What do support workers do?
Disability support workers provide essential physical, social, and emotional assistance to individuals living with a disability. They support participants with personal care, household tasks, and health management.
In alignment with NDIS guidelines, support workers help participants achieve independence by following specific support plans, assisting with mobility and transport, and facilitating community participation.
Last updated: 2026-03-13
What do disability support workers do?
The role of a disability support worker is to provide essential supports to people living with disability. In Australia, a support worker may be asked to provide the following types of support, as outlined in a NDIS participant's supports budget.
Personal care
This includes dressing, bathing, toileting and eating.
Other tasks that are associated with hygiene could be classified as personal care too.
Developing daily living skills
Such as budgeting, shopping, meal planning and preparation, cooking and management of residence.
Household duties
This can include:
- Assisting with duties around the garden or yard
- General maintenance
- Cleaning and washing
- Home office duties such as completing paperwork and forms
Health and wellbeing
Support workers can support participants with taking medications or attending medical appointments.
Following specific support plans
Support workers will work with participants on meeting the goals outlined in their support plans.
Mobility and transferring activities
This might include:
- Getting to school, college or an appointment
- Day to day activities
- Transport to work
If a car is required for transportation, the support worker can:
- Provide their own vehicle
- Drive the participant's vehicle
- Help the participant use public transport.
Read the full Support Worker Job Description or explore the types of support workers can provide with a service provider like Hireup.
What does a disability support worker do on a typical day?
During a typical morning shift, a support worker might provide personal care, such as assistance bathing, using the toilet and eating breakfast, helping the participant get ready for the day.
If the participant has booked the worker for community support, the worker could drive them to a venue and assist them throughout the day, such as meeting up with friends, watching a movie or taking a class.
Evening shifts would typically involve the worker assisting the participant to get ready for bed, such as preparing dinner, showering or getting dressed.
Some participants book workers for overnight shifts, which would involve the worker either sleeping over and providing support where required, or actively supervising the participant during the night.
How do you find, hire or book a support worker?
First, NDIS participants need to research and choose a disability provider that can meet their individual support needs and goals.
On Hireup you can find, book and manage disability support workers all in the same place.
NDIS participants can also filter by location, age, support types, gender, qualification, experience, interests and more to find your best support worker fit.
How do you become a disability support worker?
A disability support worker provides physical, social and emotional support to people living with a disability.
To become a disability support worker you must have:
- A valid NDIS Support Worker Screening Check
- A current First Aid Certificate
- Australian citizenship, permanent residency or a valid Australian work visa
And while they’re not mandatory, support workers can also have one or more of the following qualifications.
Certificate III
- Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance
- Certificate III in Community Services
- Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing)
- Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability)
- Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability)
Certificate IV
- Certificate IV in Ageing Support
- Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance
- Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention
- Certificate IV in Community Services
- Certificate IV in Disability Support
- Certificate IV in Mental Health
- Certificate IV in Youth Work
Diploma
- Diploma in Ageing Studies and Services
- Diploma in Allied Health Assistance
- Diploma in Applied Health and Community Support
- Diploma in Community Services
- Diploma in Community Welfare and Wellbeing
- Diploma in Counselling
- Diploma in Disability
- Diploma in Health
- Diploma in Health Sciences
- Diploma in Mental Health
- Diploma in Nursing
- Diploma in Psychological Studies
Advanced Diploma
- Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Aged Care and Individual Support Work)
Degree
- Degree in Allied Health
- Degree in Disability
- Degree in Human Services
- Degree in Nursing
- Degree in Social Science
- Degree in Social Work
- Degree in Youth Work
Masters
- Masters in Allied Health
- Masters in Disability
- Masters in Human Services
- Masters in Nursing
- Masters in Social Science
- Masters in Social Work
More guides
Join Hireup to find verified support workers near you
Hireup was the first online disability support platform to give choice and control to participants.
An NDIS-registered provider and an employer of support workers from the beginning, Hireup has changed the way support can be accessed and provided in Australia.
