How to choose an NDIS Support Worker for your child

As a parent, choosing an NDIS support worker for your child can feel like an overwhelming decision. We have written this resource to help you understand what your options are and to help guide you through the process of finding the right support worker for your child.

Note for the purposes of this resource, we consider a child to be anyone under 18 years of age. Typically children receive more NDIS funding for support as they get older. The early years are considered to warrant ‘parental support’, but the NDIS will provide support funding for children with more complex needs.

In this resource we will cover the following topics about support workers for children in the NDIS:

What can a Support Worker help my child with?

Before exploring NDIS support worker options, have a think about your child’s day to day activities and what difficulties they may be experiencing across daily life by asking yourself these questions:

What are my child’s day to day activities – what makes up their daily life and what is important to them?
What difficulties do they have across their usual activities – what do they struggle with or need help with?
Are the challenges they experience related to their disability? The NDIS will only fund reasonable and necessary supports that are related to your child’s disability. For example challenges with personabl care and mobility.
What support does my child need so that they can reach their goals? Decide what additional support your child needs to help them achieve the goals in their NDIS plan. For example: a support worker that helps them access community events independently.

How do I find a Support Worker for my child?

Here are our top tips for finding a support worker in the NDIS:

Use reputable platforms like MyCareSpace where a personalised team will do the search for you and give you options that suit your child’s needs.

How do I choose the right Support Worker for my child?

Meeting and interviewing a support worker BEFORE you engage them is essential. Here are our top tips to help you when you meet potential NDIS support workers for the first time.

Do it at a time that suits you. You are the customer. Make sure you are relaxed and ready to meet them. Reschedule if something comes up.
You don’t need to decide whether to hire them on the spot – don’t feel pressured. You can let them know later or tomorrow.
Do not ask YES and NO questions. Ask open questions that require a more detailed answer.
For example: What experience have you had supporting autisic children? What have you found most challenging? What do you do if a child has a meltdown? What would you do if a chid refuses to get into a car?
Ask questions that relate to your child’d needs. For example: My child has a tendancy to put things in their mouth, how would you take care that they don’t swallow a choking hazard. My child loves trains, what would you suggest for a day out?
Ask about their future movements. If you are looking for continuity, you won’t want to engage someone who is leaving the country in a month or going on holiday soon.

Can a family member be a Support Worker for my child?

The NDIS will NOT fund a family member to provide personal care or community access supports UNLESS ALL other options to find a suitable provider of supports have been exhausted. The NDIS will need to review each case and give you permission to do so.

Generally, the NDIA will ONLY fund family members to provide supports in exceptional circumstances. For example, when:

there is a risk of harm or neglect to the participant.
there are religious or cultural reasons for funding a family member to provide supports; or
the participant has strong personal views, for example in relation to their privacy or dignity.

This is a written rule in the NDIS and if you get caught paying family members without their permission, you will need to repay all the NDIS funds you have paid to family members.

Do I need an NDIS service agreement when I hire a Support Worker?

When you engage with a support worker, it is important that you are provided with a Service Agreement and a clear understanding on what the support worker is doing, how much you are paying and what the cancellation rates are. Even if you have a more casual arrangement, it’s best to make sure everyone is on the same page to avoid arguments (and lost funding) later.

Why do I need an NDIS Service Agreement is a fantastic resource that outlines why having a service agreement with each of your providers is so important.

The NDIA recommends having a written service agreement so participants and providers are clear about what each party has agreed to. Further your understanding by reviewing your Rights and Responsibilities as an NDIS Participant.

Are a Support Worker and a Baby Sitter the same thing?

Absolutely not.

A support worker is employed to provide disability support services. This term is often interchanged with carer, or support staff. They may have a certification in disability support or at least should have experience in supporting a young person with a disability. In the NDIS, a family member cannot be paid as a support worker.

Your child may receive support from a support worker inside or outside of the home.

Some children may require more than one support worker to complete a specific task (i.e. a showering routine involving the use of a mobile shower commode and ceiling hoist). This scenario would require a 2:1 ratio of support.

A baby sitter is someone who is paid casually (usually in cash) to ‘look after’ or ‘mind’ your child. They may not have any experience supporting a child with a disability and most likely won’t have any qualifications. A baby sitter usually comes to your home and can be a family member. A single child would not have more than 1 baby sitter at a time.

How much does a Support Worker cost in the NDIS?

Support worker rates change according to the time of the day, day of the week and whether it’s a public holiday or not.

You don’t need to pay NDIS rates. Negotiate rates with your support workers where possible.

Our partners at MyCareSpace have a wonderful resource with the latest support worker rates so you can see exactly how much funding you would receive to pay NDIS rates (NDIS funding amounts are based on these rates).

You don’t have to pay NDIS rates. You should negotiate your rates so you get more hours for your NDIS funding. This is especially true for more casual support arrangements.