Currently, more than 11,000 independent support workers are signed up on the Mable platform, and they provide a range of support services, from personal care and social support to nursing services and much more.
As a starting point for first-time support workers, we recommend you explore our comprehensive guide ‘Becoming a support worker’ for questions around responsibilities of support workers, skills, qualifications and how to find clients on Mable.
To help get you started on your journey with Mable as a support worker, we’ve compiled a frequently asked questions list covering important topics for independent support workers.
How should I charge clients according to my experience or lack of experience?
All independent support workers on Mable are independent contractors or sole traders. Therefore, they have the freedom to set their own rates. It is, however, important to take into account a few things before setting your indicative hourly or flat rates on Mable, such as your experience, skills and qualifications, complexity of the support to be provided, etc.
A good way to start is by finding out what other support workers in your area are charging for similar services. Mable’s community of independent workers is incredibly valuable when it comes to connecting with support worker peers.
On Mable, clients are generally looking for a combination of value for money and the appropriate skills and experience to complete the required tasks. If your indicative rates seem unreasonable to a potential client, or there appears to be a mismatch between your rates and skills and experience, the client may choose another provider or choose to negotiate the rate with you.
When setting your rate, keep in mind that what you receive will be the agreed rate minus the 10% Support Engagement Fee. If you are new to support work, you may consider charging a rate in the lower price range until you receive reviews, feedback and have gained more experience. If you have an established history of providing support, communicate that in your profile and charge a rate that reflects that level of experience.
What do I need to know about providing respite care on Mable?
Mable does not cover respite services. There is nothing in the way of taking the client interstate and utilising accommodation. However, your Mable service agreement should set clear expectations as to who is paying for what, and that Mable does not have the capacity for invoices of extraneous costs.
You’re able to set up an agreement that includes your support hours and, if the client agrees to it, the travel cost. Any other costs would need to be negotiated with and agreed upon, by you and the client, but not run through the Mable service agreement, or support hours (timesheets) or invoices. If the need for support requires 24 hour coverage, the work may be best divided into eight-hour shifts amongst a number of booked support providers.
How do I charge for transport?
Charging for transport is something to discuss with each client on an individual basis, by discussing how much travel will be involved in a support session.
Mable makes it simple for you to invoice your travel per kilometre for NDIS, aged care (those with a home care package) and privately-funded clients (Travel Rates). Please visit our guide to learn more about Travel Rates on Mable.
You may also be able to claim transport as an expense in your tax return. Speak to your accountant to get specific advice on this topic.
If you’re seeking to be reimbursed for travel time to and from a support session, you could consider as an alternative, implementing a minimum number of hours you work on a support session, to make it viable for you.
To know more, explore this guide on offering transport via Mable.
What are NDIS price caps and where do I find them?
The NDIS price caps (price limits) can be found on the NDIS website and are regularly reviewed. You can download the NDIS price guide and keep it on file, so it’s easy to refer to when deciding your rates. Keep in mind that self-managed NDIS participants are not subject to the price limits, whereas plan-managed and NDIA- managed (or Agency-managed) participants are subject to the NDIS price limits.
Your clients will know whether they are self-managed, plan-managed or NDIA-managed.
What do I do if the client doesn’t know their NDIS price caps/price limits?
It’s possible that some clients may not know about NDIS price limits in detail. Being an independent contractor, it is a wise idea to invest time to learn about the NDIS as well as the price guide. Being knowledgeable about the NDIS, including price limits, shows potential clients that you are a capable and knowledgeable business owner who understands the NDIS system of providing supports. You can also read this article on NDIS price limits to know how to charge so you don’t exceed the NDIS price limits.
Is there a minimum or maximum I can charge for all clients?
As an independent support worker on Mable, you have the freedom to set your prices following discussions and negotiations with your clients. However, the minimum amount you can charge on Mable is $38 per hour.
Independent support workers on Mable don’t need to account for these costs. If you’re looking to provide support to people with disability, it’s important to have a conversation about whether a client is NDIS- funded and ensure the agreed rate will fall within the NDIS price limits for the items included in their plan. For NDIS self-managed clients, there is no maximum rate.
Self-managed clients will work within their budget and book a support worker whose rates suit them, as well as having the criteria that suits them, such as skills, experience and interests.
Where can I find the agreement I have to send?
Creating a service agreement on Mable is a straightforward process that ensures everything you have agreed upon with your client is in a formal document. To write an agreement on Mable, click on your client’s name from your inbox and then click ‘Offer an Agreement’. From there you simply type in the details of the agreement such as the service description, rates, expected dates and times you will be working with the client, as well as other vital details such as your cancellation policy.
You can create your agreement on the Mable platform by filling in the fields and clicking on the relevant options on the form. Mable makes it really easy to create a service agreement and gives examples of what to write, as you move through the process. See examples of how to write the service description.
Support workers create agreements and send them to clients to review and accept. If the client wants to make changes to any of the details contained in the agreement you created, they will let you know and you can make the changes accordingly.
My shifts are showing as ‘Overdue’. When will I get paid?
Payments are made to support workers within two business days of Mable receiving the payment from the client. Payment methods vary depending on what funding source the client is using to pay for your services. Mable follows up on overdue payments in accordance with our Terms of Use. If eligible, you can apply for Express Pay or 10-Day Payments to ensure faster payments of your invoice.
Find out what is happening with your payment by going onto the Mable app and checking that the support hours were approved by the client. If they were not, ask the client for the reason and try to resolve the issue with your client.
If the support hours have been approved and the payment is overdue, you can log in to your account submit a ‘payment enquiry’ via the ‘enquire now’ button in support hours to our team at Mable, and we’ll follow up with the client’s funding source. If you have any payment delay questions, you can contact Mable. Learn more about how payments work on Mable.
Do I get sick leave?
By signing up with Mable, support workers operate independent contractors, i.e. they have the freedom to run their own small business. This means they have control over what they charge and how often they work. As support workers on Mable are self-employed — and not employees of Mable — they are not entitled to sick leave.
However, they have the flexibility to: set their rates in a way that compensates for any sick leave they may have to take Build a ‘sick days bank’ to account for days they can’t work Include mutually-agreed terms in their agreement with Mable clients to account for sick days.
What is the pay?
What qualifications do support workers need?
This depends on the type of support you wish to offer. For example, if you wish to provide only domestic or social support, then no formal qualifications are required. However, qualifications are required for other support types, including personal care, such as a Certificate III in Individual Support or a Certificate IV in either Ageing Support or Disability. A First Aid certificate may also be required depending on your specific role.
Even if the type of support you plan to provide doesn’t require formal qualifications you will need to fulfil the requirements of the Verification Policy. All support services require basic skills, the right outlook and an understanding of one’s role. Learn more about skills you need to become a support worker.
How to sign up as a support worker on Mable
- A complete profile
- Complete brief bio for your profile
- Australian Business Number (ABN)
- Working with Children Check (if working with children)
- A police check through our partners, Checked Australia (must be completed through the link provided in your Mable account)
- Two professional or personal references
- Completed infection control training
- Meet your state and/or territory’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
If you would like to offer personal care you will also need to have the following:
- Personal care qualification from at least one of the following:
- Certificate 3 or 4 in Individual Support
- Certificate 3 or 4 in Aged Care
- Certificate 3 or 4 in Disabilities
- Certificate 3 or 4 in Home and Community Care
- Official transcript – Working towards nursing degree (needs to have already completed first year)
- Degree in nursing
- Other relevant qualification 2 or more years of experience.
Learn in detail how to sign up as a support worker on Mable.
What is the amount of work available?
With thousands of jobs being posted on the Mable platform every week from people seeking care and support on Mable, there has never been a better time to start working as a support worker.
The amount of work available to you specifically depends on a number of factors including (but not limited to):
- Your ability and willingness to travel beyond your local suburb to provide support services
- Your skills and qualifications for the jobs being posted in the suburbs of your interest
- How you can get the most out of Mable to build and expand your client base through the platform.
At Mable, we’re here to support you every step of the way, whether it is to help you:
- Scale up your small business through Mable
- Successfully interview with a client
- Create a great Mable profile to showcase your skills and experience or
- Upskill through the Mable Learning Hub to expand your client base
- Buddy up with other independent support workers on Mable through the Mable community of independent workers.
…Or any other way that can support you to successfully run your small business through the Mable platform.
What about job stability?
As is the case in any other type of self-employment, being an independent support worker on Mable means you’re your own boss. So, stability depends on how well you’re able to build your business on the platform. Read how Mable support workers Tracy, Susan and Lisa established theirs.
At Mable, we endeavour to support you in any way we can to help you expand your client base through the platform, but as mentioned above, there are plenty of resources available to you through Mable to help you work as much (or as little!) as you like.
Being self-employed through Mable means you have the freedom to:
- Choose who you work with
- Choose when and where you work
- Decide what you charge for your support.
Importantly, you have the opportunity to build long-term relationships with Mable clients that can mean ongoing support work, and therefore, stability.
We hope the answers to these questions will help you in your journey to become a successful independent support worker on Mable.
FAQs
Why should I become an independent support worker through Mable?
When you join Mable as an independent support worker,
- You have the freedom of choice — to choose your clients, how much you work and how much you are paid
- You have opportunities to build rewarding relationships with clients and give back to the community
- You have the tools and resources to build your small business on Mable
In addition, you receive benefits such as:
- High-level insurance provided for sessions invoiced through Mable, including public liability, personal accident and professional indemnity.
- Tax and financial guidance through the Mable Tax Benefits Program.
- Free 24/7 counselling and mental health support through the Mable Wellbeing Platform.
- Free education from the Mable Learning Hub to up-skill with training from reputable providers.
Find out more about the benefits of joining Mable as a support worker.
I’m now approved as a support worker on Mable: what’s next?
Congratulations! You can now start off by setting up your profile on the website and start searching for jobs on Mable. Here’s a guide on getting started as an independent support worker on Mable.
