What does a support worker do? Tasks, choice and expectations
All about support workers!
By Jenna Moffat · Originally published 4 May 2016
Deeper review: 6 October 2026. The deeper review adds article-specific decisions and audience guidance. Historical passages and their adjacent corrections remain preserved.
Describe a support worker’s role through a typical day
List the parts of your day where assistance matters: getting ready, preparing food, travelling or joining an activity. For each task, describe what you want to do yourself and what you want the worker to do. The NDIA describes support work around individual goals, needs and funded supports, rather than one universal duties list. Read the official guidance
Give specific instructions that another worker can understand. “Help me choose ingredients and cook alongside me” is different from “prepare dinner while I rest”. Both describe a task more clearly than a general request for independence.
Agree how you can raise a concern if a replacement arrangement does not suit.
For service options, compare support-work provider against the tasks and communication you need.
Original article and dated context
There are a lot of different names given to paid one-on-one support services. These include “attendant care”, “personal care”, “community support”, and “individual support”. Although people sometimes refer to these paid workers as “carers”, we are calling them support workers in this blog because they are different to people who are unpaid carers who are often a parent or family member. Here is a bit of information about what support workers are and what you should expect out of a service that provides them.
There are variations as to what paid support workers can do, but mostly that’s because there are variations in what people need. The NDIS doesn’t use the term “support worker” when you look at your support clusters, and instead focuses on the activity of carers. Support workers can take on a range of tasks… their role is to help you get about your day or participate in things you want to do. They can help you get up and shower, prepare meals, tidy your house, take you somewhere (by driving you or helping navigate public transport), and even assist with rehabilitation programs.
Some support workers won’t do personal care (like assistance with showering or going to the toilet). Those people are usually called “community support workers”.
What kind of person can I have as a carer?
While it isn’t always possible to have your first choice of support worker– for example, someone might be sick, the agency you use might not have enough staff, a carer you like leaves – having a worker you like is important, and it should be the rule! Having someone you DON’T like should only happen under exceptional circumstances. Some people spend a lot of time with their support workers and like having someone that could also be considered a friend.
Where do I find carers?
There are lots of ways to find a support worker. Most often, people pay an agency to find and employ workers for them. Agencies typically have a pool of support workers and will try to match you with someone you’ll like. They might even recruit a support worker just for you if they don’t have enough or the right kind of staff. Examples of these are CareChoice, InLife and StellarCare (all of whom have reviews on Clickability!). These agencies train their workers in the way that is important to the agency. </span>
There are also services that support you to find and hire your own support workers. This person could even be a friend, family member or neighbour, or someone you’ve found online. Examples of organisations like these are Carer Solutions Australia and HireUp. They help you by sorting out important things like pay, insurance, Workcover and superannuation, but leave you to do things like scheduling and training.
[Clickability update, September 2026: Choosing someone you know does not automatically make the arrangement NDIS-funded. Paying family members is generally not funded except in exceptional circumstances. Check the arrangement before committing. See the NDIA guidance on specific supports.]
Some agencies will be flexible on what role you take and what they help you with. For example, a friend of mine has a relationship with an agency who he uses to find and schedule workers, but chooses to do the payment himself.
What should I expect?
When you pay for any service, it’s good to know what to expect. Even if the money that pays for your support service comes from someone else (for example, from the NDIA or the government), you should still expect a professional, quality service.
Usually someone from the agency will meet you before you commit to employing them. This provides a good opportunity to ask questions about expectations. Have a think about what’s important to you. For example, I have a friend who always asks, “If my usual support worker can’t come, what’s your policy?” but also, “If I want to have a cigarette, will you help me do that?”
At an agency, you will often be allocated a “care coordinator” or someone who will help recruit and manage the support workers’ timetables. You may not have this option if you’re using a service that allows you to hire your own support worker.
Service Agreements
Service Agreements are pretty standard nowadays and are necessary for NDIS funding. They set out the terms of your contract, what you expect and what the agency and workers expect of you. There are some tools to help you put a service agreement together, but here are some of our additions…
[Clickability update, 6 October 2026: Current NDIA guidance requires service agreements for SIL and SDA and recommends them for other supports. Read the current provider-choice guidance.]
What do they do if your worker calls in sick? What would you like them to do? Some services have sent new workers to replace regular workers when the regular worker cancels. The number one complaint we hear is when they do this without
First checking it’s ok with you
Briefing the new worker
Ensuring the carer is able to do what you need them to do—for example, can they read the worker instructions?
We don’t think this is good enough and I know I wouldn’t want a stranger turning up at my door!
How long do you have to wait for a new permanent worker to be on the team?
What happens if you’re unhappy with a worker?
Is this the same for carers of children?
Yes, but the child’s primary carer (usually their parent) will be the one working with the agency.
If you have any tips or hints you’d like to add to this, let us know at [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#85ede0e9e9eac5e6e9ece6eee4e7ece9ecf1fcabe6eae8abe4f0)
Jenna Moffat
Jenna Moffat is co-founder and co-director of Clickability. She has a social work background and her passion for formatting has been well sated in the making of this article.
Agree the tasks, boundaries and backup before the first shift
Agree boundaries before a task becomes unsafe
Discuss transfers, medication assistance, personal care and other specialised tasks with the provider before the shift. A job title does not establish competence for every procedure. Ask what training, supervision and instructions apply and who to contact if a task falls outside the agreed scope.
Keep friendship and professional responsibilities distinct. Respect the participant’s privacy and decisions, and use the agreed process for gifts, personal contact and requests outside booked hours. If a boundary is unclear, clarify it openly rather than making the participant guess.
Make the replacement-worker plan practical
Ask who will tell the participant about a cancellation, whether a replacement needs their agreement and how essential instructions will be handed over. Identify tasks that cannot safely wait and tasks that can be rescheduled. Keep a current contact list accessible to the participant.
Agree how concerns about a worker will be heard and reviewed. Written agreements are recommended for most supports; do not repeat the original claim that every NDIS service requires one. Specific supports have mandatory requirements. Read the official guidance
For a child, explain how staff will communicate with them and involve them in everyday choices. Share only the routine and access information the participant wants passed on.
Questions readers ask
What should I ask about an absent worker?
Ask who will contact you, who can provide replacement support and how that person will learn the information needed to support you safely. Official guidance
Do all disability support workers provide the same personal care?
No. Confirm the worker’s agreed duties, competence, training and provider instructions for your particular needs before booking. Official guidance
Find support for the tasks that matter to you
Tell Clickability what help you need and how you want it delivered. Compare support-work profiles, ratings and reviews before choosing who to contact.
