The Role of an NDIS Support Worker in Disability Care

The rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) between 2013 and 2020 not only changed the face of disability support in Australia — it marked a new era defined by choice and control, placing participants front and centre of their own care.

Walking alongside the 700,000+ people currently supported by the NDIS are over 300,000 frontline support workers who form the heart of the NDIS workforce.

It is estimated that around 128,000 additional support workers will be needed as the NDIS continues to grow.

What exactly is a support worker?

One of the challenges support workers face is that the role can be difficult to define. No formal qualifications are technically required, and the boundaries that set the scope of the role can be vague at best.

And yet, support workers are frontline professionals who “support participants every day to implement personal care, health, behaviour, and community access support plans to enhance the quality of life of the people they support.”

In other words, support workers are often the most trusted and consistent presence in a participant’s life. They’re also an invaluable — and often untapped — source of knowledge for allied health professionals and other members of the care team.

Research shows, time and time again, that connection to community and participation in everyday activities are paramount to achieving positive outcomes for people with disability and their families.

By walking alongside a participant, a skilled, empathetic, reliable and communicative support worker can encourage confidence, connection, and independence.

Image courtesy of Wix Media.

Support workers and their role in the changing face of disability

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” — Jiddu Krishnamurti

Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme is fundamentally based on the social model of disability, which views disability as a result of societal barriers and stigma, rather than as a personal flaw or impairment.

Some understanding of the history of disability care provides important context for how today’s NDIS support worker role came about — and why it matters so much.

From reliance solely on informal family supports to widespread institutionalisation, people with disabilities have historically been pushed to the margins of society — seen as objects of pity or charity, denied decision-making over their own lives, and viewed as a burden to be managed by well-meaning do-gooders or institutions.

While voices of lived experience began to emerge as early as the 19th century through the political organisation of Deaf advocates, it wasn’t until the modern disability rights movement of the late 1960s and 1970s that society truly began to challenge notions that people with disability were sick, deviant, or defective.

Over the past fifty years in Australia — as in many Western countries — we’ve seen a dramatic shift from institutionalisation to community living. We’ve moved from expecting people to fit into rigid service frameworks, toward a person-centred approach, where supports are tailored to each individual’s needs.

Image courtesy of Wix Media.

In other words, one of the biggest challenges support workers face — a lack of clarity around the role — is also one of its greatest strengths. A good worker adapts and tailors their service to the person they support.

Different Types of Support Workers: Registered, Unregistered and Independent

Adding another layer of complexity for participants and workers alike is the variety of ways support workers can operate — and how participants can access them.

There are three main categories:

1. Registered NDIS Providers

Registered providers are organisations that have completed the formal NDIS registration process and undergo regular audits to meet strict government standards.

Advantages:

• Can work with all funding types, including NDIA-managed

• Compliance and safety standards are monitored through audits

• Often have internal training, policies and systems for consistency

  
  

Challenges:

• Less personal choice over workers

• May be more structured and less flexible

• Participants sometimes describe them as feeling more like a service than a relationship

2. Unregistered Providers

These are businesses that support NDIS participants but haven’t completed full NDIS registration. They work with self-managed or plan-managed participants.

Advantages:

• Still operate professionally with policies, insurance and safety measures

• Often smaller, more flexible agencies with personal relationships

• Can offer tailored support with more consistency

  
  

Challenges:

• Can’t support NDIA-managed participants

• Less external monitoring or regulation

• Quality and compliance vary by provider

3. Independent Support Workers (Sole Traders)

These are individuals working under their own ABN, not affiliated with a larger provider. Participants often find them through word of mouth, social media, or platforms like Mable or Careseekers.

Advantages:

• High level of personal choice and flexibility

• Greater consistency, especially for long-term arrangements

• May be more affordable or offer longer sessions for the same budget

  
  

Challenges:

• Participants or their families handle bookings and invoices

• Fewer enforced regulations — not all workers are insured or supervised

• Can’t work with NDIA-managed participants

• Quality can vary without agency oversight

Image courtesy of Wix Media.

Each option has its own strengths and limitations — and the best fit depends on the participant’s goals, preferences, and funding type.

At the heart of support work lies a belief: that people with disabilities and their families have the right to choice and control — not just over the services they receive, but how and by whom those services are delivered.

For support workers, this represents an exciting opportunity to work in a dynamic, compassionate, and creative field — one where genuine relationships, individualised care, and the privilege of walking alongside someone’s journey are at the centre of everything they do.