A support worker is a professional who is responsible for the wellbeing of people living with different physical abilities and mental health needs. Your role is to support clients to live their lives more independently, and to support them to reach their potential by providing both physical and emotional support.
As each person has unique needs, the duties of a support worker can vary significantly from person to person.
In this guide, we’ll explore what aged care and disability support workers do, what skills you need to become one, and how you can join Mable as an independent support worker.
Support worker duties
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. Different clients may require different duties. 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
- 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 workers 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.
Support worker skills and qualifications
Skills
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.
Similarly, there are some skills that are very important for support workers to possess:
- Communication: Strong communication is essential to good support work. You will need to communicate openly and efficiently with your clients, their caregivers, your colleagues and other professionals.
- Emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence enables support workers to empathise with clients, which is crucial in understanding the needs and feelings of those they support. Emotional intelligence also improves communication, and helps with conflict management.
- Adaptability: Support work often involves unpredictable situations. It’s important that support workers are adaptable, flexible and responsive. Adaptability also helps support workers with problem solving, and encourages continuous learning.
- Resilience: Support work can be challenging. Resilience helps support workers maintain their wellbeing in the face of difficult situations. Resilient support workers can provide consistent and reliable support to their clients, and can contribute to a positive outlook and attitude.
- Time management: Effective time management helps support workers to prioritise tasks, work efficiently and be more reliable.
Support workers have a duty of care to anyone who might reasonably be affected by their activities, requiring them to act in a way that does not expose others to an unreasonable risk of harm – physical, psychological or financial.
Qualifications
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 (such as nursing), you do.
Register as an independent 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.
Mable support worker benefits
There are many benefits to working as a support worker. 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.
Through being a support worker on the Mable platform, 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 join Mable and create a support worker account, you will need the following:
- An Australian Business Number (ABN)
- A profile photo
- A brief bio for your profile
- A police check through our partners Checked Australia (applied for through the link provided by Mable in your profile)
- Two professional or character references
- A Working with Children Check (if working with children)
- An Australian Drivers Licence (if providing transport services)
- Completed infection control training
- To meet your state and/or territory’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
If you’ve set up your account correctly, it will be submitted for approval to our team.
Once approved, you will need to set up your profile before you begin providing support. Your support worker profile contains information about who you are, what services you offer, your availability, qualifications and more. A complete profile helps you find and attract more jobs, so it’s important that it is complete and up to date.
Watch our video on how to get started as a support worker on Mable.
If you’re planning on providing Personal Care, Nursing or other Allied Health Services read more about the qualifications you will need.
FAQs
Do I need qualifications to be an independent support worker on Mable?
It depends on what services you plan to offer. You don’t need qualifications for social support and domestic assistance. Qualifications are required for personal care, nursing and allied health professional services.
Can anybody be a support worker?
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 join Mable as an independent support worker by completing minimum requirements as stated above and start providing support.
Do I need experience to become a disability service worker?
It depends on the support service you want to provide. Social support and domestic assistance don’t require you to have experience or educational qualifications, but more complex support services may. Learn more about the experience needed to become a support worker.
