31/07/2026
I LOVE THIS.....
A message for support workers
I’ve seen a number of comments recently that have prompted me to write this, not to criticise support workers, but as a reminder of what person-centred support actually looks like.
Supporting someone is not about deciding what you think they should be capable of. It is about meeting the person where they are on that particular day.
Some days a participant may cook with you. Other days they may not be able to get out of bed.
Some days they may do their own laundry. Other days they may need you to do it for them.
Some days they may head into the community. Other days simply getting through the day is the achievement.
None of those things automatically mean they are lazy, refusing to build capacity, wasting funding or becoming dependent.
Disability is rarely consistent.
Capacity is not simply asking, “Can they physically do it?” It also includes executive functioning, fatigue, pain, sensory regulation, mental health, motivation, emotional regulation, safety, cognition and the consequences of using that energy elsewhere.
There also seems to be a growing misconception that support workers shouldn’t be cooking, cleaning or doing laundry. Those are legitimate disability supports for many participants. If a participant’s disability prevents them from completing those tasks safely or consistently, then assisting with them may be exactly what they are funded for.
Being a support worker doesn’t mean every minute of every shift has to be spent teaching or building capacity. Core supports exist to support people with disability in their daily lives. Capacity building is important where appropriate, but it is not the sole purpose of every support shift.
Finally, qualifications do not automatically make someone a better support worker. Some of the best support workers I’ve met have no formal qualifications but have exceptional empathy, respect and the ability to listen. Likewise, I’ve met highly qualified workers who believed they knew better than the participant. A certificate cannot teach humility.
The participant is the expert in their own life.
Support work isn’t about proving what someone can do. It’s about supporting them with what they need, when they need it, in a way that respects their dignity, autonomy and individual circumstances.
If we start from that principle, everyone benefits.
Take this as a teaching moment.
I copied this from another NDIS page.
It was written by Phillippa Smoker
