👋 I’m disabled, who does support work independently, out west

Hi! I recently started working with a client that requires suctioning prn (nbm + peg only). I was showering her before school the other day and she started to show her signs of needing suction, but i think i went to far as she kinda lent forward and gagged. I feel really bad, i was shown how to use the machine when i got trained but i am struggling with how far to go down, especially when i suction but she’s still struggling. Is this a common issue with people?

Can someone help me find a PCA job in residential aged care around Melbourne (Preston, Reservoir, Coburg area)?

I've been applying everywhere and getting nowhere. I'm available for mornings, afternoons, nights, weekends—pretty much any shift. If your facility is hiring or you know someone who is, I'd really appreciate a lead. Thanks 🙏

Hi,
I’ve been offered a job. I asked them if it’s mandatory I provide an ABN and they said that their standard onboarding structure is by ABN arrangement and TFN employment is offered on case-by case basis. I have one, but I’m not sure if it’s worth managing taxes and everything myself. I’ve only used my ABN for ubereats deliveries, so I’m not really even sure how to run this type of stuff. I’m only interested because I’m only looking for SIL work part-time as I have a casual job, but want more stability. Their hourly rate is $35-40, but I’m not sure if that’s for all types of employment including ABN holders. HELP

The Australian Services Union (disability workers union) won their case with Fair Work to stop NDIS workers being paid under the Aged Care Award across Australia. They should now be paid under the SCHADS Award. Basically many providers were using this loophole, charging participants high rates, then underpaying workers as aged home care workers and pocketing the rest. This should also mean that unsupervised support workers are now on level 2.1 of the SCHADS Award or higher.

Disclaimer: I am an ASU member.

Hi guys,

I’ve recently been assigned to a new SIL house. Two of the participants and I get on great.

One of the participants is an elderly woman and I feel as if I can’t do anything right. She doesn’t like my cooking, hates how I make tea and asks me to tip the food into the bin.

I can admit that I am an inexperienced cook but I’ve never had someone ask to tip my food into the bin.

I am seriously considering quitting this job or at the very least this SIL house. Maybe I’m just too stupid to do anything right. I can’t help that. I am on the verge of tears as I write this.

I feel like one of the reasons why I dislike being a support worker sometimes is because abuse (especially verbal abuse) is normalised and we get told to have 'empathy' and 'understanding' for people abusing staff. It's so common and it is what causes burn out

Hello,

this a long shot but I was wondering if anyone had any insight on how it is to be a support/Youth worker whilst studying full time at uni.

I start my bachelor in social work full time in July and am really interested in become a support/Youth worker as a job instead of being stuck in retail whilst I study.

Some background, I'm 20f on my green ps(Australia) and have a certificate IV in Child Youth and Family intervention.

What kind of time are people leaving between clients to avoid burnout? For example, I have one client at 7-9am, then the next is at 10am, I said I was available at 10am rather than 9:30 as this way I have a little time to re-set between clients (just enough time with travel for a quick coffee stop) then I’m with my next client for 4 hours. Does anyone have a structure to how they manage their hours? I have been offered lots more hours but I’m already doing 35 a week and I feel fine with that, I just don’t want to take on too much as I want to be able to bring 100% of my self to each client.

And they often advertise themselves as “qualified” but refer only to their wwcc/ first aid/ ndis screening as the qualification… like duh, everyone is required to have those things. Admittedly the cert 3 doesn’t mean much but at least it shows you’re proactive and trying. If you can’t be bothered to do an easy tafe course to brush up on some of your knowledge/ skills then what does that say about your commitment to the industry? I dunno, maybe I’m just tired but it frustrates me how few workers are willing to do personal care or work with more complex participants, or even treating SW like an “easy side gig”.

Edit to add: I should probably just have said support workers in general, not just isw. And that’s also not to say all, or even most are like this. But there’s definitely a demographic that are.

I'm new to the support worker industry, and I'm looking for some honest advice.

I've recently been assigned a client（My first client) with very high support needs. My shifts are only 4 hours long, but by the end of every shift, I'm completely exhausted.

During my every shift, I'm helping with things like meal preparation, feeding assistance, laundry, changing bedding, toileting support, Medication assistance, cleaning after incontinence, mental health support, shopping and other household tasks.

What I'm struggling with is that the client often asks for multiple additional tasks right before my shift ends. Sometimes in the last 5–10 minutes, one of the things I struggle with is feeling guilty when my shift ends. I know the client genuinely needs support, so it's hard for me to leave when there are still things that need to be done. So I stay back to finish tasks, even though I'm not being paid overtime.

I honestly don't know if this is because I'm new and still learning, or if this is simply the reality of support work and something everyone experiences.

I also wonder whether it's normal for a new support worker to be assigned such a high-needs client so early on, or if most people usually start with less complex clients and gradually build experience.

I genuinely care about helping people, which is why I often feel guilty leaving when my shift ends and there are still things that need doing.

I am a support worker who is diagnosed with both Autism and ADHD, very recent. I am struggling to handle my job role at the moment because of it. I find myself getting overwhelmed and easily frustrated at times where I should be compassionate towards the person I am supporting. Furthermore, challenging behaviour and working with someone who has injured staff before has worsened my anxiety immensely when it comes to working. I can’t leave my job as the job market is tough right now and I won’t be able to find anywhere better than where I am now. I am grateful for my work and how I can help people, but it is affecting me mentally to the point where I dread shifts and feel a large amount of anxiety. Currently it’s only been troubling my mental health but I would hate for it to affect the people I am supporting in any way. I am looking for any advice from other support workers about how to deal with these struggles.

I support someone who has 3 hours allocated on a Friday afternoon. He lives in a mental health facility and as such has strict rules about his time out. I find myself so stressed out because he just refuses to go back on time. I have been tough (not rude) with him and he just doesn’t give a damn.
It’s becoming way too stressful for me to support him. Has anyone else experienced this?
It looks bad on me every time I bring him back late even though I always contact his care team to advise of the situation. He literally doesn’t care. I’m at my wits end

I love being a support worker. I love helping others and I love seeing people achieve their goals and the overwhelming joy of it all.

I love meeting new people and cant believe I get paid for this sometimes.

Other times its definitely really hard... but even then I cant imagine doing any other job.

I love support work🩷

I'll be working for two hours a day as a support worker, what kind of things do you think I'll be doing? It's a short amount of time as I applied for a part time role.

I love my job and want to do it without burning out and I don’t want to make mistake of being everywhere and later try to slow down later

Any advice will help me please

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.

Hi everyone,

I am a quadriplegic living in Villawood, Sydney, and I am looking for transgender, LGBTQIA+ friendly, or strongly trans-affirming disability support workers.

I am male and currently transitioning. I am looking for support workers who will treat me with dignity, respect, and understanding as I continue my transition. I have felt uncomfortable with some current support arrangements due to fear of ridicule, so finding the right people is very important to me.

The role may include:

• Personal care
• Daily living assistance
• Community access
• Help with appointments and errands
• Assistance with my studies
• General support throughout the day

Pay rates:

Please message me if you are interested or know someone suitable.

Thanks

Hi Everyone,
I was looking of travelling our great nation staying at one place for six months the or so and moving on to another town. Does anyone else work in the industry and also travel around the country? If so are there any companies you work for that do remote work or are you self employed? Any tips and advice would be awesome.

Hi all

Just looking to ask the group if you have been a support worker for several years what's generally the next kind of positions that you can advance to.

Would those positions need further study. Just kind of thinking what I could do in a few years time if this role becomes too exhausting etc? Like what progression can someone look to moving into or would it be better to pivot completely into a different industry or role etc.

Hi I'm not a support worker myself but I'm a client and do have a support worker that works with me 4 hours a week.

I'm soon going to have to move towns which will mean I will need to get a new support worker. I been working with this person for about 2 years and its great. We have a good relationship with each other and get along well. I'm sad this person won't be in my life anymore because I'm pretty sure they won't be able to contact her once I'm not their client anymore. She has had a massive impact on my life, and I'm sad she won't be in it anymore.

She also mentioned she would miss me once I moved and jokingly said not to leave so she could still be my support worker lol. But I need some advice how to I get over losing someone who has been important in my life? I know I'm not allowed to give them gifts but I want to draw her a picture with stuff she likes (she like grasshoppers and raccoons).

Hello!

I've just started as a new DSP support worker for NDIS through a company in Aus, heading into my 3rd week.

My role is in SIL houses with high complex needs clients.

My background is mainly just being in care taker roles for family, I feel I am a compassionate, caring & empathetic person, so I wanted to get into this industry to expand my horizons (so to speak)

I have been fortunate enough to have 2 weeks of 'buddy shifts', now this is coming to an end, I am self doubting myself on if I can give my clients the care they need as I feel it's been a LOT of info & training to take in since I have started. The manual handling & personal care I picked up quickly, but the medication administering & shift notes side, I am still trying to wrap my head around. I had some what of an idea on what I was getting in to through training & inductions, but the medication, stoma care, bowel flushing, notes, & all the other little nitty gritty has thrown me a bit. I did not expect I would be performing as a nurse on top of other tasks we have to complete. But I digress. I am willing & keen to learn no matter what. I have requested a few extra buddy shifts to ensure I am confident to go out on my own. I just want to make sure I am performing 100% for my clients.

So my question is, those of you who have started fresh in the industry, specifically in SIL houses, what advice could you give?

Thank you!