlaps the days on screen, so an overnight support shows on the day it starts *and* the day it ends. A support you can see on the Schedule but not in one of the lists above has almost always started before the range you selected. > **Charges are dated on their own** > > Filtering picks the support up by its start, but each charge on it carries its own [service date](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/charges/service-dates) - so a charge delivered on the Monday morning can sit on the Monday even though the support started on the Sunday. ## Sleepover Duration The form saves a sleepover of any length. [Scheduling Award Alerts](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/scheduling-award-alerts) check it in the **Suggested Support Worker** table as you choose a worker, and in the [Schedule Alerts](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/schedule-alerts) report once it is rostered: SCHADS flags a sleepover shorter than eight hours, and Aged Care flags one outside eight to ten hours. A saved support is not confirmation that the award conditions are met. ## Converting a Sleepover Shift to an Active Overnight Shift If a **Sleepover** shift needs to be changed to an **Active Overnight** shift (for example, where a Support Worker provided active support for the duration of the shift), this can be updated directly within the Support. - Open the Support and click **Update Details**. ![A sleepover support's Details tab showing a 29/10/2026 10:00pm to 30/10/2026 6:00am time and Night-time Sleepover Support set to Yes, with an arrow pointing to the Update Details button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-overnight-support-1.png) - Untick **This is a Night-time Sleepover Support** (labelled **This includes a night-time Sleepover Support segment** when [Sleepover Windows](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/sleepover-window) are available to you). - Enter a Reason for Change. - Click **Update** to save. ![The Update Support Details drawer with This includes a night-time Sleepover Support segment unticked and a Reason for Change entered, both highlighted, and an arrow pointing to the Update button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/update-overnight-support-2.png) The shift will then be updated in full as an **Active Overnight** shift. ## Managing Active Overnight Periods Once a sleepover shift has been created, any time a worker is woken during the shift can be recorded as an **Active Overnight Period**. These periods are handled separately from the standard sleepover allowance. ### What are Active Overnight Periods? Active overnight periods capture time when a worker is **awake and providing support during a sleepover**. The following pay example is for **SCHADS**; [Aged Care sleepover work](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/scheduling-faq/aged-care-award-interpretations-in-astalty#sleepovers) uses different rules for full-time, part-time and casual employees. - Active overnight time is paid **as overtime, separately from the sleepover allowance** - Monday to Saturday, the first overtime band is paid at 1.5x and the rest at 2x. The band is 2 hours, or 3 hours for full-time employees on the Social, Community & Crisis Accommodation stream (see [SCHADS Overtime Stream](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/scheduling-faq/schads-interpretations-in-astalty#schads-overtime-stream)). Sunday and public holiday work is paid at a flat overtime rate instead - A **minimum of 1 hour's pay** applies per sleepover, across all disturbances that night combined - not per disturbance - Overtime hours are treated separately and do not count toward the 38-hour weekly threshold For **participant billing**, the first 2 hours are included in the sleepover allowance - see [Charging vs Paying](#charging-vs-paying-key-difference) below. ### Auto-Approval Settings You can control how active overnight periods are approved: 1. Go to **Scheduling Settings** and click **Edit** on the **Approvals & Notifications** card ![The Approvals & Notifications card on the Scheduling Settings page, showing Shift Approval Strategy Auto and Active Overnight Threshold (Minutes) 0, with an arrow pointing to its highlighted Edit button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-1.png) 2. Select **Auto**. This is your provider-wide Shift Approval Strategy, so it also auto-approves shifts and travel that fall within the tolerances set in the same drawer. 3. Enter a maximum duration for the **Active Overnight Threshold**. Click **Update** to save your changes. ![The Approvals & Notifications drawer with Auto selected and the Active Overnight Threshold section highlighted, its Max duration set to 30 minutes. An arrow points to the Update button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-2-guide.png) **How it works:** - **0 minutes** - all periods require manual approval - **Above 0 minutes** - periods up to the threshold are auto-approved - Periods **beyond the threshold** require manual approval ### Reviewing and Approving Active Overnight Periods Active overnight periods appear in **Shift Approvals**: - Select the shift and scroll to **Active Overnight Periods** ![The Shift Approvals page with Shift Approvals highlighted under Review in the scheduling menu, and the collapse button highlighted on a Damian Barrows support expanded to its Shift Hours card, with an arrow pointing down the page. The shift's status shows 2 of 3 Pending.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-3.png) ![The Active Overnight Periods card in Shift Approvals with both periods for Floyd Bode highlighted and each Duration boxed. A 45 min period shows a Pending status with an Approve button, and an arrow points to the Approved status of a 30 min period.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-4-guide.png) - Status indicators: - **Approved** - within auto-approval threshold - **Pending** - exceeds threshold and requires review To review details: 1. Click the **View Shift** icon ![The Shift Approvals page with a Damian Barrows support row expanded and an arrow pointing to its highlighted View Shift eye icon at the end of the row.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-5.png) 2. Open the **Active Overnight Periods** notification ![A sleepover support's Details tab with Night-time Sleepover Support set to Yes, and an arrow pointing to the highlighted 2 active overnight periods link on Alexzander Nader's shift card.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-6.png) 3. Review: - Start and finish times - Duration - Reason - Any supporting evidence (e.g. images) - To make changes, click on the three dots and select **Edit**, or **Delete** to remove the Active Overnight Period. - Select **Edit** to change the Active Overnight Period's start time, end time, reason, or images. ![The Active Overnight Periods drawer listing two periods for Berenice Satterfield with their time, duration and reason, with the second period's three-dot menu open and arrows pointing to Edit and Delete, either side of Audit Trail.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-7.png) ![The Edit Active Overnight Period dialog with the Start Time, End Time, Reason for disturbance and evidence file upload area highlighted, and an arrow pointing to the Save button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-8.png) A shift is only considered **fully reviewed** once all items (hours, travel, and active overnight periods) are approved. ### Viewing the Audit Trail for an Active Overnight Period Each active overnight period has an audit trail that shows **who logged the disturbance** and the **exact time it was submitted** - not just the start and end times the worker entered. ![An Active Overnight Periods card in Shift Approvals for a Pending 45 min period, showing the reported start and end, reason for disturbance and an Approve button, with the audit trail book icon at the top right.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-audit-trail.png) This helps you identify disturbances that were entered well after they actually happened. For example, a worker might record a disturbance as starting at 2:00 AM but only submit it at 6:00 AM. The audit trail makes that gap visible so you can confirm the claim before approving it. The audit trail also records any **later edits to the entered start and end times**, so you can see the original submission alongside any changes made afterwards. You can open it from either place an active overnight period is shown: - The **Active Overnight Periods** section when [reviewing and approving](#reviewing-and-approving-active-overnight-periods) a shift in Shift Approvals, using the book icon at the top right of the period. - The **Active Overnight Periods** drawer opened from the shift menu (see [Adding Active Overnight Periods](#adding-active-overnight-periods)), using **Audit Trail** in the period's three-dot menu. > **Requires the Audit Trail feature** > > The audit trail only appears when the **Audit Trail** feature is enabled for your provider. If you cannot see it, contact Astalty Support at . For more on how audit trails work across Astalty, see [Support Audit Log](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-audit-log). > **Forward-looking only** > > Audit trail entries are recorded from when this feature was released. Active overnight periods logged before then will not have earlier audit history. ### Adding Active Overnight Periods Schedulers can add active overnight periods in two ways: **From within the shift:** - Open the shift - Select the **Active Overnight Periods** notification - Click **Add Active Overnight Period** ![The Active Overnight Periods drawer listing two periods and 1h 15m total active time, with the Add Active Overnight Period button highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-9.png) **From the shift menu:** - Click the **three dots** next to the worker's shift - Select **Active Overnight Periods** ![A sleepover support's Details tab with the highlighted three-dot menu on the worker's shift card open, and an arrow pointing to Active Overnight Periods, second in the list below Add Break.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-10.png) ### Charging vs Paying (Key Difference) Active overnight periods are handled differently for **support** **worker pay** and **participant billing**. **Support Worker Pay (SCHADS):** - Active overnight time is paid **at overtime rates from the first minute** - it is *not* covered by the sleepover allowance - Monday to Saturday, the first overtime band is paid at 1.5x and the rest at 2x. That band is 2 hours for most employees, and 3 hours for full-time employees on the Social, Community & Crisis Accommodation stream (see [SCHADS Overtime Stream](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/scheduling-faq/schads-interpretations-in-astalty#schads-overtime-stream)). Sunday and public holiday work is paid at a flat overtime rate from the first minute, with no band step - A **minimum of 1 hour's pay** applies per sleepover, based on the total active overnight time that night. Two 10-minute disturbances are paid as 1 hour in total, not 2 > **The 2-hour inclusion is a billing rule, not a pay rule** > > The 2 hours included in the sleepover allowance applies to **participant billing** only. Under SCHADS, every minute a worker is woken is paid as overtime - the end of the first overtime band is just where the Monday-to-Saturday rate steps up from 1.5x to 2x. > **The first overtime band is shared across the night** > > Where the 1.5x/2x bands apply, the first band is counted across **all** disturbances in the same sleepover. Once a worker has used it up on earlier disturbances, a later period that night starts at the 2x rate. > > This count runs for the whole sleepover and does not restart at midnight, under every version of the SCHADS rules. Sunday active hours count towards it too. With a 2-hour first band, active work from Sunday 10pm to Monday 2am in one sleepover is paid as 2 hours of Sunday overtime, then 2 hours at 2x. **Participant Charging (NDIS):** - The first **2 hours (120 minutes)** are included in the sleepover allowance - Any time **beyond 2 hours** is billed separately **Billing rates for additional time:** - **Weekdays (Mon-Fri):** charged at the **Saturday rate** - **Saturday:** charged at the **Saturday rate** - **Sunday:** charged at the **Sunday rate** - **Public Holidays:** charged at the **Public Holiday rate** See [Adding an Active Overnight Period in the App](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/support-worker-app/during-a-shift/adding-an-active-overnight-period-in-the-app) for the Support Worker workflow. ## Video Overview - Creating an Active Overnight The following video demonstrates how to set up an Active Overnight. Video walkthrough: active overnight. ## Video Overview - Creating a Sleepover The following video provides an overview of how to schedule a **sleepover support** in Astalty. Video walkthrough: how to schedule a sleepover support.