What is it like working with a support worker in the community.

 This is going to be a short and sweet post and a post that I wanted to do and it is because people are starting to see support workers as not something to be ashamed of but they starting to be seen as a normal thing that people with a disability that have access to the NDIS might choose to use there are several forms of support and this is where things get complex.

One is housing so this is mainly Sil housing ( supported independent living)  that has been established by a support provider and this depends on the person's needs and funding ratios, this is where ratios of support come in so this could be that you are either a 1:3 so that being one support worker to three clients, or a 1:2 or needing around the clock care being a 1:1 so this being one person to one support worker but in a housing situation its very rare. 

I don’t like the term parents as we are the main character in our lives and not just a participant this is why I use client I know in some international government-run care programs they do use the term service user and this is great but a mouth full, it’s also gender neutral and includes family as well.

But then there are a couple of other options one being community access, This is where the person's sole job is to help you to access the community which could be going to the gym, pool, or other social activities, It’s going to my family and friend house at times, it could be volunteering. It could be doing jobs such as groceries, paying bills, and going for a walk or a drive, it could be picking them up from school, work, or other activities and dropping them home.

We see that there is another type of combined support and this is Hacs which stands for Home and community support this is much more common where a person has one agency that does both the housing support and the community access such as a day center or a social group or even taking the person to school, work or TAFE if that is what the person is doing.

We also see that there is another option but more common is to use an agency using a private support worker and coming up with a private agreement this is risky due to the client only using one person and having to build a team, but if a person can’t find the “ right” agency fit this is a great solution and is becoming more of a sustainable option as well.

But in working with a support worker, you need to have a few basics down, and I will be honest and say I have broken a few of these as well so I am also writing this as a reminder to myself.

·       Treating them with respect and kindness but not taking advantage of them

·       Remember that this is their work and if you live in a cell that is their workplace so be aware of that.

·       To be honest and open about your needs and respect that you might have to wait your turn to gain support to do things.

·       Not leaving things to the last minute to tell them and creating panic around it.

·       Respect their time and boundaries so as not to ask them to do things at the last minute and make them late for the next shift.

·       If they are taking you out remember your boundaries and not wander off

·       Being able to take not as an answer when asking for things.

·       Remember that they are paid to support you and that they need to attend to their basic needs as well.

 

As I said this is short but sweet and, in the comments, please add your suggestions on how to effectively work with a support worker I am learning more and more each day.