Disability Support Worker: What is the cost of hiring?
2025-10-0117.2539.1278.20HOURLY
Disability Support Worker: What is the cost of hiring?
As of April 2022, the average number of job seekers per disability support worker job in Australia is 20.
a disability support worker: What is the cost of hiring?
As of April 2022, the average number of job seekers per disability support worker job in Australia is 20.
Why hire a disability support worker?
Disability support workers help people with disability live with dignity and become more active in their community. They assist with a range of essential daily tasks and encourage people with disabilities to develop their independence.
Contributions of a great disability support worker:
- Assist with everyday tasks, such as showering, personal care, household cleaning, preparing meals and grocery shopping
- Help people with disability connect with interest groups, explore hobbies and become more socially integrated in their community
- Provide respite for family members or caregivers
Deciding between a full-time vs freelance disability support worker
Most disability support workers are permanent or casual employees. Since 2019, there has been a slight rise in permanent positions and a drop in casual positions, although the workforce remains heavily casualised. As of June 2021, 61 per cent of positions were permanent, 33 per cent were casual, and fixed-term contracts accounted for 6 per cent. The number of sole traders has also grown due to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which has provided more opportunities for disability support workers to set up their own business.
When deciding whether to employ full-time, casual or freelance workers, consider how you can best meet your organisational needs as well as the needs of your clients and employees. Hiring casual employees can allow you to respond flexibly to changes in your clients’ care needs while keeping your staffing costs down. On the other hand, casualisation creates higher staff
turnover
, as employees seek more secure, permanent work. Staff turnover that is too high is disruptive for clients, but equally, staff turnover that is too low can have a negative impact because new employees often bring fresh ideas.
What are the different types of disability support worker?
Professionals working in the disability sector provide support both directly and indirectly. Disability support worker is an entry-level position, and people have the opportunity to move up to higher care coordination roles after gaining experience in direct client support. Here are the main jobs in disability support services:
- Disability support worker: Assists people with disabilities to perform their everyday tasks, such as cooking, cleaning and personal hygiene, and facilitates their participation in social activities.
- Employment support worker: Helps people with disabilities find work and succeed in their jobs. This includes providing coaching on job applications and interviews, as well as on-the-job coaching and identifying any modifications the employer needs to make to the
workplace
.
- Support coordinator: Usually works with people who have an NDIS plan to help them understand and get the most out of the plan. Connects people with services and monitors the person’s budget for services.
- Key worker: Has many of the same responsibilities as a team leader and support coordinator, including support team management, but usually also supports the client directly, performing the same duties as a disability support worker.
- Team leader: Coordinates and manages a team of disability support workers. Rosters staff, manages conflicts, develops and maintains client plans, and establishes and maintains positive relationships with clients, support workers, families and guardians.
Where to find a disability support worker
Recruiting suitable disability support workers is a major challenge for employers. To find the right disability support worker for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Use your networks: Extensive qualifications or experience are not required for this role, so open up your search to anyone looking for a change who wants to do something rewarding and meaningful. Your current employees, friends and family might know someone who would make a great disability support worker.
- Connect with local councils: Ask your local council if you can be added to their community directory. All local councils are required to have a Disability Inclusion Plan, which means they are a great place to advertise your organisation and find support workers.
- Attend an information session or forum: Various organisations in the disability sector, including the NDIS, host regular information sessions and forums. These give you an opportunity to attract
talent
by connecting with other stakeholders and promoting your services.
- Engage a
recruitment
agency: A recruitment agency can connect you with qualified disability support workers. This might be a good option if you need staff quickly or for short-term assignments.
Post your job online: Try posting your disability support worker job on Indeed to find and attract quality disability support worker candidates.
Skills to look for in a great disability support worker
A great disability support worker candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:
- credentials for working with vulnerable people, for example, an NDIS Worker Screening Check, police check or working with children check if the person will be working with younger clients
- a first aid certificate
- Certificate IV in Disability or Certificate III in Individual Support (desirable but not required)
- empathy, patience and an understanding attitude
- strong interpersonal skills and a desire to help others
- an understanding of the disability sector, including the National Disability Insurance Scheme as well as disability rights and accessibility in Australia
Writing a disability support worker job description
A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified disability support worker candidates. A disability support worker job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.
When writing your job description for a disability support worker, consider including some or all of the following keywords to strengthen the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on disability support worker jobs, according to Indeed data:
- disability support worker
- support worker
- disability
- care worker
- home care worker
- community support worker
- NDIS
- disability support
Interviewing disability support worker candidates
Strong candidates for disability support worker positions will be confident answering questions regarding:
- assessing client needs and determining when to assist a client and when to encourage them to use their own abilities
- dealing with conflict and challenging behaviour
- how they would communicate with individuals who have a learning disability or a non-verbal client
- previous experience working with people with certain conditions
- working under pressure
Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of disability support worker interview questions for examples (with sample answers).
*Indeed provides this information as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your recruiting or legal advisor, we are not responsible for the content of your job descriptions, and none of the information provided herein guarantees performance.
