Changing lives as a support worker: Caroline’s story

Support Workers

Last updated

14 July 2023

Reading time

3 min read

Share

Caroline has been an independent support worker on Mable for 5 months or so. Caroline moved on from a nursing career 20 years ago, but becoming a support worker has made her realise how much she enjoys caring for people.

It was her own life experience that nudged Caroline to join Mable. She explains, “Recently, when my mother got sick, I helped care for her during the palliative stage of her life. It was then that a part of me realised how much I had enjoyed caring for people back when I was a nurse.”

Becoming a support worker on Mable

Caroline is a social support and domestic assistance support worker on Mable. “I care for a lovely older couple, providing companionship, shopping, going on outings, cooking and light cleaning,” she says.

Although Caroline is still working on building a business on Mable, she does have some important tips for support workers, particularly around creating agreements.

She says, “Have a checklist of things you would put into the agreement, and make sure this is all discussed and documented so that everything is clear and fair for both parties.”

She also suggests exploring Mable’s Help Centre for questions that support workers may have. “I had a very smooth setup, I found all my answers through the Mable platform. Everything I needed was in the Help section.”

The joys of being a support worker

In Caroline’s experience, it’s the small things that make a big difference in her clients’ lives.

She says, “It’s been great to build relationships with my clients, help them stay at home and not have to move into a nursing home, to see them smile as we joke around, the banter!”

She adds, “I love the warm feeling I get when they sit together for dinner in their own dining room with a glass of wine I’ve poured for them and them commenting that it is like going out to a restaurant again!”

For anyone thinking of going down the career path of a support worker, Caroline’s advice is to “just do it”. 

“You will love meeting people and making a change in their life,” she says.

Benefits of being a support worker on Mable

By joining Mable as an independent support worker: 

  • You can choose your clients, set mutually-agreed rates with clients and choose the hours you work 
  • You’ll be covered by insurance for every session invoiced through the platform, including: General & Products Liability, Medical Malpractice & Personal Accident.
  • You have access to more than 170+ free training courses and 24/7 counselling and wellbeing support.

Also read: ‘Mable gave me a whole new career’: Pete’s success story

Start your journey as a support worker by signing up on Mable today. Want to know more about becoming a support worker on Mable? Explore our Topic Libraries.

Editor’s note: Image is for representation purpose only.

You might be interested in

Support worker dries dishes while talking to a client in a wheelchair.
Preventing everyday harm in support work
As a support worker, you want your clients to feel safe, respected and supported. You may already think carefully about how to provide safe support and prevent serious incidents. But harm is not always obvious. Sometimes, small everyday actions, words or assumptions can affect a client in ways you may not have intended or noticed at the time. This is sometimes referred to as everyday harm. Over time, these small moments can build up and may affect how respected, heard, in control or safe your client feels. The newly launched Everyday Harm website brings together practical resources to help support workers and organisations build safer, more respectful support relationships. These resources were developed through Australian Research Council studies, including interviews with people with disability about their experiences. Mable was proud to be involved in this project as an Industry and Community Partner organisation. We hope these resources help you better understand everyday harm
jenny-conor-device-600x450px_xa0fvc
Manage your care with the new Mable app for clients
The Mable: Find Support app is new and designed to make managing your support easier. It has a simplified design so everything you need is one place. In this article, we share what’s new in the app and how these updates can help you organise your support more easily. What’s new in the Mable: Find Support app? The new app features a new navigation menu that groups key features together, making it easier to find what you need. You can easily move between the four main areas: Home : View upcoming support sessions, updates, and quickly manage changes. My Support: Find everything related to your ongoing support here, including your current support workers, support hours and more. Find Support: An easier way to quickly post a job, search for support workers and more. Messages: Chat, video call or voice call with support workers. A simpler way to stay on top of your support Our new app gives you a more streamlined support experience, so you can spend less time looking for what you need
NDIS reforms announced: What we know so far
We know recent news about NDIS reforms might feel heavy. For many of you, your participants, and your loved ones, hearing about potential service caps or changes to funding for social and community participation is deeply stressful. We want to start by saying: we hear you, and we are here for you. Our commitment to you remains unchanged While the government works through these changes, we want you to know Mable's business model is not changing. Our platform continues to be a place where you can find and book independent support workers who best meet your needs or those of your clients. While we may make a few small technical updates behind the scenes, your ability to use Mable remains exactly as it is today. We're your partner and advocate During this transition, we're dedicated to supporting safe, transparent connections. We are actively advocating for person-centred approaches to care that respect your choice and control, and we'll keep helping our community understand what these r