Building your support team

The word ‘team’ is used in this article for a couple of reasons. Firstly, to actively and strongly encourage the use of more than one paid support person in the life of the person to be supported. More eyes, ears and minds are better and are a stronger safeguard against poor service delivery, poor treatment, abuse and/or neglect, all of which you want to avoid. Secondly, it also encourages the idea of ‘teamwork’, team effort and team morale, which require oversight, input and management on some level. Therefore, regardless of the avenue through which the paid support comes, you will have a role in managing them. Managing a team of support Managing people is not easy, it can be time consuming and effort intensive. However, it can also be very rewarding when you have the right people on the team and they are all clear about their roles and how they are to work together for the collective good of the person at the heart of the team. A team can be two people! And you as their superviso

If you have decided to engage someone in a paid support role, the next step is to decide the ‘what, where, when, who and how’ of support. What do you need support for? You will need to identify the tasks that the person you are recruiting will be carrying out as part of their job. These are the tasks that will go into the job advert and the position description. Remember, different people are good at different things. Are you looking for in-home or out-and-about support? Homemaking skills Assist with shopping, meal preparation and cooking Assist with all general cleaning of the home Encourage and assist with bed making, doing the laundry and hanging clothes on the line Assist with the gardening and yard maintenance. Community participation: Accompany them to a soccer game and facilitate participation Arrange a monthly night out to the theatre Accompany them to see live bands Assist them to learn to catch the bus to TAFE Arrange a weekend away every three months. Personal care

Mental wellbeing is a cornerstone of overall quality of life. For people living with disabilities, chronic conditions or the natural changes that come with ageing, it can be the difference between merely getting through the day and truly enjoying it. Good mental wellbeing isn't about being happy all the time. It's about having the resilience, connection and support to manage life's challenges while finding meaning and joy. And while professional healthcare plays a vital role, everyday encouragement, companionship and structure can be helpful in keeping spirits strong. This is where independent support workers can come in, by offering personalised, non-medical support that helps people stay connected, engaged and confident and by promoting mental wellbeing through daily routines, social interaction and meaningful activities. Key insights on mental wellbeing in older people and people with disabilities Quick takeaways to guide your approach Understand the scope. Mental wellbeing includ

Building a support team is a great way to make sure you get all the different types of support you need, when you need them. By choosing a lead support worker, you can easily manage your support team . This may include managing communication, rostering and other administrative tasks. What is a lead support worker? A lead support worker is someone you can nominate as a ‘team leader’ of your support team. This person can be from your existing support team or a new support worker you would like to engage, specifically to help you manage the team. Do I need a lead support worker? Managing a support team takes time and effort. If you have a team of support workers who: Come in at various times of the day or week Have different duties Have different support time durations. Then you may benefit from having a lead support worker. Your lead support worker can handle the day to day management tasks such as: Creating rosters of support Setting up buddy shifts with new support worke

Engaging support workers means letting the person into many aspects of your personal, day to day life. Clients and support workers often develop close working relationships that can feel like friendships. However, it is important to maintain professional boundaries with your support worker. But what are professional boundaries? What is a professional boundary? Professional boundaries are guidelines and rules put in place to make sure the relationship between you and your support worker is safe. When professional boundaries are not maintained, they can lead to problems such as: Becoming emotionally attached to a support worker Sharing information with a support worker when a client shouldn’t Considering the support worker a ‘friend’ Inappropriate situations in a support relationship. For instance, when a support worker asks a client to pay for their meals when going to a café for lunch Support workers who use your support time to get their own chores done. Not maintaining professional b

Finding the right support on Mable starts with a great job post. While our platform gives you the freedom to search for independent workers directly, posting a job allows you to be specific about your unique needs and preferences.  By booking and managing support through Mable : You have choice and control over who supports you, when and where they support you, and how much you pay for the support. You're safeguarded by Mable's strict approval and verification process, and the high-level suite of insurances arranged by Mable on behalf of support workers. There are two ways to book support workers on Mable: by searching for support workers or by posting a job on Mable. The benefit of posting a job post is that you can get really specific about your support needs. Explore our in-depth guide on how to post a job on Mable . In this article, we will look at some details you can include that can maximise your chances of finding support workers that meet all your support needs. 8 things

Once you have connected with a support worker on Mable, and mutually agreed upon the rates, services and schedule, the next step is to accept the service agreement that the support worker sends you. But what is a service agreement and what all should it include? What is a service agreement on Mable? An agreement is a document that outlines the terms relating to the support services, the rates of that service and the schedule of the support agreed upon mutually by you and your support worker. Your support worker will send you the agreement for you to review and accept. When they do so, you will receive a notification. To view the agreement and accept (or reject if you disagree with any of the terms in the agreement), login to your Mable account, go to your inbox and open the conversation with the support worker who has sent you the agreement. It’s very important you message within the platform for your safety, and to ensure insurance coverage is provided. The agreement must be a

Mable is an online platform that brings together people seeking paid disability and aged care support with people offering paid disability and aged care support. You can register on Mable to find, book and manage support for yourself or a person with disability – either by paying privately, or by using available government funding options, such as the NDIS or home care packages . With Mable, you can search for independent support workers in your local community, view the person’s profile, then choose the person or people who share your interests and suit your needs best. You can message, call or meet the person when deciding who is right for you. Find out how to build your support team . You can also post jobs or bring your existing support team to Mable. The support worker will need to set up their own Mable account and once they’re verified and approved, you’ll be able to hire them through the platform. Benefits of using Mable Choice and control Since the introduction of the NDIS

In this article, we explore why it's important to have a team of support workers, and some tips to assist you in building a great team of support using Mable. Why should you build a support team? Why is it not a good idea to rely on one worker only? People get sick, take holidays, aren't right, move on. Being reliant on one support worker could create vulnerability, and if they leave or are off sick for any length of time, what happens then? To help substitute if and when required It's better to have a second person (at least) who knows the ropes, who knows the person being supported, who is already part of the team and who may be able to step in and take on the additional hours to avoid gaps in support when and if needed. One size doesn't fit all The person who provides the necessary personal care support at home may not be the right person to attend a footy game on the weekend or to support a catch up with the grandkids. The roles are very different and require diff