Becoming a support worker

What are the duties of a support worker?

2 August 2022

Last updated 10 May 2023

A support worker is a professional who is responsible for the wellbeing of people living with different physical abilities and mental health needs. Their role is to support clients to live their lives more independently and support them to reach their potential by providing both physical and emotional support. As each person has unique needs, the roles and responsibilities of a support worker can vary significantly.

Support workers can work in people’s homes, in specialised care settings, or in hospitals on a full time, part time or casual basis, depending on the needs of the client and the support worker’s preference. They may work independently or as part of a team.

Support workers may have multiple clients, each with their own health, personal care, emotional support, and/or companionship needs. The level of care required depends on the individual client. Some clients may require 24/7 care while others may only require assistance with basic daily living such as budgeting, grocery shopping or attending appointments.

On a day-to-day basis, support worker duties could include helping with:

meal preparation, household chores, administering medication, accessing community facilities, going shopping, supporting someone to meet their friends, visiting the doctors, support someone to find a job or providing general emotional support.

Support workers can also be engaged to provide social support, such as helping their clients enjoy their hobbies and interests, get involved in community groups, or encouraging them to learn a new skill such as cooking or painting.

Learn more about what aged care or disability support workers do.

Different services a support worker can offer

Independent support providers who register on Mable are able to offer different kinds of support services:

Social support (companionship, help around the house, etc.)
Domestic support (laundry, gardening, etc.)
Personal care (showering, toileting, manual transfer, etc.)
Nursing services (wound care, diabetes care, catheter care, etc.)
Speech therapy
Occupational therapy
Physiotherapy
Psychology support services.

It’s also possible that some of these services — if required — can be delivered virtually. Learn more about services offered by support workers registered on Mable.

Depending on the support you want to provide, you may or may not need qualifications, but in order to provide any kind of support, you certainly need an understanding of the role, the right outlook and basic skills you can draw upon.

For instance, to provide social support and domestic assistance through Mable, you don’t need to have prior experience or any formal qualifications. However, to provide more complex supports, some of which are mentioned above, you do.

Register as a support worker on Mable

You can also register on Mable to become an Independent Support Worker to provide various services such as cleaning, gardening, personal care, social and community participation as well as assisting clients to develop their skills, abilities and confidence.

As an independent support worker working through Mable, you have flexibility to run your own small business by choosing who you work with, the hours you work, what you charge for your services and importantly, you have the opportunity to create meaningful relationships with your clients.

Other benefits include access to free self-directed training on the Mable Learning Hub, and for bookings made through Mable, a suite of insurances are arranged on your behalf.

Find out more about the benefits of joining Mable as a support worker.

What do I need to become a support worker with Mable?

To register as an independent support worker with Mable, you will need the following to start with:

A police check
References
Verified qualifications for personal care and professional services (if you plan to offer these)
Working with Children Check (if required)
COVID-19 training and vaccination records

Learn more about getting started as a support worker on Mable.

FAQs

Although you don’t need a formal qualification to work as a support worker, it is a role that needs certain qualities and some basic skills you can draw on, such as being able to assess individual care needs, provide physical care, having basic life support skills, etc. If you work as an independent support worker through Mable, you can provide social support and domestic assistance, as these don’t require you to have formal qualifications, and are highly demanded by clients on the Mable platform.

For more complex supports, though, you will require a relevant vocational qualification.

If you have a passion for making a positive difference to the lives of people with a disability and helping people to achieve their full potential, you might make a great support worker. Learn more about what makes a good support worker.

You can register on Mable as an independent support worker by completing minimum requirements as stated above and start providing support right away.

It depends on the support service you want to provide.

As an independent support worker on Mable, to provide social support and domestic assistance you don’t need to have experience or educational qualifications, but more complex support services may. Learn more about the experience needed to become a support worker.