4 common mistakes people are making when choosing a support worker
A support worker can be a life changing addition to an individual or family. At Careseekers we are extremely committed to making the right match and constantly see the benefits that come from engaging the right support worker:
- Consistent support from the same people
- A participant who achieves their goals - whether is is getting out into the community to leading a completely independent life
- Respite for a carer
On the other hand we see people having misconceptions about the criteria a support worker has to has resulting in the wrong choice of support worker and leads to high turnover of support workers and inconsistency for everyone involved. We wanted to share these mistakes with you to take on board when you choose your next support worker
1. I need a support worker who lives close by
We often speak to users who are determined to find a local worker as they are worried about the care worker getting to their house. However in reality most people don’t have the luxuty of working in the suburb that they live in and the best support worker for YOU or your family member may not be in your suburb. By broadening your search you may increase your chances of a good match.
2. My support worker MUST have certain qualifications
On the Careseekers platform you can clearly see what qualifications a support worker has. However sometimes the person with the perfect temperament for you may have other experience e.g. perhaps they are mature and can handle situations with sensitivity or maybe they have lived experience of supporting someone with a disability and understand things you could NEVER learn in a classroom. Take Geanne for example, she is a mother of four and worked in real estate for decades. Now that her children are grown she has moved into delivering care and support and is working for clients all over Sydney!
3. I need a support worker who drives
Yes a car may sometimes be absolutely essential but there also may be situations where a support worker would tick all the boxes for somebody other than being able to drive. Here are some creative ways to use a support worker who doesn’t drive
You could use it as an opportunity to show someone how to navigate public transport in their area and travel to activities on the bus or train, or even better make it part of the excursion.
Use Taxis or Uber - your NDIS funding may even have a travel allowance that gets deposited directly into your account.
See the positive - for people living in high density areas with little parking it may even be more cost effective and time efficient to not have to spend half the shift looking for parking.
4) I only want to employ the support worker directly
Some people think that by employing the worker they have more control of the situation. On Careseekers you engage the support worker as an independent contractor, their insurance is covered by the platform, all your support workers submit invoices in the same format and the platform is so clever it send the invoices straight to whoever is paying - whether that is you, your plan manager or the NDIA. However you get control over everything to do with managing the support including negotiating rates, creating the role and deciding when and where the support is delivered.
If you would like some help to create a team of support workers that are right for you please begin by posting a job or calling the Careseekers Team on 1300 765 465.
To become a care or support worker, please visit www.careseekers.com.au/carer
To find aged care services, please visit https://www.careseekers.com.au/services/aged-care-workers
To find disability support services, please visit https://www.careseekers.com.au/services/disability-support-workers