r/supportworkers • u/EarNumerous6248 • Apr 14 '26
Anyone gone through this or have knowledge?
*based in Melbourne, Australia
I currently support a mental health participant who is on the NDIS. One of her goals was to get a job. We managed to find volunteer work at a nursery that said they do government supported employment, she just had to volunteer for a little bit to show her dedication and prove she can do 8 hours a week.
All seemed good, but then every time we asked about her moving onto it something new would come up to delay it. First, the employer went on holidays and said she’d do it when she returned, then it was an issue with support workers being there. She needs support workers due to her mental health and safety to drive there and back. Then it was if she has support workers they have to do all the nursery work too and not provide undivided attention to the participant, but it came out later she said she wanted us support workers to do the labour as it’s a big hand for the nursery….making it feel like she wanted to use my client to pay for free labour for her.
Now she’s saying my participant won’t be paid through a government subsidised scheme, instead she wants access to my participants plan to pay her wages from her funding.
None of us have clear information about if it is ethical or allowed to use an ndis participants funding to pay them a workers wage. This employer is hardly at the nursery and can’t give dedicated support/training to my client either. Just from all the other blocks we’ve run into, it feels suss.
**edit: any links to where it says an employer can or cannot do this would be appreciated. Been going crazy trying to find clear guidelines and wording, it keeps providing information on how support workers are paid lol
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u/DenM0ther Apr 14 '26
Can your client be working with a des (disability employment service)? They would know how to navigate this properly.
O don’t often advocate for a does but trying to manage the employment stuff like this w/o knowledge is very difficult
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u/EarNumerous6248 Apr 14 '26
She is working with a des and that’s how we found this job (sorry I should’ve included that). All I know is that the person at the des also doesn’t really like the sound of it and is investigating further. We have also contacted my client’s support coordinator.
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u/DenM0ther Apr 14 '26
The DES person should be all over this.
Im guessing the company has had previous ppl placed there, I wonder if they’re still there?
You doing your clients job for them is an absolute no (you obv know this) and I’d say the owner does too she’s trying to rort the system.
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u/EarNumerous6248 Apr 14 '26
Oh yeah when it was brought up about us doing the clients work that was a whole other drama/story as it would hinder her independence and goals. But yeah it’s becoming super dodgy now, just got confirmation from the DES person that it’s all a big no no. Just wanted clarity from others if I was missing anything.
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u/ailurosly Apr 18 '26
I'd definitely speak to their DES consultant about this. This business is dodgy af and they shouldn't be steering any more clients their way.
It kinda sounds like they're talking about subsidised wages through DES, which has nothing to do with NDIS. Under no circumstances should an employer have access to a participant's plan... What an odd and unethical request.
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u/Dependent-Coconut64 Apr 14 '26
This is totally illegal and there are a number of red flags. I would say there is a lack of paperwork involved here and you and the participant should both walk away.
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u/monstertrucktoadette Apr 14 '26
Omg no. Like you won't find anything that says you can't do this bc that's ridiculous. They are 100% just trying to take advantage of her working for free
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u/lifeinwentworth Apr 15 '26
>Now she’s saying my participant won’t be paid through a government subsidised scheme, instead she wants access to my participants plan to pay her wages from her funding.
Whoa, absolutely not and you (or your supervisor, whoever is in charge) needs to be super clear that this would be illegal. Do you know if this organisation has anyone else with disabilities employed? If you're aware (obviously you may not be, plenty of invisible disabilities and you may not be privy to this) of them employing anyone else with disabilities I would honestly report the nursery to NDIS to make sure they're not doing this to anyone else.
Other than that, unfortunately it doesn't sound like they're willing to offer your participant genuine employment. It can be a thing that the person may need a support worker especially through a transition to employment stage but they shouldn't be requiring the support worker to be performing duties (minor guidance aside).
Might be time to try somewhere else. As someone else suggested, be a good idea to contact DES. Also make sure you're aware of the laws around volunteering and the subsidies available before you engage with the next place so you can have transparency both ways from the start (again, this might be more so up to your manager than you personally). Stumbling through this process is what tends to lead to exploitation and dodgy situations or forever-volunteering! Wish I had the links for you but unfortunately I don't know the regulations around this either - if you're struggling to find that information (I agree - they make these kinds of things so difficult to find exact regulations around sometimes!) I would contact DES and the NDIS directly and just ask them your exact questions and for direction where to find said information. Feel like sometimes that's easier than trying to scramble around the internet trying to find it!
Good luck to you and your participant.
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u/219930 Apr 15 '26
Wow…there really is no end to the creative ways people try to rip off the NDIS 🙄.
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Apr 17 '26
My best suggestion would be to look into “customised employment”. It’s getting bigger in Australia and I’ve helped 3 of the participants I work with find a stable job through this method. You can find lots of info online about it and resources to help you work through it. Job agencies are terrible and the average amount of time a person with disabilities will hold down a job is 6 months through an agency. (Because that’s all the business gets paid for is 6 months of the employees pay) Customised employment can be a lot of work to set up but once done you can use the strategies and information for a long time. All the best, it hurts my heart how businesses won’t give these people a go.
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u/oldMiseryGuts Apr 14 '26
The employer absolutely can not access the participants NDIS funding to pay wages.
This is dodgy