What clients want to know about their disability support workers
Written by Hireup client, Catherine C
My support worker and I were looking through the profiles of applicants. “Another oatmeal one,” we’d say. “More oatmeal, oh dear.” And rarely, “Ooh, this one is good. Message them!” You can probably guess what we meant by oatmeal - the vast majority of profiles we read were effectively identical, and all very bland. Worst, they didn’t tell us most of what we needed to know in order to choose a new support worker.
Unless I am desperately low on applicants, I never bother to reach out to the oatmeal ones. Let’s make sure you’re one of the ones who gets contacted.
The basics
Whether in the ‘about’ field or the other ones, your potential clients will need to know:
- Relevant qualifications/skills/driver’s licence/etc
- Your availability
- How far away you’re based
We certainly don’t mind learning a little about you: kids, pets, previous working experience, and so on, but it’s not 100 per cent necessary - if we work together we’ll learn about each other then. Keep this short for now, max one paragraph.
Let’s take the guesswork out and improve the experience for both of us. The below isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s a very good start. Other questions can be answered in messages once we’re already interested in you.
Does your style mesh with mine (And my disability?)
We’re going to describe (and prove) the qualities where there is no universal “right” answer, only what is right for me, the client.
A non-exhaustive list:
- Chatty versus quiet
- Upbeat versus relaxed
- Super-organised versus go-with-the-flow
- Intimate versus detached
- Predictable versus spontaneous
- Comforting versus matter-of-fact
What is the right option? Whichever suits my personality and my disability needs. For instance, if I have chronic pain I might like someone energetic to help me get motivated to move, or I might find that enthusiasm overwhelming and prefer someone more low-key. Most clients will know their own preferences (especially if you aren’t their first support worker), your job is to help us know which qualities you have.
How do you do this?
Start with a paragraph in your Hireup profile ‘about’ section.
Here’s an example to get you started: “As a support worker I am never flustered. If we have multiple items to organise I will write a list with you, put it into a priority order, and get it done methodically. My clients call me “a tower of strength” and say it’s a relief to put their lives into my hands. They’re confident that I won’t miss anything.”
Here’s another pretend example, just to contrast: “I am energetic all the time. One task done? Great! I’ll check in and then I’m off to the next one. My clients and I have dance parties break out all the time. They say that spending time with me goes by super fast.”
Second, write in the same way you talk. I know that as soon as you look into that empty text box a strange magic occurs and you forget how to write conversationally (if that doesn’t happen to you then I salute you! You are very rare). Read your profile out loud and that will tell you if it sounds natural.
It doesn’t need to be perfect, but the closer you can get to your actual tone and words, the easier it is for us to learn who you really are and whether you will match with us.
Do you have limitations that might affect my care?
Please save us both a lot of time on this. If a client needs you to move heavy items every shift (this could include bed/chair transfer, or less obvious tasks like grocery shopping and carrying a vacuum cleaner upstairs, etc) then we need to know if you have lower back problems.
If we’re going to be relying on you for transport, we need to know if you have a terrible sense of direction and get lost at the drop of a hat.
If we need super-reliable care, we need to know that you have three children under five.
This allows us to make informed decisions. We might still hire you, but with some limits on your duties or we might decide to choose someone else. Either way, neither of us are served by you not telling us about any physical, mental health or other potential issues that are likely to affect our care.
Don’t over explain or apologise for them, of course! We don’t apologise for our disability and neither should you.
How do you do this?
Just mention them. An example: “If a shift is longer than 3 hours, I will need to eat a snack that I will bring with me. I usually do this while multitasking, but it never takes longer than a couple of minutes. I will happily accommodate any requirements about not bringing allergens into the home, etc.”
Will I be comfortable sharing intimate details with you?
Our relationship with our support workers is, by necessity, one of the most intimate of our lives. There is literally no part of our life you might not be close to, including all the most vulnerable parts: finances, sexuality, our naked bodies, medical issues, any weaknesses we are embarrassed about, all of it.
We already know that you are professional, and that’s a good start. But when sharing these vulnerable parts of ourselves, professionalism isn’t enough to make us comfortable with it. (We’ve all had one of those doctors, right?) And we would much prefer to know that you’re going to take our details the right way.
What’s the right way? With respect, confidentiality and - if you ask me, most of all - a calm acceptance that says, “This is all completely normal.” Most disabled people have had far too much experience in being treated like freaks and weirdos and we really don’t want it from the people who are there to support us.
Let us know it’s safe to tell you about ourselves.
How do you do this?
First, you need to acknowledge if there are complications. If you have strong beliefs in regards to sexual and gender identities, say so in your profile so LGBTQIA+ clients can decide if they’d be comfortable with you, and vice versa. If you aren’t comfortable handling other people’s money, say so.
Second, open the doors to us sharing our vulnerable details by doing so yourself. It doesn’t need to be a whole novel, and certainly nothing you’re not comfortable putting on the internet. Something just a little bit awkward would be perfect.
An example: “When I was eleven I was on a kid’s game show and I burped on TV. Took me years to live it down.”
How to improve your profile
Go through your profile and delete any statement about yourself where no-one would ever claim the opposite. Such as:
- I love helping people
- I’m honest and reliable
- I care about accessibility and inclusion
Firstly, we already assume all those things are true. You wouldn’t have chosen this work if they weren’t. Secondly, all support workers have been vetted and checked out by Hireup. You’re decently reliable, punctual, trustworthy and respectful, or you wouldn’t be on the list in the first place. (Or not for long, at least!) And lastly, have you ever trusted someone just because they SAY they’re trustworthy? At best these claims are true but obvious; at worst, they’re deceptive. Either way, no-one reading your profile gives them much weight. They’re useless words.
Instead, we’re going to prove these qualities instead of just listing them; it’s much more compelling and believable that way. The rest of the advice below will build more proof. As a first demonstration, tell us a small story about your favourite moment with a client, either a recurring one or a specific one. An example: “My favourite moment with a client is when they can see they’ve made progress on their goals. Recently, a client who is in rehabilitation took their first unaided steps after a year of hard work. We both cried and celebrated together.” You could stop here and have a profile that’s already better than most others. But why be good when you can be great?
