Ben is one of Hireup’s first Melbourne users, joining the platform in 2016. After initially joining to find support to complete a First Aid Course, Ben now has a team of HIreup support workers he calls upon for a range of activities, from swimming and social support to cooking and transport.
When it comes to looking for support workers, Ben’s mum Flora says it’s all about reliability and having a great experience rather than just ‘care’. “We want reliability and the compassion that I know someone can support Ben with responsibility and due diligence, as if I was there. I think Ben would prefer to spend a day with fun and experiences rather than just care, so we look for the experiences, training and development for Ben.”
For Ben, it’s about the ability to view profiles and then have the choice to decide who supports him. “I like to pick my own support workers,” he says.
One of those support workers is Warren, who met Ben on Hireup about two years ago. Together, their weekly booking involves grocery shopping, cooking, and putting together Ben’s radio program he hosts on 94.1 3WCB, ‘Everyday People.’
“I do the show with my mum and Warren,” says Ben. “We talk about disability issues, like how I moved out of home.”
Ben lives in a share house in Melbourne; moving out of the family home was a goal Flora says they harboured for a long time. “It was scary, but our goal was always for Ben to move out at around 30. There are moments when Ben wants to come home and enjoy his father’s cooking, but he comes home to visit on the weekend so he doesn’t totally miss out!”
The connection between Ben and Warren is clear. “We get along very well...he’s a good friend to be with” says Ben. “I taught Warren not to do things for myself.”
Warren echoes that sentiment:
“I should support him rather than do it for him. I just love it, there’s a sense of satisfaction for me.”
The type of support and the workers you book, is entirely up to you. Find out more about how Hireup works and how to get started, today.
Get started with Hireup today and pick your own workers.
