One of the main goals of the NDIS is to enable Australians with disability to have more choice and better control over how they live their lives.

If you’re a person with disability, or you care for a loved one with disability, finding the right support worker to best meet your needs can play a big part in this. Depending on the support that you require, you can spend a lot of time with your support worker so it needs to work for you.

How do you figure out what you need from a support worker?

Where should I start?

A great place to start is by figuring out the areas of your life where you need the help of a support worker. Start by listing the types of support that you are looking for, these might include:

• Personal care such as dressing, showering, toileting
• Help with health care such as attending appointments
• Getting out and about in your community
• Visiting or meeting up with a friend or family member
• Doing your groceries, meal planning or cooking

Once you’ve worked out the areas where you need support, it can help to make a weekly plan to work out how often you need each support. Some supports will be daily while others may be less frequently such as weekly. For example, you may like to attend a community class on a Monday and do groceries on a Thursday.

Here’s an example of a weekly plan:

Once you’ve worked out the help that you’re looking for, you know what to ask for when looking for a support worker.

You’ll need to consider the supports that you’ve listed out in your weekly plan against the funding that you have available in your NDIS plan and make sure that these align.

Your Support Coordinator can help with this.

What else are you looking for in a Support Worker?

There may be other qualities that you are looking for in a Support Worker and it’s a good idea to have a think about what these might be to help you find someone who is a good fit for you. What you are looking for will be completely unique. Here are some examples of qualities that participants might look for in their support workers:

• Punctual and reliable
• Friendly and easy to talk to
• A good communicator
• Honest and straight talking
• Calm under pressure

You may seek a support worker with similar interests to yours so that you can pursue and enjoy these interests together.

How do I find a Support Worker?

You can reach out to organisations who offer support worker services. You also have the option to look for an independent support worker, however, you will need to keep in mind that if you hire a support worker independently there are checks that need to be made to ensure that they have appropriate insurances, are trained to support you needs and more.

Agency

There are many agencies or organisations that provide support workers. If you look for a support worker through an organisation, make sure to brief them on your requirements including your weekly plan and the qualities that you are looking for in a support worker. You can ask to meet with potential support workers to make sure it’s a good fit.

Employing Support Workers

If you choose to employ your own support workers, this means that you will be responsible for certain legal and regulatory obligations. You will need to take into consideration taxation, insurance, superannuation and work health and safety.

Support Worker Platforms

Support worker platforms have become popular in the last few years as a tool to find a support worker. You can filter by specific requirements such as location, age, interests and more. Some of the platforms include:

• Mable
• Hireup
• LikeFamily
• Find a Carer
• Care Seekers

Need Help?

If you need help finding a support worker, our Support Coordinators can work with you to help you understand what you are looking for and connect you with a support worker that will be a good match. You can reach out to us using our web form or email us enquiries@infocusdisability.org.au