What is Active and passive overnight?
Active overnight support means a worker is awake and working through the night and is paid hourly at the applicable rate. Passive overnight, or a sleepover, means the worker is present and available but permitted to sleep, and is paid an allowance. Which applies depends on the participant’s assessed overnight support needs.
Free toolSleepover or active night?Answer a few questions to see which NDIS and SCHADS rules apply to a night shift.The distinction drives both the roster and the claim. A participant needing frequent overnight assistance requires active support, which is materially more expensive to deliver and is funded accordingly.
Where a participant’s needs change, the overnight arrangement should be reassessed. Continuing to staff a house passively when the participant now needs active support is both a funding problem and a safety one.
Two kinds of overnight support
- Passive overnight, or a sleepover: the worker stays at the participant’s home and may sleep when not needed.
- Active overnight: the worker stays awake and works through the night.
The right choice depends on what the participant actually needs overnight, not on which is cheaper to staff.
How each is paid under the SCHADS Award
Passive overnight is paid as a sleepover: an allowance of 4.9% of the standard rate per night, plus the overtime rate for any time worked, with a minimum payment of one hour.
Active overnight is paid as hours worked. A night shift, meaning one that finishes after midnight or starts before 6.00 am, Monday to Friday, attracts a 15% loading. Weekend, public holiday and overtime rates apply as usual.
How each is claimed from the NDIS
The NDIS night-time sleepover item covers a support that starts before midnight, finishes after midnight and runs for 8 hours or more, and includes up to two hours of active support. Active overnight support is claimed by the hour, using the item for the right time band.
Where one worker’s support crosses time bands, the higher amount applies to the whole support.
When to review the model
If a sleepover worker is regularly woken for long periods, the arrangement may no longer match the participant’s needs. Keep progress notes of every disturbance so the evidence is ready for a plan review.
Long active overnight shifts also need checking against the award’s ordinary hours: 38 per week, in shifts of up to 8 hours, or up to 10 hours by agreement.
How Rostery helps
Rostery checks funding before an overnight shift is confirmed and interprets the SCHADS Award from approved actual times.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between active and passive overnight support?
In active overnight support the worker stays awake and works all night. In passive overnight support, or a sleepover, the worker may sleep when not needed.
Is passive overnight the same as a sleepover?
Yes. Under the SCHADS Award it is paid as a sleepover allowance plus overtime for any time worked.
What loading applies to an active night shift?
A night shift that finishes after midnight or starts before 6.00 am, Monday to Friday, attracts a 15% loading under the SCHADS Award.
Checked against the official sources on 2 October 2026. Rules change: confirm the current position with the agency before you rely on it.
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Rostery handles this in practice
SCHADS interpretation, NDIS price-guide validation, claiming and the evidence an audit asks for — built for Australian providers.