In the disability space, complex support refers to NDIS clients with higher support requirements. Some of this support can include:
- Manual handling
- Bowel care
- Tube feeding
- Positive behaviour support
On Hireup, clients can receive complex support, but providing these essential supports can be daunting to new support workers who haven’t had previous experience. That being said, complex support isn’t complicated or scary. Providing complex care is some of the most essential and rewarding work you can do as a disability support worker and teaching new workers is often well worth the effort, as Hireup support worker Jodie explains.
In 2019, Jodie left the corporate world behind to work as a disability support worker. While exploring Hireup’s jobs board, Jodie responded to a job post from Ilse, a Hireup account manager who wanted to fill an evening support shift for her daughter Amara, who is non-verbal and requires complex care.
“It was the job post that Ilse wrote that grabbed me,” says Jodie. “This shift appeared challenging, as I hadn’t worked with a client with high needs before and it was something I wanted to try.”
Amara’s complex support requirements included manual handling and tube feeding.
For Ilse, it was clear from the first meeting that Jodie would be perfect to support Amara. The fact that Jodie was new to complex support didn’t matter.
“My first meeting with Jodie was great,” says Ilse. “She was really comfortable and I think that's really important for us, that whoever comes in is comfortable immediately, which is a hard thing to do, to walk into someone else's family and just try and be a part of it. Jodie's pretty kooky and we love that because we're all a little bit weird here.”
Jodie’s enthusiasm to broaden her skills as a support worker and try providing complex support, is only half the story. Once meeting Jodie, Ilse knew that showing Jodie the ropes would be well worth it. “Ilse was more than willing to train me,” says Jodie. “Following our meet and greet, Ilse explained everything I needed to know to support Amara. We’ve been together ever since.”
A year later, Amara, Ilse and Jodie are like family. “While she's feeding, showering her and getting Amara ready for bed, she builds up these stories for her,” says Ilse. “She's always like, ‘We're running here, we're running a marathon or we're going to Pizza Hut. Jodie always makes it into an adventure, which I love.”
“Amara, she's my Little Miss,” says Jodie. “She's bright, bubbly and has perfect timing. Sometimes when we're lying on the floor and playing games or pretending that we're doing things, she bursts out laughing right on cue.”