Support worker interviews: questions and tips

While many people feel a bit nervous about interviewing for a job, it’s worth thinking of it as an opportunity to ‘sell’ just how right you are for the role. Take your chance to make a great impression. Read on for support worker interview tips and questions.

When engaging a support worker, the stakes are always high. Use the interview to demonstrate your:

  • Understanding of the importance of professional boundaries
  • Commitment to listening to needs and wants, and in return communicating freely
  • Patience: life rarely goes to plan, and human beings are emotional creatures – you need to show that you’re willing to roll with the punches
  • Absolute reliability: you need to be on time always, plan well and follow through on your commitments.

Before the interview

As an independent support worker on Mable, clients may often respond via messaging or call to your interest in their job posts, or seek you out through the platform, to engage you as their support worker.

Download and install the Mable Mobile App so you can be notified promptly at all times. It’s a good idea to respond to their message through the platform, even if the job post doesn’t suit you in some way. When responding to a client via Mable, you should keep your messages as clear, grammatically correct and legible as possible. This will help prevent any miscommunications between you and your potential client.

The next step would likely be a meet and greet with them. A meet and greet, aside from being an opportunity for the client to interview you, is also one to see evidence of your qualifications, skills and become familiar with you.

Support worker interview tips

To get the best from your interview during your meet and greet, be sure to:

  • Carry your documents demonstrating your experience, skills and qualifications
  • Listen carefully
  • Answer and ask questions with sensitivity and enthusiasm
  • Be 100% honest about who you are, your experience and your capabilities.

If you’re asked to ‘tell me about yourself’ in a support worker interview, keep your answer short and sweet – share a bit of personal information, detail on your support worker experience, why you do what you do, and what brought you to this particular role. Highlight the key strengths and attributes your interviewer needs to hear.

Support worker interview questions

Whether you’re a personal, aged care, disability or mental health support worker, there are some common interview questions and answers to practice:

How would you describe the role of a support worker?

This is where you show that you understand the role of a support worker, particularly in relation to your specific client-group. For example, if you’re applying to be an aged care support worker, you’ll want to demonstrate that you know how the aged care sector operates, and what the job might include. If this is a new area of work, you will need to have done your homework.

Why are you the best person for this support worker role?

Show the added extras you bring to the table – the personal and professional experiences that show you really ‘get’ what the role demands, and the ways you can exceed expectations. Share a story about a time you demonstrated the skills/attributes you’re talking about, rather than just saying you have them.

Tell me about a challenging experience and how you dealt with it?

This shows how you react under pressure, and when things don’t go to plan. It’s a way to demonstrate your problem-solving skills, cool head, resilience and flexibility. You’ll also want to offer reassurance that you followed proper processes and communicated appropriately. For example, if you’re a disability support worker, you will want to point to risk management strategies, an understanding of your duty of care and adherence to reporting requirements – all while maintaining your commitment to upholding individual autonomy.

How do you assess a client’s needs?

Talk about the way you gather comprehensive information about the person you support, from them and their circle of family and carers. It’s important to show that your process is inclusive, rather than assuming you ‘know best’.

After the interview

Once you’ve completed the meet and greet successfully, the next step is to get the agreement in place. Once you and your client have decided to start working together, and you are comfortable that you have a shared understanding of what’s involved in the job, clearly set out the details within your Mable agreement. Find out why having an agreement is necessary before you start providing support to clients on Mable.

FAQs

To become an independent support worker on Mable, you will need:

Read this detailed guide on becoming a support worker on Mable. For more information, explore our frequently asked questions.

  1. How would you describe the role of a support worker?
  2. What would you bring to this position?
  3. Tell me about a challenging experience and how you dealt with it?
  4. How do you assess your client’s needs?
  5. What are your strengths?
  6. What are your weaknesses?
  7. What makes you the best person for this job?
  8. Why do you want this support worker role?
  9. What are your expectations of this role?
  10. Why are you leaving/did you leave your last job?

Answer all questions with honesty and transparency. A great, long-term relationship rests on a solid bond and absolute trust. Make sure you’re very clear on expectations (theirs and yours), abilities and your commitment.

Expect to share some personal detail about who you are, to demonstrate your values and your personality. Your interviewer will need to be assured that you understand what the role entails, and have the skills and disposition to deliver quality support.

When caring for someone with a disability, you need to exhibit a clear commitment to choice and control, absolute respect for the person, as well as the various skills and experience relevant to their individual needs.

Focus on your passion for the role and for supporting others, as well as the impact you believe you can deliver. While things like flexibility are a bonus, they shouldn’t be your only reason for becoming a support worker.

Ask some more questions about the person you’d like to support – to show interest to the interviewer, but also to ensure compatibility with the role. If you hate fishing with a passion, probably best not work with an obsessive angler!

How do support workers find clients?

When you register as an independent support worker on Mable, you have access to all the benefits and safeguards you need to start providing support. The first step to doing that is, of course, to start connecting with clients. Start off by creating a great profile on the platform for yourself; it is the best way to attract clients in your local area. This includes:
  • Writing a good (concise) bio
  • Ensuring you have a photo to go along with your profile
  • Clearly specifying your skills, qualifications, experience, hobbies and interests (clients on Mable very often seek support workers that have interests similar to their own, such as playing the guitar)
  • Adding any relevant information that a client might find useful, such as your preferred hours, services you offer, immunisation status, whether you have a valid driver’s licence, language you are fluent in, etc.

Building your client base

Talk about your work

A great starting point for building your customer base is to let past or current clients know that you’re on the lookout for new opportunities as a sole trader and that they can find you on Mable. Word of mouth is an incredible marketing tool. Connect with family and friends, neighbours and community members, as well, and let them know that you’re working as an independent support worker on Mable. Be sure to give them reasons to recommend you, by talking knowledgeably and enthusiastically about your area of work, your values and your goals.

Distribute your business cards

Through your Mable account, you can download a digital copy of your print-ready personalised business cards and flyers (at no charge). Once your profile is approved, all you need to do is log into your Mable account, click ‘account’ and you will see an option to download your ‘business cards and flyers.’ Distribute copies of your business card, and encourage them to share with anyone who might be looking for aged care or disability support.

Tap into your local support worker network

You can also join the Mable Support Workers Facebook group (for approved support workers only) to share information, ask questions and find opportunities to ‘buddy’ up with other independent workers. It’s also worth getting to know other support workers in your local area — if a client’s needs don’t quite mesh with their skills or preferred hours, they may be happy to refer you to them. Make sure you return the favour, when you can.

Ask for testimonials

Ask your happy Mable clients for a testimonial that you can share via your profile. The more the testimonials, the higher your credibility as a support worker on Mable.

Mable Last Minute

A great way to find new clients on Mable, Mable Last Minute enables customers to find and connect with Independent Support Workers for a session between 4-48 hours away. It could be that their regular support worker became unavailable for a shift or the customer may have been invited to a last minute event or had a medical appointment brought forward.

Last Minute jobs may be once-offs, but can easily result in gaining a new, ongoing client.

Start building your business on Mable today.

FAQs

Clients registered on Mable submit job posts on the platform seeking support. If you’re an approved independent support worker on Mable, all you have to do is log into your Mable account and click the ‘Search’ tab under ‘Jobs’ on your profile. Here, you can start off by choosing where you would like to work, what kind of support you want to provide and what days you are available.

Your client base can snowball rapidly, as your visibility and reputation grows. As always, the key is making sure that how you present yourself online and in person, is consistent with the reputation you have or want as a support worker. Here are some key tips on building a great client base on Mable.

What makes a good support worker?

Being a support worker can be a highly rewarding, yet demanding career. Every day you’re making a profound impact and positive difference to someone’s life. The skills of a support worker are crucial for the person under your care.

Effective communication, superior interpersonal skills, flexibility, adaptability and a high level of compassion and empathy are all good skills to have as a support worker.

These qualities of a support worker will strengthen your connection with clients, so you can build strong, long-term relationships and earn their trust. If you are attentive to their needs and understand what they want, they will feel seen and heard. Sometimes, it’s the little things that can go a long way to foster a good relationship – the subtle skills of a support worker, like making eye contact and using positive body language, to signify you’re acknowledging them.

People regularly change jobs and careers. Have you ever thought about what transferable skills you bring as a support worker? You’ll be surprised at how many you already have. Perhaps you’ve already worked in people-facing industries where you’ve developed relevant attributes such as being an active listener.

Qualities of a support worker you’ve forged from past experiences may not just come from an office environment or place of employment. Through volunteering, raising a family or a hobby, you will have gained personal attributes to help you transition to develop the skills of a support worker.

What qualities make a good support worker?

Empathy

Being empathic means understanding someone’s needs, expectations, and frustrations. When people feel heard and their emotions recognised, they develop higher levels of reassurance and trust. Mastering disability support worker skills will improve your ability to connect with people on a deeper level and build meaningful relationships.

For example, imagine your client feels overwhelmed because they are in a busy café with lots of people. By telling them you understand they don’t like being there because of the noise and crowds and moving somewhere quieter, you are demonstrating the fundamental qualities of a support worker. This simple acknowledgement, where you validate the client’s emotion, is often one of the skills of a support worker that comes naturally.

Reliability

Never underestimate the importance of being reliable. Reliability means being on time, at the right address and ready to start work when you’re expected. Your clients may have an appointment, an event, commitments or a schedule where they need your help. Being reliable is one of the most sought-after skills as a support worker.

This trait strengthens the bond with others because you’re doing what you promised you’d do. If you consider what transferable skill you bring as a support worker that people value, reliability ranks highly because it demonstrates dependability.

For a client, you are crucial to their life and are upholding an important role. This steadfast reliability coupled with the compassionate and attentive skills of a support worker, demonstrate a high level of dedication. These qualities of a support worker underpin the core of trust.

For instance, if you promise a client you’ll go swimming together and then fail to show up, it means they miss out on your companionship and opportunity for physical activity. As you gain skills as a support worker, you’ll see how reliability nurtures better relationships.

Understanding and applying disability support worker skills results in effective, compassionate care.

Being trustworthy

Being trustworthy is one of the qualities of a support worker who fosters a sense of security and respect with people who rely upon you. Trust is very important to a client, and while it can take a little while to earn, it’s fundamental to cultivating positive relationships.

Being a trusted support worker also extends to being relied upon to uphold client confidentiality. Clients have a right to privacy and need to know their personal information will not be shared with others. Respecting this right and maintaining discretion reflects integrity, which are much-valued skills of a support worker.

For example, if your client has an important medical appointment at a health centre they’ve never been to before, they may become worried in advance about getting there on time and finding their way around. However, if they have trust in you and you’ve shown all-encompassing qualities of a support worker, you’re providing much-needed reassurance.

Patience

Disability support worker skills include a deep understanding of the value of patience. The patience you practise in everyday life, such as waiting calmly in long lines and listening attentively to others, is a transferable skill you bring as a support worker. Patience will help you manage challenges dealing with someone’s individual needs. Finding solutions without developing stress or frustration is one of several skills of a support worker that lead to a better quality of care and a calmer environment.

Incorporate positive verbal and body language into any worker/client interaction. It reinforces openness. The skills of a support worker will evolve over time, and you will become both confident and competent in your interaction and communication.

People with disabilities often rely on visual cues. Smiling while maintaining a relaxed stance shows you are approachable. A gentle nodding of the head and an occasional gesture of warmth, such as touching someone’s arm can be comforting. Good eye contact helps to build connection and slow and gentle movement rather than sharp, sudden actions are far more soothing. You may already do this subconsciously, it’s a transferable skill you bring as a support worker that might come easy to you.

Mention their name in conversation and keep your language simple. Short sentences are easier for people to understand. If necessary, break things down step-by-step and repeat.

Being patient is a key element in helping a client get dressed. Through learned disability support worker skills, you’ll understand the benefits of encouraging them to get dressed themselves with minimal support. It may take some time. Offer them encouragement and ask them if they are comfortable and happy in the outfit. By showing patience, you are increasing that person’s confidence, boosting spirits and enhancing their emotional well-being. The skills of a support worker, including patience, are crucial in fostering such positive outcomes.

Positivity

Positivity is a valuable trait and one of the most critical skills of a support worker because it motivates clients and encourages them to achieve goals. A positive attitude is highly infectious, as it creates a ripple effect among others to boost morale, mood and energy.

Positive reframing, a technique that involves altering a person’s thoughts and beliefs, can help turn something a client may deem as a negative into something more positive and optimistic.

For instance, if a client is disappointed because they secured a low score in a ten-pin bowling game, this might lead them to believe they’re not good at sports activities. By emphasising that they did their best and by participating, they enjoyed a great social outing among friends. Emphasising the positives rather than focusing on any shortcomings reinforces core qualities of a support worker, ensuring clients feel valued, motivated and supported.

Active listening skills

Active listening means just that—paying attention, demonstrating you’re listening and reflecting, and then responding to what has been said. One of the most admirable skills of a support worker is the ability to listen without interrupting. It shows a greater level of respect to someone so they can express themselves the way they want.

Speak clearly and don’t rush, use words that can be easily understood. By adopting consistent and suitable communication you’ll make deeper connections with clients.

A transferable skill you bring as a support worker can be something as simple as active listening. It can greatly enhance your ability to engage with a client. For example, if a client tells you they enjoy a particular television show and they know all the characters, you can add this information into future conversations. It will mean the client feels heard and respected.

Becoming proficient in crucial disability support worker skills can leverage communication to improve relationships with clients.

Cultural competency

Australia is a country with a diverse and vibrant culture. Over a quarter of people living in Australia were born overseas. Many don’t speak English as their first language. For anyone working in care, embracing and respecting this diversity is crucial. The skills of a support worker extend beyond the basics, they must encompass the ability to engage with clients in a manner that acknowledges and respects their unique cultural backgrounds.

Disability support worker skills incorporate demonstrating cultural competency. This includes understanding and accommodating dietary restrictions based on religious beliefs and being aware of the family hierarchy and traditions that influence care preferences.

Online resources can help you have a better understanding of someone’s cultural background. Free, online courses, including ones by The National Centre for Cultural Competence are open to anyone.

Problem solving skills

The skills of a support worker also extend to problem solving and being adaptable. Thinking quickly and clearly are natural disability support worker skills to navigate unexpected situations.

For instance, if a client becomes agitated while planting seeds in a garden because of the dirt, the ability to adapt and provide solutions is paramount. In this case, offering reassurance and suggesting other alternatives. Perhaps they’d be more comfortable picking flowers or fruit. You’ve likely adopted this flexible approach in past experiences and it’s a transferable skill you bring as a support worker to tackle challenging situations.

Teamwork and collaboration

It’s good practice to be a team player and to master the art of collaboration – great teamwork skills of a support worker mean you can easily work alongside other care professionals.

A client often relies on a network of therapists, health professionals and other care workers for continuity of support. By harnessing the disability support worker skills of collaboration and cooperation, everyone is working towards shared goals. These fundamental qualities of a support worker and a willingness to work and collaborate with others will enhance a client’s care.

For example, if multiple health professionals are involved in a person’s care, they should be aware of each person’s role and how each contributes to the client’s overall health and well-being.

This coordination, the gathering and sharing of information, will have positive benefits for your client. You can help support them with their goals with daily activities and feedback information to other health professionals as to how they’re doing.

Self-care

Being a support worker is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. However, it comes with its own sets of demands and stresses.

The skills of a support worker are not just about managing the needs of people, but also about maintaining your own well-being. Implementing self-care strategies is an important aspect of disability support worker skills that can help prevent burnout to manage stress successfully.

As such, ensure you have a robust support network who you can talk to outside of work and share experiences and receive encouragement. Allow yourself time to relax and unwind. Engaging in nature and practising breathing exercises can go a long way to reducing tension and stress. In addition, incorporating physical activity into your day can lift your mood, boost self-esteem and improve sleep.

If you integrate these self-care practices into your routine, you uphold the essential skills and qualities of a support worker to remain resilient and offer the highest level of care.

What else makes a good support worker?

Qualifications

While formal qualifications aren’t always necessary to become a support worker, many general skills of a support worker are acquired through everyday life, such as basic first-aid knowledge or the ability to assist someone with mobility issues. Disability support worker skills often develop in a natural, organic way.

Some advanced support worker roles may require additional skills. For instance, individuals with disabilities use assistive technology, so strong IT, software and computer knowledge can be beneficial.

Specialised qualifications can open more doors to other opportunities, and to participate in advanced support work. Recognised qualifications such as those offered by NDIS in Aged Care, Disabilities and Individual Support will give you recognised credentials to enhance the existing qualities of a support worker.

Pursuing a nursing or allied health therapy degree demonstrates an advanced study level so you can offer more complex caregiving needs and pursue career advancement. Recognised qualifications on top of the skills of a support worker could make you more employable.

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, have 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 support, you will require a relevant vocational qualification.

Learn more about the qualifications you can gain to become a support worker, whether it’s in aged care or disability.

Experience and volunteering

It’s true you don’t need to have vast experience to be a support worker. For many people, disability support worker skills can be easily and quickly acquired. Most people have some skills to provide this support, often brought to the role through past experiences. It’s easy to overlook a basic transferable skill you bring as a support worker, but we acquire them in everyday life through other interactions.

Most not-for-profit, disability and aged care organisations rely on volunteers. If you are thinking of pursuing a career in this area and appreciate the varied qualities of a support worker, volunteering is an excellent way of gaining experience and understanding the diverse nature of the job.

It’s an opportunity to improve your abilities, allowing you to recognise your own individual strengths and specific disability support worker skills that may be required.

Volunteering in aged care or disability centres, will go a long way to develop your potential to acquire the skills of a support worker. You will also build new connections to enhance job prospects.

GoVolunteer is a national database of volunteering opportunities set up by Volunteering Australia, and is a great resource to find relevant volunteer positions.

Registering on Mable to become an independent support worker can be a step forward in the right direction. Mable allows you to provide various services such as cleaning, gardening, personal care, social and community participation as well as assisting clients develop their skills, abilities and confidence. Some of these services don’t need you to have experience making it an accessible option for newcomers looking to learn more about care roles and qualities of a support worker.

FAQs

Support workers provide support to people with disabilities and 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. Aged care and disability support workers also provide support with implementing nursing, personal care, speech therapy, psychology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy services.

Learn more about what a disability support worker does.

To become an independent support worker on Mable, you will need:

Read this detailed guide on becoming a support worker on Mable. For more information, explore our frequently asked questions.

How much experience do you need to become a support worker?

Support workers play a key role in ensuring people receive the assistance they need over their lifetime and their work can make a significant difference to the quality of someone’s life.

If you want to become a support worker with no experience, that’s okay! On Mable, independent support workers don’t need formal qualifications to work as a social support and domestic assistance support worker.

What does a support worker do?

Support workers provide support to people with disabilities and/or older Australians, or anyone that needs assistance with day-to-day tasks. They 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.

The duties of a support worker can range from meal preparation to administering medication and specialised services, depending on your level of experience and qualifications.

If you’re a support worker with no experience or qualifications, you can provide domestic assistance and social support, such as:

  • Meal preparation
  • Household chores
  • Gardening
  • Going shopping
  • Supporting someone to meet their friends
  • Companionship

Learn more about tasks that support workers do.

Is support worker experience needed?

No, to register as an independent support worker on the Mable platform, you do not need support worker experience.

However, having experience can improve your ability to offer better support for potential clients.

It’s also helpful to learn what other support workers with similar skills, qualifications and experience are setting as their indicative rates to give you an idea of how much to charge.

There are many ways you can gain more hands-on experience as a support worker. These include:

  • Volunteering at aged care or disability services
  • Contacting local organisations
  • Participating in community events

What qualifications do you need to be a support worker?

It is possible to work as an aged care or disability support worker without formal qualifications. However, your qualifications can impact the type of support you can provide.

To perform more complex support tasks, such as personal care services, nursing services, or allied health services, there are certain qualifications you must have. Learn more about support worker qualifications and requirements.

Support your professional development

It’s important to engage in regular professional development to enhance your skills and further your learning. If you have no support worker experience or qualifications, it’s easy to get started with tools such as online learning.

One of the benefits of being an independent support worker on Mable is access to the Mable Learning Hub. On the Mable Learning Hub there are over 170 free courses available on demand to assist you in your journey of being a support worker and to help with your professional development.

Support workers on Mable can also gain industry qualifications through our accredited training partners around Australia. If eligible, government funding or Mable discounts may be available. Mable support hours can be used towards some accredited training courses.

How to become an independent support worker on Mable

Whether you’re new or an experienced support worker, aged care or disability support worker, we are happy to welcome you to the Mable community.

Support workers who register on Mable are self-employed, independent contractors who are not employed by Mable.

Regardless of your level of support worker experience or qualification, in order to sign up and create a support worker account on Mable, you will need the following:

Police checks have been replaced by the NDIS Worker Screening Check. This is a mandatory requirement for all support workers on Mable. New support workers signing up to Mable require an NDIS Worker Screening Check. Existing Mable support workers may use their existing checks until they are expired, at which time they must provide an NDIS Worker Screening Check.

If you’ve set up your account correctly, it will be submitted for approval to our team.

If you’re planning on providing personal care, nursing or other allied health services read more about the qualifications you will need to provide support.

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

FAQs

Support workers can be employed directly by an agency or disability support organisation or can be self-employed as independent support workers. Independent support workers are their own boss (a sole trader). That means you can choose your clients, the services you provide (where appropriate), and the hours you work. Plus, you have the flexibility to charge different rates for different services or experiences provided.

Through Mable, independent support workers are connected directly with the people who need their services.

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.

You can register on Mable as a disability support worker.

NDIS disability support workers provide a range of services to support clients, so the qualifications you need really depend on the area in which you are interested in specialising.

In general, there are no certifications or education requirements for disability support workers, however you do need skills to provide this support. There are several certifications that are valuable to have, such as Certificate III in Individual Support and/or a Certificate IV in Disability. To work with children, you’ll need a Working with Children Check, NDIS Worker Screening Check and First Aid Certificate.

The NDIA also has worker training modules designed to support disability support workers to better support people with disability. You also need to comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct which helps providers and workers respect and uphold your right to safe and quality supports and services.

Please note, the NDIS Worker Screening Check has replaced police checks as a mandatory requirement for support workers on Mable.

What are the duties of a support worker?

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
  • An NDIS Worker Screening Check, applied and conducted through your state authority (from July 2025, the NDIS Worker Screening Check has replaced police checks as a mandatory requirement for support workers signing up to Mable)
  • An NDIS Worker Screening Check, applied and conducted through your state authority (from July 2025, the NDIS Worker Screening Check has replaced police checks as a mandatory requirement for support workers signing up to Mable)

Police checks have been replaced by the NDIS Worker Screening Check. This is a mandatory requirement for all support workers on Mable. New support workers signing up to Mable require an NDIS Worker Screening Check. Existing Mable support workers may use their existing checks until they are expired, at which time they must provide an NDIS Worker Screening Check.

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 preferred hours, 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

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.

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.

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.

Do you need qualifications to be a support worker?

As a support worker on Mable, you have the freedom to choose your hours, choose where you work and choose what services you offer.

The services you offer have an impact on the qualifications you will need. Some require no qualifications, while others require accredited training.

In this guide we will explore the support worker qualifications needed to offer certain services, and what’s required for all people who provide support on the Mable platform.

Understanding the role of a support worker

The role of a support worker differs from client to client, depending on their needs. Support worker duties can range from meal preparation and household chores, to supporting someone to meet their friends and helping a client find a job.

Services a support worker on Mable can offer include:

  • Social support
  • Domestic support
  • Personal care
  • Nursing services
  • Speech therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Physiotherapy
  • Psychology support services.

Depending on the support you want to provide, you may or may not need certain qualifications.

Disability support worker qualifications

On Mable, independent support workers don’t need formal qualifications to work as a social support and domestic assistance support worker.

However, if you want to offer more complex support, you will require a relevant qualification.

To gain disability support worker 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)
  • Complete certifications and checks such as a First Aid Certificate, Working with Children Check, and NDIS Worker Screening Check.

Police checks have been replaced by the NDIS Worker Screening Check. This is a mandatory requirement for all support workers on Mable. New support workers signing up to Mable require an NDIS Worker Screening Check. Existing Mable support workers may use their existing checks until they are expired, at which time they must provide an NDIS Worker Screening Check.

Aged care support worker qualifications

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).

Compulsory requirements

Despite not needing formal support worker qualifications in order to provide social or domestic support on Mable, there are some compulsory requirements that all support workers on the platform must complete before providing any level of care.

These include:

Additional requirements

Before providing support on Mable, you may also be asked to ensure you have:

  • A First Aid Certificate
  • A NDIS Worker Screening Check
  • Up-to-date immunisations (as required)

Working requirements may include:

  • Completed NDIS orientation module
  • Smart phone.

Personal care support worker qualifications and requirements

If you would like to offer personal care services on Mable, you will need to have the following:

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 obtained 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.

Nursing services qualifications and requirements

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.

Expand your skills

One of the benefits of being an independent support worker on Mable is the Mable Learning Hub.

Through the Learning Hub, you can access 170+ free courses available on demand, so you can expand your industry knowledge and grow professionally.Training providers include reputable organisations such as La Trobe University, Cerebral Palsy Alliance, and Dementia Australia.

In addition to the Mable Learning Hub, you can gain industry qualifications through our accredited training partners around Australia. If eligible, government funding or Mable discounts may be available. Mable support hours can be used towards some accredited training courses.

How Mable safeguards clients

Multiple safeguards are in place to offer safety, protection and peace of mind for our Mable community.

These include:

Verification and reviews

All independent support workers must complete a verification process including qualifications, references, and NDIS Worker Screening Check. Every session booked and invoiced through Mable comes with insurance for support workers, and all support workers have their own unique profile with their personal ratings and reviews.

Sector training and compliance

170+ on demand free courses available to independent support workers through the Mable Learning Hub and accredited training opportunities to upskill. We abide by all compliance regulations.

Local support

We have a dedicated Australia-based Trust and Safety team to deal with issues and complaints confidentially and respectfully.

Secure online platform

We’re ISO 27001 certified, which is internationally recognised and independently verified.

Becoming a support worker on Mable is a rewarding experience that can have a positive impact on people’s lives.

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

FAQs

It depends on what type of support work you are providing. Tasks and duties of a support worker may include:

  • Assisting with domestic duties such as shopping, menu planning, cooking, washing and cleaning
  • Helping with outings, social activities and other daily routines
  • Providing companionship and support to assist clients to develop their existing skills, abilities and confidence.

Find out more about what aged care or disability support workers do.

As an independent support worker signed up on Mable, there’s a range of services you can offer. Find out more about these on the website.

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.

No, you don’t need a university degree to be a support worker. However, qualifications and additional certificates are required for some types of support work, as mentioned in the article above.

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.

Working as an independent support worker on Mable offers many benefits. On Mable, you get to choose the hours you work, choose the clients you work with, choose how much you charge for your services. Importantly, you have the opportunity to create long-term relationships with the clients you connect with through Mable.

What does a care or disability support worker do?

Support workers provide support to people that helps them live their lives more independently. Support can look different from person to person, depending on their individual needs.

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.

What does a disability support worker do?

NDIS disability support workers play a key role in ensuring people receive the support they need. Support worker duties can make a significant difference to the quality of someone’s life.

NDIS disability support workers may help clients with:

  • Daily personal care to support independent living such as bathing, eating and grooming
  • Achieving work or study goals
  • Transport to enable participation in community, social, economic and daily life activities
  • Household tasks including cooking, cleaning and washing laundry to maintain a client’s home environment
  • Companionship and social support such as learning a new skill or support to be involved in the community.

Specialised services can also be provided by NDIS support workers. These include:

  • Nursing services
  • Speech therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Physiotherapy
  • Psychology support services

It is important to note that depending on the type of support you wish to provide, you may or may not need certain qualifications. Relevant qualifications and/or experience are required to undertake personal care duties.

Read our guide to support worker duties for more information.

What does an aged care support worker do?

Aged care support workers help older people with everyday living, including cooking and cleaning, and health care. As people age, they may find it more difficult to complete tasks they earlier could. Aged care support workers can assist with these tasks, and in turn help older Australians stay independent and in their own homes for longer.

A carer’s role differs greatly depending on the person’s needs. In-home care for older clients can range from social support (assisting them to participate in the community, accompanying them for a coffee or a movie) to domestic assistance to nursing care.

Roles and responsibilities of workers in aged care:

  • Helping around the home
  • Providing personal care (for example, help with showering and dressing)
  • Assisting with travel and transport
  • Helping with meal preparation
  • Providing in-home nursing
  • Providing dementia support
  • Providing overnight support
  • Providing post-hospital support
  • Assisting with community participation
  • Providing respite for carers.

Find out more about what in-home aged care support can look like.

What skills do I need to be an aged care or NDIS disability support worker?

Being a support worker can be a highly rewarding yet demanding career. A passion and dedication to maximising the quality of life of those receiving your support is essential. Personal qualities like respect, honesty, flexibility and communication skills give support workers a well-rounded base to connect with clients.

It also helps to be patient and have an understanding, supportive and caring nature – empathy goes a long way!

The NDIS Workforce Capability Framework is a great resource for disability support workers.

Qualifications

You do not need qualifications to provide social support and domestic assistance. However, if you want to provide more complex care, you may need certain qualifications and experience.

Qualifications can range from certificates and vocational qualifications to diplomas and university degrees.

Read our guide to support worker qualifications and requirements for more information.

Working on Mable as an aged care or disability support worker

You can work as an independent support worker on Mable by registering on the platform.

In order to begin providing support, there are minimum requirements you need to complete, such as an NDIS Worker Screening Check, reference checks, and, depending on the care you wish to provide, qualifications.

Learn more about onboarding requirements on the Mable website.

Police checks have been replaced by the NDIS Worker Screening Check. This is a mandatory requirement for all support workers on Mable. New support workers signing up to Mable require an NDIS Worker Screening Check. Existing Mable support workers may use their existing checks until they are expired, at which time they must provide an NDIS Worker Screening Check.

Why become an independent support worker on Mable?

Flexibility

Working as an independent support worker on Mable is a rewarding experience. The flexibility it provides allows you to live your kind of independence, all while making an impact on other people’s lives.

As you are an independent sole trader running your own business, you get to:

Read how providing support through Mable has given former social worker Kate more flexibility in her life.

Benefits

Being an independent support worker on Mable also unlocks a range of benefits. These include:
  • Mable Learning Hub: Access 170+ free courses available on demand, so you can expand your industry knowledge and grow professionally.
  • Insurance: Every session booked on Mable comes with insurance to cover the support worker’s actions while providing your care.
  • Mable Tax Benefits: Receive tax advice and exclusive discounts on your tax return and quarterly BAS filing with our partner YOUtax.
  • Mable Wellbeing Platform: Access free and confidential counselling 24/7 through the our Wellbeing Platform.
Find out more about the benefits of joining Mable as a support worker.

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

To join Mable and create a support worker account, you will need the following:

If you’ve set up your account correctly, it will be submitted for approval to our team.

Get started as a support worker on Mable today!

FAQs

Being a support worker can come with challenges. Your day is likely to be busy and you will need to be able to think on your feet. It takes patience, an eagerness to learn and help and the ability to show empathy and resilience to be a good support worker. It can also be hugely rewarding and there are plenty of opportunities to work flexibly and with strong teams.

When you’re operating your small business on Mable as an independent support worker, you’ll have flexibility in the amount of hours you work in a day and how many clients you support. Workers can choose to work full time or part time hours, offering a range of services.

Support workers provide support to people with disabilities and 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.

They can provide a range of support services including social support, domestic support, personal care, and support with implementing nursing services, speech therapy, psychology, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy.

Learn more about what disability support workers do.

You can register on Mable as a disability support worker.

NDIS disability support workers provide a range of services to support clients, so the qualifications you need really depend on the area in which you are interested in specialising.

In general, there are no certifications or education requirements for disability support workers, however you do need skills to provide this support. There are several certifications that are valuable to have, such as Certificate III in Individual Support and/or a Certificate IV in Disability. To work with children, you’ll need a Working with Children Check, NDIS Worker Screening Check and First Aid Certificate.

The NDIA also has worker training modules designed to support disability support workers to better support people with disability. You also need to comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct which helps providers and workers respect and uphold your right to safe and quality supports and services.

Please note, the NDIS Worker Screening Check has replaced police checks as a mandatory requirement for support workers on Mable.

For more information or to register as an independent support worker with Mable, visit the Mable website.

How do I become an aged care worker or disability support worker?

As per the NDIS Commission, an NDIS disability support worker is anyone engaged to provide support and services to people with disability. An aged care support worker provides support to older people for daily activities and personal tasks, such as meal preparation, personal care, cleaning services, and even social support. An aged care worker can work in their client’s home or a residential care facility.

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

NDIS support worker job description

They can provide a range of support services including assistance with domestic duties, community participation as well as providing companionship and assisting clients to develop their skills, abilities and confidence.

Learn more about responsibilities of disability support workers.

Aged care support worker job description

Aged care support workers provide services to older clients that include providing personal care (for eg. help with showering and dressing), travel support, meal preparation, community participation, etc.

Learn more about what aged care support workers do.

How do I become an aged care or disability support worker in Australia?

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.

It is possible to work as a support worker without formal qualifications. However, being a support worker requires substantial skill. It is important to have the right outlook, an understanding of the role and some basic skills to draw on.

You can work as an independent support worker through Mable by registering on the platform. To join Mable, there are minimum requirements you need to complete, such as an NDIS Worker Screening Check, reference checks, and qualifications if providing certain services. Learn more about requirements on the Mable website.

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.

Being a support worker can be a highly rewarding yet challenging career choice. To be a good support worker, a passion and dedication to maximising the quality of life of those receiving your support is essential. Personal qualities like respect, honesty, flexibility and communication skills give support workers a well-rounded base to connect with clients.

If you want to provide more complex supports, such as personal care, you may require a relevant vocational qualification such as a Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33015).

Learn more about skills required to become an aged care or disability 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:

If you’ve set up your account correctly, it will be submitted for approval to our team.

If you’re planning on providing Personal Care, Nursing or other Allied Health Services read more about the qualifications you will need.

Police checks have been replaced by the NDIS Worker Screening Check. This is a mandatory requirement for all support workers on Mable. New support workers signing up to Mable require an NDIS Worker Screening Check. Existing Mable support workers may use their existing checks until they are expired, at which time they must provide an NDIS Worker Screening Check.

FAQs

Not every job will require you to have prior experience as a disability support worker. If you don’t have any, you can add to your profile by completing certifications or by volunteering. Some jobs may prioritise willingness to work with people with disability over experience. On Mable, you can provide support services without needing prior experience, as long as you complete the minimum requirements for joining the platform.

Working as an independent support worker on Mable offers many benefits. On Mable, you get to choose the hours you work, choose the clients you work with, choose how much you charge for your services. Importantly, you have the opportunity to create long-term relationships with the clients you connect with through Mable.

Writing a great job post for a support worker

Now that you have thought about goal setting, the nature of support, and the what, where, when, who and how of support, this will help you in the creation of a great position description and job advertisement that hopefully attracts a great support person.

A well-constructed position description will get the balance right between being too prescriptive and being clear about what the job entails.

Start by coming up with a job title that describes, as best you can, the type of job it is. This is, in part, a style of recruitment called ‘role based recruitment’.

For this, consider:

  • What ‘role’ do you want the person to be assisted to perform? 
  • What is the ‘role’ you want the support person to take on?  

Examples:

Overall purpose of the role Some of the tasks required 
Assisting a person to live independently in their own home – Shopping 
– Cooking 
– Cleaning 
– Washing
Supporting someone to do more in their local community – Attend church services
– Go to the movies
– Visit friends
– Travel on public transport
– Being a good neighbour
Assisting someone to get healthy via physical exercise – Support attendance at bootcamp or gym
– Teach swimming
Supporting a young person to organise their study life – Timetabling
– Resource management
– Study support
Supporting a young child in the family home – Personal care
– Assistance at mealtime/bathtime/bedtime
– Assist with at home therapy sessions

Not everyone is going to want to write a Position Description (PD), but it certainly helps when you get down to the discussion about what it is you are engaging someone to do for you. It makes you really think about it and helps you in your supervisory role, once you have paid support in your life. You then have something in writing to come back to if the person isn’t performing the role you engaged them to do.

Benefits of having a PD:

  • Focuses the mind on what is actually required
  • Clarity for all parties about the role
  • Guides the induction process for a new person
  • Can identify specific training requirements for the role
  • Can help with performance challenges if someone is not performing the role as expected. Gives you something to refer back to.

Components of a Position Description 

The PD can be very formal and structured or informal and conversational. The tone and style depends a lot on the actual role. If you are engaging someone to provide support around participating in a hobby like fishing, it would be very informal and just cover the points relevant to the activity.

If you are engaging someone to assist you manage your team of four paid supports, you might make it more formal, as you are probably going to be paying a higher hourly rate and relying on this person to perform at a higher level of responsibility.

Example – Informal PD

What is this document? Position Description

Broad description of the role: The role of the Fishing Coach is to help Steven pursue his interest in all things to do with fishing. Steven is 35 years old and has a mild/moderate intellectual disability. Steven is a sensitive, gentle and caring person who has loved fishing and boating all his life. Steven lives in Utopia.

Steven and his family believe he needs support in the following areas:

Specifics of the role:

  • Assisting Steven to acquire the necessary equipment he will need to fish
  • Assisting Steven to identify local fishing spots that are accessible and safe
  • Helping Steven to monitor the weather and time of year that is best for fishing
  • Assisting Steven to build and then maintain the skills he needs to enable successful fishing activity like baiting the hook, managing the fishing rod, casting the line, netting the fish etc. 
  •  Assisting Steven to connect with people external to family who share his interest in fishing.
  • Accompany Steven on day-long fishing expeditions
  • Supporting Steven to prepare and cook the fish he catches

Expectations of the role: The Fishing Coach is expected to develop a stable and reliable relationship with Steven and focus the support on ‘doing with’ not ‘doing for’ Steven. It is expected that Steven will go fishing regularly and that this hobby will assist with community connection and relationship building.

Employment arrangements: This is a casual position. Hours and days of work will depend on the weather and the season, but we are looking at a minimum of one to two days per week including a weekend day. Hourly rate to be negotiated at the interview.

Example – Formal PD

Location: Where will the role be carried out?
Days/Hours: What days and hours are required?
Role Purpose: What is the purpose of the role?
Accountabilities:
what is the person responsible for?		 Objectives:
Specific tasks that need to be performed and achieved		 Key Performance Indicators:
How will you know that the tasks have been undertaken?
Relationships    
Administration    
H/R    
Appointments    
Experience required: What experience does the person need to have to be able to perform the role well?
Attributes: What skill set does the person need to have to be able to perform the role well?
Personal qualities: What personal qualities do you want the person to have?
Other: Are there other requirements of the job that haven’t been identified elsewhere ie drivers licence and own car; available to work weekends etc.?
Employment arrangements: What type of employment arrangement is it?

The reason you don’t want to be too prescriptive when writing a PD, is because:

  • It’s good to have a bit of flexibility in the PD as sometimes people bring skills, expertise, knowledge and experience that you aren’t aware of in the beginning.
  • The role you are engaging the person to perform can change over time as the relationship between the person being supported and the paid person settles in and matures. They may decide to do things differently or do different things.
  • You want to encourage and enable initiative being shown. You really don’t want someone who ‘works to the PD’ and say’s ‘that’s not my job’ when you ask them to do something that’s needed, but that isn’t particularly described in their PD.

It’s also important to review the PD at least annually to see whether there has been a drift away from some of the core responsibilities and requirements of the role or that there might now be some new tasks that are required that could now be included in it.

Job Advertising

Is advertising really necessary?

Is it possible to use your own networks first to fill a vacancy? Does a member of your existing support team know someone who might be suitable? Can you just ask around first? Nothing beats word of mouth and recommendations from someone you know.

If there is someone within your community who you think would be a great fit, you can even bring them to the Mable platform and have them sign up as your support worker. Find out why this has many benefits.

Where to advertise for a support person?

Posting a job on Mable is a great way to connect with and book Independent Support Workers. Every booking made on Mable gives clients an extensive range of safeguards included in Mable’s platform fee, for your peace of mind and assurance. 

Through Mable, you have the freedom to book a support worker of your choice, as well as control over when and where you need that support, and what you want to pay for it.

Learn more about how to post a job on Mable.

Broadly, the best places to advertise are those places that you think will have the type of person you are seeking based on the required skill set. We’ve already discussed how you can look within your own community to find someone who might be the perfect fit for your support needs, and bring them to Mable.

Other places you can advertise include:

  • Mainstream/community avenues: personal trainers, cleaners/mowing services, tutors, mobile hairdressers, etc
  • Internet sites and newsletters: Gumtree, Seek, Ethical Jobs, local papers/publications, church/school/club/university/TAFE newsletters
  • Be on the lookout yourself…have your recruitment antenna up!

Writing the advert

Having created a position description, most of the work is done! It’s just a matter of pulling the facts together into an appealing, factual advert that is posted in the right location to attract the right person. If you are going to use Mable’s Job Post feature, a lot of this work has already been done for you. 

Components of an advertisement

Remember, this isn’t the position description, so it doesn’t need to contain all the finer details, just enough to pique the interest of the right person.

You’ve already come up with a great job title that describes the job you are advertising, so lead with that.

Example:

Who is the person to be supported?: A friendly guy with a mild intellectual disability living in Utopia seeks a supportive, flexible person to assist him manage his home and life. 

What is the purpose of the role?: This is an opportunity for a fulfilling job and to make a positive difference to someone’s life. 

What are the requirements of the role?: The role provides companionship and assistance with homemaking and pursuit of hobbies i.e. doing puzzles, bird watching, picnics, attending church, meal planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning. 

What are the hours/days required?: Availability required Wednesday 4-8pm, one Friday evening per month, plus 4-5 hrs every alternate Saturday and/or Sunday. Driver’s licence required. 

Employment arrangements and pay rates: This will depend on the avenue through which you engage someone. If through Mable, there is no need to add this bit, but you may need to think about it if you are employing directly.

Any additional experience or training requirements?: No experience necessary. This flexible position will suit someone who is energetic, can keep house, cook and who is a ‘people person’. All the usual checks required, plus a full driver’s licence and a comprehensively insured car. A full Position Description will be provided following initial contact.

Contact details for applications: Please respond in writing providing your resume and demonstrating your interest and suitability by ‘closing date’, to <email> 

Screening your applicants

Once you have posted your advert, be ready to screen your applicants and narrow the field down to those you will interview. Be specific! What gender are you seeking? It’s okay to have a preferred gender when engaging people for specific roles. If you are looking for a person to support a young woman with personal care, it’s perfectly legitimate to be seeking female support. If you are looking for someone to support your teenage son out and about in the community, it’s perfectly okay to limit your recruitment process to young men. 

Similarly, you’ll be thinking about ‘age group’ and looking for someone in a compatible age range? Are you needing someone who lives locally? Is having a current, full drivers licence essential? Is anything else an essential requirement? Hopefully, your advertisement has been crafted in a way that attracts the right cohort of applicants but if not, it’s okay to choose those who most closely match the type of person you are looking for. 

Respond to all applications, even if just to say ‘thank you for your application, and in this instance your application has not been successful.’

Don’t waste time on people who haven’t done what you asked of them in the advert. In most sectors, applicants are expected to provide a written application for a job and provide a CV or resume. 

Interviewing a support worker

Right, so things are getting ‘real’ now! You’ve got your position description ready, you’ve advertised in all the right places, you’ve vetted the applicants down to the two or three most likely candidates — what’s next? An interview, of course!

Why interview?

Just because someone responds well to your advertisement doesn’t mean they’re perfect for the job. People can and do exaggerate their experience, skills and capabilities when applying for jobs, so it’s really important that you meet the person and have a series of questions ready to ask them.

Engaging a new person to support you or your loved one is a big deal. It’s a serious undertaking and shouldn’t be entered into lightly. You are bringing a total stranger into your home, or another person’s home and life, to possibly perform very intimate care. It matters who they are and how they present themselves to you and talk about the role and themselves.

How to interview a support worker

Step 1: Be prepared

If you’ve never been in the position of having to interview someone before, it can be quite nerve wracking, so the better prepared you are, the less stressful it’s going to be. Take someone with you to support you, take notes and help you keep on track if you’re nervous. It’s okay for there to be two people conducting the interview at least for the first few times, until you build your confidence and feel comfortable with the process.

If you are interviewing more than one person for the role, try and interview them back to back, on the same day if possible. It gives you a better overall picture of each person compared to the others. Leave at least 30 minutes between interviews if you can, to allow the interview to go over time, which they will occasionally, and to allow you time to make sure you’ve gathered all the information you are going to need to make a good decision.

Prior to the interview, think about whether you want the candidates to bring any documentation with them i.e. evidence of training, qualifications, Working With Children Check, drivers licences, etc.

Prepare your questions. Refer to Steps 5 and 6 below for suggested question topics.

Step 2: Give yourself enough time

Allow a good amount of time for the interview so that you don’t end up rushed and skip over questions that are really important. Give the person time to relax as they too are probably feeling a bit nervous.

Step 3: Use a suitable location

Find a place that is suitable in terms of:

  • Travel time to the location, for you and the people you are interviewing.
  • Neutral ground. Not in your home or that of the person being supported. You don’t really want a string of candidates traipsing through the home, especially the ones that aren’t successful. Keep the home address to yourself until later in the recruitment process.
  • The suburb will probably have been mentioned in the advert. That’s all the person needs to know at the interview level of the recruitment process. Atmosphere conducive to an interview. Quiet, well lit, comfortable seating, access to refreshments (a coffee or tea can put a nervous person (possibly you) at ease), amenities, easy parking.
  • A location that supports the importance of the interview. So, not in a park or noisy food hall.
  • Possible venues: Private room in a library or community centre; lounge or bistro of a club; small; private table in a quiet cafe.

If possible, identify a location in or near the suburb where the support will be provided. If the person is late because of the distance travelled or because they had to come by public transport, or if they really had trouble getting to the interview, it may be that they aren’t going to last in the job for the same reason.

Another important consideration is whether to involve the person to be supported, in the interview process. This is quite a tricky question, as the immediate response might be ‘of course’. If the person is you, then the answer is obvious! But if it’s not you, think about it!

What type of questions are you going to ask the candidate? What are you going to tell the candidate about the person they will be supporting? What if it takes a long time to find the right person and you have to interview 10 people over a couple of weeks? Perhaps you are recruiting for a child. Does the adult person have the capacity to discern the right person from the wrong one? How is their judgement? Do they understand the importance of the interview process and the consequences of engaging the wrong person?

And they might! And if so, absolutely include them in the process, but if they really aren’t going to understand what you are doing and why, then it’s perfectly okay to conduct the initial interviews without them. They will come into the loop soon enough.

Step 4: Have your questions ready and take notes

The first few minutes of the interview should be spent putting the candidate at ease. How was their trip? Did they find parking okay? Would they like a glass of water or a coffee?

Explain to the candidate that you are going to ask them a series of questions and you or the person with you, is going to take some notes, just so that you aren’t relying on your memories at the end of the day.

Step 5: Explore the qualities you are looking for in a candidate

For example:

Compatibility: This is such an important component of the relationship between the person being supported and the person providing support…are they compatible? Will they like each other? Do they have things in common? Will their personality types get along or clash?

Availability: What are the candidates current commitments? Are they actually available at the times, on the days and for the hours that you are seeking? Can they work evenings and/or weekends? What about public holidays?

Reliability: This can be a hard one to ascertain and it might only be discoverable when speaking to referees, but can you think of questions or scenarios that explore the person’s views about being reliable and their actual capacity for being reliable.

Attitude: The person or people you chose to support you need to have the right attitude and shared values. You can ask questions which test these things. Ask some hypotheticals, for example:

  • If xxx became distressed or upset in a public setting and people were looking at them, what would you do?
  • If you were given feedback that said you weren’t fulfilling the requirement of the position, what would you do?

Step 6: Skill set, experience, personal qualities and interests

This is where you can really explore background, previous work experience, qualifications (if they have any and if you think they are relevant). Ask to see documentation that proves any statements made about qualifications and previous work experiences.

Ask open-ended questions about themselves, their lives, their work history, why they are interested in this position, why they are moving on from current work, etc.

Pose some ‘what if?’ questions that are relevant to the person requiring support. ‘You are supporting Sione one evening and he just won’t have a shower and get ready for bed. What will you do?’

‘You and Felicity are in the supermarket doing the weekly shopping and Felicity has a seizure, what will you do?’

Step 7: ‘Red Flag’ moments

These are the moments when something is said or done that raises a ‘red flag’ for you, that this candidate just isn’t right for this position. It may be that they:

  • Came totally unprepared for the interview
  • Brought none of the documentation you asked to see
  • Arrived late with no explanation as to why
  • Couldn’t come up with adequate responses to your ‘what if’ scenario questions
  • Any other combination of things that when looked at as a whole, tells you they just aren’t ‘the one’.

Do not feel compelled to tell people your decision at the end of the interview. You may have other candidates to interview and you’ll get back to them by the end of the week or in the next couple of days. Do actually go back to people even if they aren’t right, as they did make time to attend the interview and you don’t want to burn any bridges just in case they may not be right for this position but they might be right for another one further down the track. It’s simply good practice to be polite, friendly and respectful in all your dealings with people regardless of the outcome.

Step 8: Now what?

You’ve found one or maybe two people you think are ideal. If you aren’t the person needing the support, the next step is to find a way of bringing the person needing support into the picture. After all, they are the person who will spend the most time with the person you are choosing, so as much as possible, they should be involved in the final decision making process regarding who you engage for the job.

Again, though, don’t use the person’s home as the place for the first meeting. Remember, you are wanting them to make the final choice wherever possible and however that might look, so again, use a neutral location so that if the candidates you think are ideal, don’t make the final cut once introduced to the person they would be supporting, you haven’t identified where the person lives or exposed them to more scrutiny that is warranted at this point.

If you are recruiting a person to work with a child, you may need to then move to trial sessions spent in the home with the child prior to making the final decision, but still go through the above process first and hopefully the person you bring into your home is very likely the one you go on to engage for the job.

Do you have ‘trust’ issues?

Trust is a really big and important part of bringing paid support into a person’s life, especially for children and adults who have significant intellectual disability and who may not be able to speak. Who can you trust? How do you gauge who is trustworthy? How do you go about building trust?

There are no simple answers to these questions and as much as it may sound trite, it is often a bit of a guessing game and as long as you have shown due diligence in your recruitment process and have actually checked that the person has the clearances and credentials and experience that you are seeking, it is often a leap of faith in the hope that you are making the right choice.

You should also be thinking about safeguards. How can you safeguard someone who lives alone or who can’t speak? This topic is discussed more fully in Engaging paid vs unpaid support.

Things to remember

No interview process is fail proof. Sometimes it’s a leap of faith, but if the person ticks the majority of the boxes, and they are the most important ones, the leap can be worth it.

If you are happy with your process, use it again. If you think you missed some important element which led you to make a poor choice, tweak your process and your questions.

But whatever you do, do not proceed to engage someone out of desperation or because you are sick of interviewing! That will only lead to problems down the track that will be just as time consuming and challenging, if not more so, and you will have to start all over again anyway.

What qualifications should a support worker have?

The question regarding whether paid support people require qualifications has long been a topic of debate. Many people insist some kind of certification should be a prerequisite for a paid support person. Others believe certification gives no assurance that the person is actually right for the particular role.

In Australia, formal qualifications to undertake paid support work are currently not required by law. It does, however, depend on who is engaging the person and what requirements they set around qualifications, as well as the type of work the person is going to be engaged in.

NDIS support worker qualifications

Different providers and self-managed individuals apply different standards. If, for example, the person is a support worker through the Mable platform and they are offering to provide ‘personal care’, they need to have at least one of the below qualifications:

  • 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 degree in nursing (needs to have completed first year)
  • Degree in nursing
  • Degree in Allied Health
  • Other relevant qualification
  • Two or more years of experience

If offering ‘social and domestic support’ only, no formal qualification is required on Mable, but there are other minimum requirements a person must reach prior to being approved on Mable. Other organisations may not require such qualifications, however, some self-managed participants may have higher standards and requirements. It’s a personal choice.

Certification/Registration

Different states in Australia have different qualification requirements for people providing support in the aged care and disability sector. There is currently no requirement for either in all states except Victoria.

From 1 July, 2021, people in paid support roles can choose to become a ‘registered disability support worker’ in Victoria under the Victorian Disability Worker Regulation Scheme. This registration is voluntary.

NDIS Worker Screening Check

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has introduced a National Worker Screen Check for people working in the disability sector. It is part of the move to increase safety and quality and reduce the risk of abuse and neglect of people with disability. It is compulsory for employees of registered providers.

The assessment process will provide clearance to people wishing to work with people with disability. This check is not about qualifications, it’s about the person’s suitability for working in this sector.

If an independent support worker has an NDIS Worker Screening Check, it is displayed on their profile. They are included as a search filter, so people can find independent workers who are screened.

If you are plan-managing or self-managing your NDIS plan, you can request that any of the paid supports you engage (including those through Mable) have an NDIS Worker Screening clearance. You may choose to increase your safeguards by requiring the support people you engage to have an NDIS Worker Screening Check.

Police checks have been replaced by the NDIS Worker Screening Check. This is a mandatory requirement for all support workers on Mable. New support workers signing up to Mable require an NDIS Worker Screening Check. Existing Mable support workers may use their existing checks until they are expired, at which time they must provide an NDIS Worker Screening Check.

Aged care support worker qualifications

A support worker providing personal care through Mable needs to have at least one of the below qualifications:

  • 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 degree in nursing (needs to have completed first year)
  • Degree in nursing
  • Degree in Allied Health
  • Other relevant qualification
  • Two or more years of experience.

If the support worker offers nursing services, they will need to:

  • Be a Registered Nurse
  • Have more than one year of relevant nursing experience
  • Have been registered as a nurse with AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency)
  • Have an active AHPRA registration for at least 12 months

Nurses should not provide any services within these categories that their AHPRA registration does not allow them to provide. Aside from the above qualifications, all support workers providing support through Mable are required to complete minimum requirements.

Relevant experience and personal qualities

Qualifications aside, when seeking paid support, it is important to focus on the things you believe provide you with the best chance of attracting and keeping the ‘perfect match’ for you. Consider things like relevant experience – has the person provided the type of support you are seeking before? When, where, how did they approach it? Make sure you explore this with them at the time of interview, as this is an important role you are trying to fill.

If what you are seeking is pretty unique, then you are looking for someone who has performed similar types of work before. If you are wanting someone to teach a particular skill, then it’s best to seek someone who has that skill themselves and has the capacity to teach that skill to someone else. For example, if you are seeking someone to support you to manage your garden, it’s probably best to look for someone who has a garden and who is interested in sharing their love of plants and gardening.

If you are looking for someone to support your person to manage their home, you are looking for someone who has done that themselves – being a homemaker brings with it many skills: budgeting, paying bills on time, shopping, cooking, cleaning, checking the mail, making beds, etc. If you are particularly fussy about your home cleanliness for example, you will need to make sure your support person is similarly keen on cleaning.

There may, however, be particular skills and training that is required, like nursing, or medication assistance or management. If so, you would seek people with these particular qualifications. For example, if you are seeking someone to support a person who requires support at meal times, to ensure safe eating practices, that does require someone with training and experience to ensure safe and quality support.

Certificates and degrees don’t guarantee the quality of the support provided. Due diligence in your recruitment process is more likely to assist in finding the right person. Interviewing people in a way that explores who they are as a person and asking questions that bring out their human qualities, as well as their knowledge, experience and qualifications, is a good start.

FAQs

Not if your social support worker is not qualified to provide personal care such as showering or toileting. As mentioned above, to offer support services that come under ‘Personal Care’ your support worker needs to gain the right qualifications. Your existing support worker can’t be trained on the job.

Personal care support services such as showering, toileting, manual handling, hoist, medication are more complex types of support. To ensure your safety, your support worker needs to have the right qualification to provide these types of services. Additionally, for any support invoiced through Mable, a support worker is not covered by Mable’s suite of insurances in the case of an unsafe incident occurring during the support session.

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I want to find support:

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I want to provide support:

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Sign up to Mable

I want to find support:

For myself, a client or on behalf of a friend or family member.

I want to provide support:

As a support worker, nurse, allied health professional, gardener or cleaner.