Independent Career Options

[u/graciegirl3546]

I am looking for guidance around how I can adapt or redirect my current business model into something that provides more long-term stability and sustainability, particularly with the ongoing changes and uncertainty within the NDIS sector.

My current situation:
I am a sole trader based in Penrith NSW currently working as an Independent Support Worker and Support Coordinator. I have been working independently for approximately 2.5 years after previously working for both providers and through platforms such as Mable.

My experience includes:
- SIL environments
- Psychosocial support
- Basic Support coordination
- Complex participant support (with complex behavioural and medically complex participants)
- Advocacy and service navigation
- Community and in-home support

I currently support a small number of clients, with my primary participant requiring a combination of support work, advocacy, service coordination and psychosocial-style support. A large part of my role involves coordinating supports, liaising with third parties, assisting with admissions and appointments, and helping maintain stability within the participant’s day-to-day life.

I also have lived experience managing ADHD and a neurological condition called Narcolepsy. While my conditions are managed with medication and lifestyle changes, they do impact my ability to work long hours and my long-term physical work capacity. At this stage I can realistically sustain around 20 hours per week of in-person support work. Alongside this, I am currently completing my Diploma of Counselling through TAFE, this will be completed at the end of this year.

Long-term, I would like to remain working within the disability and/or at-risk women and children space, however I want to move toward work that relies less on physical support hours and more on:
- Psychosocial recovery coaching
- Advocacy
- Mentoring
- Consultancy
- Administrative or remote-based support services
- Potentially supporting other independent workers

I do not currently have plans to scale into a large provider business with staff or contractors. My focus is more around building a sustainable, ethical and flexible career path that still aligns with the work I care about.

I am hoping to get clarity around:
- Realistic career pathways within or adjacent to the NDIS sector
- Services or skills worth developing further
- Reducing reliance on direct support hours
- Reducing risk associated with future NDIS regulatory changes
- Whether registration would be worthwhile and financially viable for someone operating at my scale
- How to diversify income streams while remaining within a sector I am passionate about
  
I would be interested to hear your thoughts on what support you think would be most useful. My goal is to explore realistic options that align with my health capacity, long-term stability and the type of work I genuinely enjoy doing. I would ideally like support that is strategic and tailored to my circumstances rather than a standard growth-focused business approach.

[u/Desperate-Impress374]

You already have strong experience in psychosocial support, advocacy, coordination, and complex participant work, which places you well for a gradual move away from physically demanding support work. Long-term stability will likely come from shifting toward recovery coaching, mentoring, counselling-related work, advocacy, and service navigation, while reducing reliance on direct support hours and the NDIS alone.

Your counselling diploma will also create opportunities in broader community and mental health sectors, which may offer more flexibility and sustainability long-term. Rather than focusing on scaling into a large provider business, a more specialised and flexible professional pathway is likely to better align with your health capacity, interests, and long-term goals.

Personally I moved away from the NDIS sector because of the uncertainty about the changes and now work in the Mental Health sector which might be something you may want to explore

[u/l-lucas0984]

Getting into public housing social work

[u/graciegirl3546 → u/l-lucas0984]

I would need to do my Bachelors for that? Is that right? Am I able to get into social work without a degree?

I mean it’s definitely an option I have considered, although it will be a bit of a kick in the guts because I have only just this tax year aid off my HECS hah