Author: Manager

The skills of a support worker are essential when caring for others. Professionals working in social work often rely on a combination of soft and hard skills to take on their responsibility. If you are pursuing a career as a support worker, developing your skills in advance will help you achieve positive outcomes

Consider the following examples of qualities and skills of a support worker you can develop to be successful in your career:

Customer Service and Communication Skills

A customer service mindset is extremely important when supporting people with disability reach their goals, make their own decisions and to live their lives independently. Customer service skills go hand in hand with communication skills. Having the ability to communicate clearly with others is important in a support role. Your ability to listen to others and understand various perspectives is a great skill that can help you better develop support plans, establish goals, and collaborate with others.

Relationship Building Skills

You should be genuinely good with people and have the ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships. Relationship building skills are vital for gaining the trust of your client, establishing open communication, and building lasting relationships. It is also important that support workers develop patience, understanding, and effective conflict-resolution techniques to help navigate challenging situations.

Attention to Detail

Time management and organisational skills are critical in the role of a support worker. Many supports professionals work with multiple clients a day, coordinating schedules, files, and care plans with team members and supervisors. An attention to detail is necessary to also coordinate medical care for your clients, work with medical providers, and incorporate any health-related plans when caring for clients.

Life Experience and Transferrable Skills

Our clients look for support workers who share common interests, which can be extremely important when you are assisting them to participate in their local community and to achieve their personal goals. Life experience can also be invaluable, for example, return-to-work parents who have had experience supporting someone with disability, can have great transferable skills.

Leadership Skills

Providing guidance and motivating others are great examples of how your leadership skills can apply to a career as a support worker. Many support workers take on leadership responsibilities and often develop the skills necessary to succeed in these roles. When working with clients, you are often required to provide input, organise activities, and guide individuals in their performance. In these cases, your leadership skills are necessary.

The Right Qualifications

Most disability service provides require that you have the correct qualifications in disability or community services. This may be a Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33015) or a Certificate IV in Disability (CHC43115). You can get the necessary qualifications from a wide range of registered training organisations including Open Colleges, and TAFE. A Certificate IV in Disability will generally take you 27 weeks full-time to complete and may involve a study commitment of about 22 hours per week (which includes class participation, directed study and any required work placements).

So, do you think you have what it takes to be a great support worker? With the growing need for support worker jobs Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Newcastle’s Nextt teams are searching for new talent to join our community. Visit our careers page to see our current roles available.

At Nextt, we are proud to have supported over 150 people find the right home suitable for their lifestyle and support needs, including those living in the wonderful city of Melbourne.

Did you know that Melbourne has been ranked as Australia’s most liveable city? Locals love living in Melbourne as they can enjoy a safe city, affordable healthcare, great education, and a healthy environment. One of the main benefits of living in Melbourne is its range of world-class health and wellbeing services available.

At Nextt, we provide you with disability housing options suited to your needs. We carefully match tenants based on common interests and backgrounds and work with all our clients to ensure a smooth transition.

We currently have a variety of supported independent living (SIL) and specialist disability accommodation (SDA) vacancies in Melbourne, including:

 

Officer

Located in the thriving southeast of Melbourne, Officer combines a tranquil country setting with the ease of modern living. The home features three bedrooms, including overnight assistance. Open plan living areas, a large modern kitchen, and a beautiful outdoor area. With public transport close by and access to the Princes Highway, Princes Freeway and Pakenham Bypass. Friends, family and all the things you need are just a short drive away. There are also many shops, amenities and parklands are close to home, allowing you to live a life of comfort and convenience.

Click here to learn more about this property.

Richmond

In the heart of Richmond, Nextt and Guardian Living have an upcoming vacancy for this two-bedroom apartment. The SDA apartments are specially designed for people who require high physical support or fully accessible and are rated to ‘Platinum Plus’ standards in line with the Liveable Housing Australia Guidelines. The apartments are nearby the Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre, overlooking the stunning Yarra River and only a short train or tram ride to Melbourne’s famous sporting precinct and the CBD.

Click here to learn more about this property.

Croydon

We’re looking for someone to share a supported independent living home with our tenants at Croydon, Melbourne. The house is a one-story home with four bedrooms with built-in robes, and two bathrooms, and you will get your own bedroom. Our existing tenants are male aged 20-30, with a range of interests including arts and crafts, puzzles, YouTube, Nintendo games and going for walks. We are looking for a male housemate of a similar age who may share some common interests.

Click here to learn more about this property.

Westmeadows

Our Westmeadows SIL vacancy is supported by Nextt and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. The current residents are female, who enjoy listening to music, dancing, and socialising. We are looking for a female housemate aged 30-40, who is respectful of privacy and would like to participate in activities. Located in a quiet court in the suburb of Westmeadows, this tidy 3 Bedroom house with large yard is waiting for you to call home. With air-conditioning and heating throughout, it ticks all the boxes.

Click here to learn more about this property.

Once your eligibility for SIL has been established, it is time to find the right home, and housemates for you to move in with. Nextt currently support many people living in disability accommodation, we have a team of professionals available to support you in starting this process. Call us on 1300 369 568, or register your interest here, for more information.

 

 

I’d like to introduce you to Alynn.  Alynn was working part-time as a HR Manager while also caring for her husband who had onset dementia.

Alynn’s story begins after having heart surgery.  She felt tired and she wasn’t managing at work. She started losing mobility and slowly lost her speech.  Eventually Alynn lost the use of her left side. In January 2021, Alynn was admitted to the Flinders Medical Centre where she was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND); a medical condition in which there is a problem with the functioning of the nervous system and how the brain and body sends and/or receives signals.  As a result of this condition, Alynn lost her memory and she found it difficult to read and process everyday things.

Doctors at the Flinders Medical Centre suggested a physio twice a day, weekly occupational therapist sessions and daily speech therapy.  Alynn was transferred to Griffith Rehabilitation Hospital, where she started her rehabilitation.  She started feeling better and was transferred into Respite Accommodation where she stayed for 5 weeks, sharing accommodation with an older gentlemen with Intellectual Disability.  While there, without having any supports, Alynn’s health deteriorated. She became extremely depressed due to the environment she was living in and thought her life was over.  Alynn was suffering a migraine for 3 days before having a visit from her daughter, who was informed no-one had checked on Alynn at all.  Alynn was immediately transferred to the Adelaide Clinic where she started feeling better.  She was then transferred to an apartment at Glenelg but again, there were no on-site supports, Alynn was forgetting to eat and even tried cooking a meal but burnt both her hands moving a hot pot from the stove.

As a result of the unsafe environment, Alynn was then moved to the Adelaide Clinic before moving into her new home at Bowden.  Working with Summer Foundation and Enliven Housing, Alynn found an apartment to call her forever home.

Alynn told her onsite support staff from Nextt that she had not had a haircut in almost 18 months due to being hospitalised. She was cutting her own fringe during this time as she has always been known to have a fringe.  Prior to her diagnosis, Alynn was getting regular 6 weekly cuts and colours. 

Nextt’s Service Leader Litza asked Alynn if she would like to make an appointment with a hairdresser to have her fringe cut.  Alynn agreed.  On the day, Alynn stated that her family had been texting her all morning wishing her well and Alynn herself was super excited.

Alynn took before and after photos of her first haircut in 18 months and recently said, with a beaming smile:  “I still think I look hot every day”. 

What is Attendant Care?

Attendant care workers provide support and assistance for people living with disability to manage their essential and routine activities of daily living. When it comes to attendant care, your plan will be uniquely created for you and your goals. Attendant care can cover a wide range of supports. For some, it may simply be personal care, whilst for others, it may also involve assistance and support to make decisions, support with regulating emotions and navigating daily life, encouragement to increase independence with personal and domestic tasks, support in attending treatment/therapies and emotional support to manage challenging situations.

How can attendant care support you?

Usually, attendant care services are provided to assist people with activities including:

• Personal care such as bathing or dressing,
• Domestic tasks, such as meal preparation, and cleaning,
• Help to attend your injury-related treatment, and rehabilitation appointments or activities,
• Support with engaging in family or community activities,
• Registered nursing assistance,
• General maintenance of your home and gardening.

Requesting Attendant Care

Your need for attendant care will be assessed when you initially access the supports in your state. In NSW, the Lifetime Care scheme, based on your needs at that time. A care needs assessor (a health professional, such as an occupational therapist) will identify your support needs. They will meet with you and your family at your home to discuss your needs. They may also speak to your case manager, and any other service providers working with you to make sure they have a full picture of your support requirements.

Other states will have a similar process.

The care needs assessor will then create a report and request for the services to meet the support needs related to your injury. The type of attendant care available depends on:

• Your needs related to your injury
• Your goals for what you want to do and achieve
• Your personal and home circumstances

 

The characteristics of good attendant care workers and services include:

• Keeping your specific support requirements at the centre of planning and delivery of services.
• Working with you to achieve your goals to increase and/or maintain independence.

At Nextt, we are one of the largest providers of attendant care with an excellent reputation for providing complex supports for participants with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and Spinal Cord Injury (SCI).

Our expertise in attendant care makes sure that every person will receive the best possible service and disability support to help them live as independent as possible. We support people on an interim basis to aid recovery or on a more permanent basis in the event of long-term injury.

Nextt and Dolleina are approved attendant care providers for iCare, TAC, LifeTime Support Authority and NIISQ

across several states  with experienced staff and high-quality services in all locations. If you are not currently receiving attendant care, but would like support to access this, or you are seeking to change your attendant care provider, contact Nextt today.

When searching for the right attendant care provider it is important that the organisation has the skills and capacity to deliver high-quality services for people with complex support needs, including brain and spinal cord injuries. It should also be someone who you feel comfortable with.

It is important to consider which attendant care provider meets your specific needs and can provide services in your location.

Consider the following:

• Is the provider local to your area?
• Will they be familiar to the community and resources near you?
• What types of services do they deliver?
• Do they have experience in helping people with your type of support needs?
• How do you contact them after hours or in an emergency?
• Are there ways you can be involved in choosing your support workers?

Different Types of Support  

The types of disability support offered by your attendant care provider can be describe in the following categories:

• High intensity physical support: May include supports such catheter management, complex bowel care, PEG feeding etc These supports require support workers that have specialist competencies
• Physical support: Can include physical supports such as transferring, mobility and personal care.
• Cognitive and behavioural support: Can include supports such as prompting, supervision, or strategies to help with memory, organisation, and behaviour.
• Registered nursing: May include supports such as managing your oxygen or a ventilator, complex wound management, or injections etc – any tasks that must be performed by a registered nurse.

Getting Started

Once you choose an attendant care provider, they will explain how their service works and will discuss with you what tasks will be included. It is up to you and your provider to discuss the final details of your support, such as responding to emergencies, preferred support procedures, and scheduling visits.

It is important that you get the most out of your service. At Nextt, we will schedule regular reviews to ensure that we make any changes that are needed overtime. The services you receive can be adjusted when needed to make sure that they are still appropriate for your needs.

Attendant Care at Nextt

Nextt is one of the largest providers of attendant care in Australia. We have gained a wonderful reputation for providing complex supports for people with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Our experience ensures that each person is provided with the right supports and service to live as independently as possible. We can provide supports on both an interim basis to aid recovery, or on a more permanent basis in the event of long-term injury.

We are an approved attendant care provider for iCare, TAC, LifeTime Support Authority and NIISQ across several states  with experienced staff and high-quality services in all locations. If you are not currently receiving attendant care, but would like support to access this, or you are seeking to change your attendant care provider, contact Nextt today.

Jason, one of our amazing clients from Victoria, recently represented Nextt at the Melbourne Disability Expo, where he discussed how we are supporting him to get more out of life. 

Jason’s story highlights some of the great work we are doing with INDIE, where we capture client goals and support clients to achieve them. 

Jason’s goals are:

• I want to be lean and fit
• I want to get out in the community more
• I want to work on my hobbies more and eventually perform live music
• I would like to build my skills to be self employed

With the support of our local service team, Jason has been attending sewing classes on Fridays, exercise physiology on Wednesdays and he tops it all off with regular band practice. This has helped him stay motivated and well on track to achieving his goals. 

Jason has also recently started his own fashion label!

Check out this video of him showing off his latest fashion line and playing his saxophone at the expo. 

This is another great example of how our service teams are making a measurable difference in our client’s lives!

Did you know that almost 4,000 Australians under the age of 65 are living in permanent residential aged care, and some of these people are as young as 45? These Australians have found themselves in nursing homes because suitable settings have not been available to meet their needs. Living in residential aged care as a younger person often results in social isolation, disconnection from community, increases in poor mental health outcomes, and even deterioration of their physical health.

On 25^th of November 2019, the Australian Prime Minister announced that the government is working to stop the flow of younger people (under the age of 65) going into residential aged care, and to help move young people already living in aged care to age-appropriate accommodation and support. 

The Government established a Joint Agency Taskforce between the Department of Social Services, Department of Health and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). The Taskforce has established the Younger People in Residential Aged Care Strategy 2020–2025.

In February 2022, changes were made to the aged care assessment pathway for younger people wanting to access Australian Government-funded aged care services. These changes make sure that young people will have support to explore other accommodation and support options more suitable to their care needs. This also includes supporting young people to assess their eligibility for the  (NDIS).  

Judith’s story

After suffering from a stroke over 23 years ago, Judy ended up in an aged care nursing facility. She was in her early forties at the time and felt she didn’t really belong.  She didn’t identify with the other people living in the aged care facility, she didn’t engage in activities and as a result she lost track of the outside world.

Today Judy lives in her home that is a Specialist Disability Accommodation Apartment with Supported Independent Living Supports in Sydney.  With the support of Nextt, she has regained her confidence; is much more independent and feels in control of the choices she makes in her own home.  Visit our ‘Client Stories’ page to see more about Judy’s story.

What these changes mean for you

According to Ellen Perkins, General Manager Business Development for Nextt, these changes are a positive step forward.  They will help to ensure that younger people with disability can access appropriate supports and that they will be able to live independently in accommodation settings that better suit their needs.

“Many people with disability are simply not aware that alternative housing options are available to them or the process to access this housing is incredibly complex and cumbersome,” Ellen said.  “They may have ended up in aged care as that may have been the only option available at the time.  However, there are a growing number of housing options available, including options that allow people with disability to live independently in their own home, or to share accommodation with others.  These include Specialist Disability Accommodation with Supported Independent Living Services, Independent Living Options as well as some supports that are available under Core Supports funding.”

Ellen said that it was best to check with your Support Coordinator to apply for these types of funding under your NDIS plan review.  You will need allied health evidence such as an OT assessment to determine the level of support you need and whether you’re eligible for these types of funding.

How Nextt can help

If you are currently under the age of 65 and living in permanent residential aged care, or if you’d like to find out more about disability service options that better meet your needs, please contact Nextt on 1300 369 568. 

If you don’t currently have a support coordinator, we may be able to provide you with one who can support you to maximise the benefits of your NDIS plan.  Or we can work with you and your current support coordinator to explore different disability housing options that are available.

Supported Independent Living (SIL) is a type of support that helps you live independently in your own home, often in a shared arrangement, especially if you need some level of support at home all the time. Everyone who gets SIL is funded individually, based on the amount of support that you need.

So, how do you know if SIL is the best option for you?

Supported Independent Living is best suited for people living with disability who have higher support needs. This means you may need a significant amount of help throughout the day, as well as overnight support.  SIL includes the help or supervision with daily tasks, such as personal care, or cooking meals. Our support workers will assist you to live as independently as possible, while building your skills.

To ensure you receive the right supports and funding, NDIS encourages people  to complete a Home and Living support application, have an assessment by an OT and/or access support to apply through you support coordinator to apply. This provides the NDIS with the information about your current and future home and living goals, as well as your support needs, and will help them decide what home and living supports can be funded.

When deciding if SIL is necessary for you, NDIS will take under consideration:

• How old you are,
• How much support you need in your home every day, and
• If you meet the NDIS funding criteria. Nextt can support you to determine your eligibility for funding.

Supported Independent Living at Nextt

Once the NDIS has deemed determined SIL to be the right option for you, our team at Nextt will work with you to find an accommodation and support solution that best suits your needs.

Our SIL team will take the time to know you, and if you are going to be sharing with others, carefully match you with the right people who share similar interests, personalities, and goals.

We also have a strong focus on locating a home in a location and with features that suits each individuals needs and requirements.

For more information on Nextt’s supported independent living options, click here. Or to view our SIL vacancies, click here. Or please call us on 1300 369 568 for further information on Nextt’s range of disability services.

We are very proud to announce that Nextt’s very own support coordinator, Narelle Fairweather has been nominated as the ‘Most Outstanding Support Coordinator’ in the 2022 Australian Disability Service Conference and Awards (ADSCA). The ADSCA recognises excellence and innovation in the disability services sector.

Over the past six months, Narelle has introduced 20 National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants to their local real estate agents, she has been able to break down perceptions and barriers and open up the possibility for her clients with disability to find their forever homes on the rental accommodation market.

Narelle has saved people at risk of homelessness and placed them into homes where they have been able to thrive and grow. Narelle explained how she made this all possible, she said:

“We trialled with one NDIS participant organising a meeting with them and the real estate agent – they got to connect with each other and discuss what was required… from there we organised a meeting to include a representative from the NDIS. This gave the real estate agent an understanding of how NDIS services, supports and funding works. The participant’s occupational therapist also met with the agent to get a clear understanding of what was physically needed in a potential rental home”

This is just one example of the steps Narelle takes to create positive, meaningful outcomes, and enhance the lives of many of her clients.

Narelle is one of 35 Award finalists, and one of three in the category Most Outstanding Support Coordinator. The Awards are being organised by One Community and co-founder Shelley Youman declares that it’s high time industry leaders such as Narelle, and the wider disability service sector, are acknowledged for their excellence and innovation.

“The Australian Disability Service Awards will do just that. Credit needs to be given to the amazing people, businesses, programs, and innovations that we see in this industry,” says Shelley.

“It is an industry where people put their heart and soul into what they are doing. Because ultimately the end result is that people’s lives are improved.”

Narelle’s efforts reflect Nextt’s client vision and purpose and emphasises how we support our clients to get more out of life.

Are you thinking about a career in disability support? Starting a career as a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) disability support worker can be an extremely rewarding career path, where you will make a wonderful impact and add value to people’s lives.

According to the Australian Government Labour Market Information portal, healthcare and social assistance is currently the largest employment sector within Australia accounting for approximately 15% of the total workforce. If you are searching for a long-term career in a job that can lead to new opportunities, Disability Support Work is a great path to follow.

So, what can you expect from the role?

The greatest thing about working as a support worker is that no two days are ever the same. The day-to-day role of a support worker differs depending on the needs of the person they are supporting. This may include helping someone carry out their daily tasks to take care of themselves, teaching new skills, providing emotional support, and ensuring that they are living a fulfilled life.

Some of the duties and tasks you will do include:

• Assisting people with daily living, focusing on self-care
• Supporting clients to develop skills and participate in community activities.
• Facilitating daily personal hygiene and dressing tasks.
• Performing home based tasks such as cooking and housework.
• Implementing a client-centred approach in delivering support and services.
• Providing community access to clients to improve confidence and social skills,
• Assistance with manual handling tasks.
• Providing friendship and emotional support.
• Working with other healthcare professionals to ensure that all care needs meet the highest possible standards.

The flexibility of this role stands out to many people, as you are able to work on both weekdays and weekends, and in the evening depending on the needs of the client, and your personal lifestyle. As a Nextt support worker, you will receive regular ongoing work with participants who match your skills and interests. We pride ourselves on our supportive environment and professional team that believes in constant improvement and self-development.

What training is offered?

At Nextt, our support workers are provided with a wide range of training to develop the core skills needed to deliver service excellence in their role, this includes:

• Foundational skills training.
• Work safety training.
• Restrictive practices training.
• Complex behaviour training.
• Negotiation training.

Is there opportunity for career progression?

In the disability services industry, there is a lot of room for career progression. When you join our team at Nextt, you work in a flexible, supportive environment that invests heavily in the ongoing training and accreditation of our talented people.

Nextt has a range of ongoing opportunities to build your career. Visit our careers page to see our current roles available.

For more information on joining our disability support worker team, download our free guide, or contact us on 1300 576 097 and receive advice from one of our friendly team members.