Many Independent Support Workers on Mable offer a free meet and greet. Once you have connected with a support worker you want to book, it’s a good idea to ask for a meet and greet with them.

A meet and greet — virtually or over a cup of coffee — is a great opportunity to:

• Set out your expectations for how you would like to work with the support worker
• Understand if you are a right fit for each other
• Ask each other questions about the support required and the current support situation.

We recommend having this meeting in a public, neutral location such as a library or a cafe. If the meet and greet is successful, you can accept the service agreement and start your support session.

Explore our guide on how to interview a support worker during a meet and greet. Remember, you can have a meet and greet through Mable’s video call feature.

Meet and greet: 7 questions you can ask

Here are examples of some of the questions you can ask during a meet and greet:

1. Tell me about yourself

This can be a good conversation starter to understand the support worker’s personality, background and experience.

2. What is your availability?

This question helps you understand their availability, and whether they can provide the support when you need it. You can also ask about their availability on public holidays. When can they start? Do they have any holidays or other commitments coming up?

3. Can you tell about your work history?

This can give you insight into other industries the person has worked in, and other skills and interests that could be relevant to you. For example, Corey’s support worker Sandy used to be a travel agent. Sandy was able to support Corey in planning his trip to Thailand.

4. Can you talk about your rates?

Although support workers display their rates on their profiles, it’s a good idea to discuss rates in person. You can also ask what they charge for public holidays, overnight stays, if that’s relevant for you.

5. What skills and experience will help you support (person’s name)?

The support worker may have skills that could be useful in supporting the person. For example, Angela found her support worker Damien, who has experience in animation. Angela was looking to learn animation and Damien was able to support her to learn the skill. You can also ask the worker to bring evidence of their qualifications and training that could help them in supporting you.

6. What are your hobbies and interests?

One of the biggest benefits of booking support workers on Mable is you can search for support workers you share hobbies and interests with. Having a common interest can make support sessions engaging and fun. For example, Penny booked her support worker Rachel because Rachel shared her love for hiking.

7. Ask ‘What if?’ questions

It’s a good idea to ask some ‘For example ‘’What would you do if…..?’ questions. They can help you understand how the support worker will respond in a challenging situation. For example, ‘You and Felicity are in the supermarket and Felicity has a seizure, what will you do?’

Checklist before the support session starts

• Do they know where they are going for their first shift?
  
• Are they clear about their responsibility and what is required of them?
  
• Do they have enough information about the person to be supported in order to support them well?
  
• Are they clear about what days and times they are working?
  
• Do they know how to contact other people involved — parent, friend? Who will be their emergency contact?
  
• Can a buddy shift be arranged? Is it necessary?
  
• Should someone else be present during the first support session?
  
• Do they need any training in their new role?

We hope you find this meet and greet guide useful. Learn more about interviewing support workers.