If social work is a career path that appeals to you, you might have considered the option of becoming an NDIS support worker and providing disability services in Melbourne. The NDIS not just offers support to people living with disabilities of any kind but opens a world of opportunities for individuals who wish to earn a living while caring for people in need. So, if you want to engage with the NDIS as a support worker, we are here to help you out.
In this blog, find everything you need to know about becoming an NDIS support provider in Australia. Let’s get started.
The Role of an NDIS Support Worker
An NDIS support worker offers complete or partial support to all NDIS participants. An NDIS support worker could be anyone who is employed on a contractual, permanent, or volunteering basis to offer support to people with disabilities. They are passionate, skilled and empathetic individuals who dedicate their time and efforts to ensuring every individual’s growth, safety and well-being under their care.
The moment you sign up to become an NDIS support worker, you become responsible for assisting all the NDIS participants with their daily tasks and ensuring that nothing obstructs the proper flow of their everyday lives. The participants would look up to you as their caregiver, and therefore you would need to empathetically and skillfully cater to all their needs and requirements.
An NDIS support worker will offer diverse disability services in Melbourne or other areas, including:
- Assistance with daily activities like meal preparation, cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, gardening, etc.
- Travel assistance for their daily commutes and weekend getaways.
- Facilitate everyday personal hygiene activities.
- Ensuring engagement in community activities.
- Assistance with using assistive technologies if the need be.
- Helping them engage with their hobbies or other leisure activities.
- Offer expert and personalised medical care.
These are a few of the services that an NDIS support worker provides. All of them are then customised to meet the individual needs of every participant.
Eligibility Requirements to Become an NDIS support Worker
An NDIS support worker could now be a paid employee or an unpaid volunteer associated with any disability service providers in Melbourne, self-employed or even contractors. No matter which category you belong to, there are certain criteria that you need to meet. While there are no formal or educational qualifications, there are specific grounds for judging your eligibility to become a support worker.
This criterion would vary from one location to another like the NDIS in Tarneit would have a different set of rules than the NDIS in Point Cook, but the basic criteria include:
- Your formal educational qualification doesn’t matter much. Still, a vocational certification or VET training in a related field could be a good add-on, for instance, a certificate III in Individual Support. These certifications help you be more receptive to the needs of the participants and efficiently cater to their needs.
- In case you wish to offer high-intensive medical care like respiratory support, you need to have relevant certification and license.
- If you wish to stand apart from others applying for the role, you can complete your study in any related field like a bachelor’s in social work.
- If you aim to engage with NDIS in Tarneit as a support worker, your experience in the field might be a consideration. So, if getting a full-time role as an NDIS support worker seems like a tough nut to crack. You can join as a volunteer and build up your experience.
- More than your experience , what matters is how respectful and supportive you are towards the participants under your care. In every interview that you appear to offer disability support in Point cook, your empathy should show, and you need to establish how this is not just mere work but a cause that you strongly feel about.
- As a support worker, you will closely engage with caring for people with disabilities, so, you need to have a spot-free background to be eligible for the role. No individual with a criminal background of any kind will be deemed eligible for it. So, police checks are mandatory to decide your eligibility.
The Basic Qualities of an NDIS Support Worker
As an NDIS support worker, offering Disability services in Melbourne. You would need to exhibit some essential qualities that will ensure the well-being of all NDIS participants under your care. A support worker should be:
- Reliable
- Trustworthy
- Patient
- Positive
- Supportive
- Passionate
- Empathetic
- Respectful
This was a general guide to becoming an NDIS support worker in Australia. If this seems like the right career choice for you and a cause that you are passionate about. You can reach out to us at Horizon Access Care. Join our team and become an individual who brings a positive change into the life of all NDIS participants.
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