Support Workers

Role

The role of a Support Worker is to provide services to people with a disability to assist them to maintain their independence at home and in the community and prevent premature admission to long term residential care.

It is a very valuable role, assisting people with the tasks of daily living, which most of us take for granted.

1. Casual Employed Support Worker (Personal Care):
A qualified Support Worker, who can provide high level personal care and who has undertaken the complete validation process, including:

• Certificate III or IV (or higher, e.g., Enrolled Nurse) in Community Services (Disability or Aged Care Work preferred);
• Current Senior First Aid Certificate;
• Current Manual Handling Certificate;
• CSI 100 point National Criminal Record Check;
• Attend an Information Session;
• a current driver’s licence;
• a reliable vehicle.

2. CSI Approved Self-Employed Support Worker with Certificate III:
A Support Worker, capable of providing all support services, apart from high level personal care, who has undertaken the complete validation process, including:

• CSI 100 point National Criminal Record Check;
• Interview;
• Reference Checks;
• Attend an Information Session;
• Compulsory Senior First Aid certificate;
• a current driver’s licence;
• a reliable vehicle;
• Willingness to undertake CSI Level 2 training.

3. Nominated Self-Employed Support Worker:
A Support Worker who has been nominated by a Consumer or an Agency, to provide a service to one specific Consumer only. NB: Family members cannot be nominated for a consumer unless authorised in writing to CSI by the consumer's Case Manager.

Nominated Support Workers must have a:

• CSI 100 point National Criminal Record Check;
• Compulsory Senior First Aid certificate;
• a current driver’s licence;
• a reliable vehicle.

What is the difference between a Self-Employed Support Worker and a Casual Employed Support Worker ?

Community Support Incorporated recruits independent self-employed Support Workers (Contractors) to provide basic support to consumers, as well as complex support services.

Types of Support Provided

Support Workers may be engaged to provide any of the following support to Consumers:

• Personal Care
• Respite Care
• Domestic Assistance
• Home and Garden Maintenance
• Social Support
• Shopping Assistance
• Training in Living Skills
• Transport (where incidental to other types of support, e.g., shopping)
• Social Development
  
• or a similar combination of assistance

Self-Employed Support Worker Responsibilities

As a self-employed Support Worker, there are various important responsibilities, including:

• Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare;
• Duty of care;
• Mandatory reporting (particulalry when supporting people under 18);
• Acquisition of an Australian Business Number;
• Taxation and insurance.

On registration as a Support Worker, CSI can provide information on, and assistance with, all of the above.

Benefits of working as a CSI Support Worker under the Disability Services Award

Opportunity to work close to home
We place our Support Workers in services close to where they reside. This maximises the opportunity to balance work and family commitments.

Flexible hours
We appreciate that balancing work and family commitments can be quite a challenge and therefore negotiate hours to suit both your family and our consumer needs.

Click here to download: Employed Support Worker EBA (Enterprise Bargaining Agreement)

What Travel is Involved?

As far as possible Support Workers are matched to Consumers in or close to the area where they live. Due consideration is also given to the time Support Workers nominate that they will travel.

How Do Support Workers Get Paid?

1. Self-employed Support Workers submit a claim for payment on the prescribed Community Support Incorporated invoice form and in accordance with the Consumer Service Agreement. Consumers (or their family or Carers) sign the Support Worker invoice to ensure the services claimed have been provided.

2. Casual Employees receive a roster and are paid in accordance with the Consumer Service Agreement on a fortnightly basis. All timesheets must be submitted on the designated day, in order to receive fortnightly payment.

It is the Support Worker's responsibility to correctly complete, distribute and lodge invoices and timesheets for payment. CSI strives to pay invoices promptly.