Do you need qualifications to be a support worker?

Support workers provide physical, emotional and social support to people who need it. These can include people with aged care support needs, people with disability (physical and/or intellectual), those with emotional needs, or anyone who needs support performing day-to-day tasks. 

Their duties can range widely, from personal care, such as showering to supporting someone to travel to managing administrative tasks for clients to encouraging their social participation in the community (such as meeting friends or going to the movies).

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 client’s needs. 

Qualifications to be a support worker

All support workers need to possess certain qualities, an understanding of the role and the right outlook. 

On Mable, independent support workers don’t need formal qualifications to work as a social support and domestic assistance support worker. For more complex support, you will require a relevant qualification. To gain qualifications, you can: 

• Complete a vocational qualification in disability or community services. This may be a Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33015) specialising in disability or a Certificate IV in Disability (CHC43115).
• Ensure you have up-to-date immunisations (as required), and 
• complete certifications and checks such as a First Aid Certificate, Working with Children Check, Police Check, and NDIS Worker Screening Check. 

Qualifications to be an aged care support worker

For those wanting to become aged care support workers, there are options to suit all study goals:

• Aged care support courses and qualifications may include:
• Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing, Home & Community)
• Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing & Disability)
• Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing)
• Dual Certificate III in Individual Support & Certificate IV in Ageing Support 

In addition to the above, an aged care support worker may also require a Cert III Individual Support in Aged Care (Community Services, Disability Work or similar). 

You may also be asked to ensure you have:

• Up-to-date immunisations (as required)
• A First Aid Certificate
• A Working with Children Check (if required)
• A Police Check
• A NDIS Worker Screening Check

Working requirements may include:

• Completed NDIS orientation module
• Infection control training (COVID-19 management)
• Smart phone

Expand your skills through Mable’s Learning Hub

When you sign up as an independent support worker on Mable, you get free access to the Mable Learning Hub, with more than 170 courses to assist you in your journey of being a support worker and helping you with your professional development.

Through the Learning Hub, you can access training by reputable organisations such as La Trobe University, Cerebral Palsy Alliance, National Disability Services (NDS) and Dementia Australia.

Learn more about the courses offered on the hub.

Working as a support worker via Mable

On Mable, if you are only offering social support and domestic assistance, you do not need any formal qualifications, but you will need:

• A complete profile
• A valid Police Check – to be applied through Mable
• Two professional or personal references

If you would like to offer personal care you will need to have the following:

• A complete profile
• A valid Police Check – to be applied through Mable

You must have one of the below qualifications or two years of professional personal care experience in the last five years (with two professional referees who can verify two or more years of professional personal care experience) to be a personal carer on Mable.

• Cert III or IV in Aged Care – with two professional referees in the last five years
• Cert III or IV in Disabilities – with two professional referees in the last five years
• Cert III or IV in Individual Support – with two professional referees in the last five years
• Cert III or IV in Home and Community Care – with two professional referees in the last five years
• Nursing Qualification – you must provide a nursing degree or diploma attained in Australia plus two professional referees in the last five years. Nursing qualifications outside of Australia accepted by Mable must be attained in NZ, Philippines, USA, Canada, UK, an EU member country, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the UAE, plus you must provide two professional referees in the last five years. Please note, these qualifications cannot be used for nursing services or assisting with medication on Mable.

If you would like to offer nursing services, you must have at least one year of experience in nursing as confirmed by 12 months of registration with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) (cannot be confirmed only by reference) to be a nurse on Mable.

If a nurse has less than one year of AHPRA registration, they cannot offer nursing services but can still offer Personal Care on Mable.

Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registration:

• Current nursing registration with Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) that has been active for at least 12 months prior as an RN (Registered Nurse) or EN (Enrolled Nurse) only.

Learn more about getting started as a support worker on Mable to start providing support today.

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