In short: Sparks Scribe is built for independent support workers running their own sole trader business, the ones sending their own invoices and setting their own shifts. If you are an employee paid by a support company, your employer should provide the rostering and documentation system. Check with them first.
Short answer up front: Sparks Scribe is built for independent support workers who run their own business as a sole trader, the ones who pick their own clients, set their own rates and send their own NDIS-coded invoices. If that is not your situation, there is a good chance your employer already provides the system you need, and this page will help you work out which camp you are in.
Who Scribe is actually built for
Scribe assumes you are the business. You choose your clients, you write and own your shift notes, and you are the one invoicing for the work. The app's invoicing, note templates, kilometre log and incident reporting all exist to support that one-person operation. If you are self-employed or getting ready to go independent, this is exactly the gap Scribe fills.
Signs you are an employee, not a sole trader
- You get a payslip, not an invoice, for your hours
- Your employer sets your roster and assigns your shifts
- Your employer carries the insurance and is responsible for compliance
- Shift notes and incident reports go into your employer's own system, not one you choose
- You do not bill the participant, plan manager or support coordinator yourself
If most of that sounds like you, you are an employee of a support company. That is completely fine, it just means Scribe is not the right fit for your day job, because the invoicing and client-facing documentation side of the app is built around being the one issuing the invoice.
What to do if you are an employee
Talk to your employer about what they use for rostering, shift notes and incident reporting. Most support companies have their own system because they carry the compliance and employment obligations, not you. If you think their system is clunky, that is worth raising with them directly. It is their platform to improve, not something Scribe can fix from the outside.
If you are self-employed, or about to be
If you send your own invoices, or you are planning to start, Scribe is built for exactly that. You get AI-assisted shift notes, NDIS-coded invoicing with travel and custom rates, and a kilometre log, starting from the Essentials plan. There is a 14-day free trial with everything unlocked and no card needed, so you can see how it fits your actual workload before you commit.
A quick self-check
- Do you send your own invoices to participants, plan managers or coordinators?
- Do you set your own rates, including for travel?
- Do you choose which clients and shifts you take on?
- Do you carry your own insurance and manage your own compliance?
If you answered yes to most of these, you are independent and Scribe is built for you. If you answered no to most, you are an employee and the right next step is a conversation with your employer about their own tools.
A note for teams and agencies
Scribe is built for the independent support worker running their own business as a sole trader and sending their own invoices. It is not currently set up as a shared system for a company to roll out across employed staff. If you manage a team and want to know what is possible, that is worth asking our team directly rather than guessing from the app alone.
Whichever camp you are in, if you want to see how Scribe handles notes, invoicing and compliance for independent workers, the pricing page lays out the plans and you can start the 14-day trial whenever you are ready.
Frequently asked questions
I work for a support company but also pick up independent shifts on the side. Which am I?
You can be both. For the employed shifts, use whatever system your employer provides, since they carry that compliance obligation. For the shifts where you are the one invoicing the participant, plan manager or coordinator directly, Scribe is built for that side of your work.
Can my employer buy me a Sparks Scribe subscription for the whole team?
Scribe is built around one person running their own invoicing and shift notes, not a shared agency setup. If you manage a team and want a proper answer on what is possible, it is best to contact our team directly rather than assume.
What should I ask my employer for instead of Scribe?
Ask what system they use for rostering, shift notes, incident reporting and payslips. As your employer, they are responsible for providing that and for meeting their own compliance obligations, so that conversation belongs with them.
I am about to leave my job and go independent. Can I start using Scribe before I quit?
Yes. You can sign up for the 14-day free trial any time, with no card needed. Anything you add during the trial stays in your account, so you can start getting familiar with notes and invoicing before your independent work officially begins.
What if I am a parent or family member managing my own NDIS supports, not a worker at all?
Scribe is built for the support worker. If you are managing the family side, like rostering your own workers or tracking your plan budget, our sister app Sparks Flow at sparksflow.app is built for that instead.