Picking the Right Support Worker – More Than Just Qualifications on Paper

When families or individuals start looking for support workers, one of the first questions that usually comes up is: what kind of qualifications should they have? Some people strongly believe a support worker should hold formal certificates before they even step into the job. Others say those certificates don’t always reflect how capable or reliable someone will be in real life. This has been a debate for years and, to be honest, both sides have a point.

In Australia, the rules are not set in stone. At the national level, there is no law saying a paid support worker must have qualifications before they can provide care or assistance. But it’s not as simple as saying “no qualifications needed.” It depends on what type of support is being offered, who is hiring the worker, and which standards the person or organisation sets. If it’s just a bit of help around the house, maybe experience is enough. But if it’s personal care or nursing tasks, that’s where formal training or certification really matters.

Understanding What’s Required in NDIS Support Work

With the NDIS, the rules shift depending on whether you’re hiring through a provider or you’re self-managing. Some providers set strict standards; others are more flexible. Platforms like Support Network are a good example. If a worker offers to provide personal care under Support Network, they must show at least one of these qualifications:

• Certificate III or IV in Individual Support
• Certificate III or IV in Aged Care
• Certificate III or IV in Disability
• Certificate III or IV in Home and Community Care
• Proof of nursing studies (completed first year at university)
• Degree in Nursing
• Degree in Allied Health
• Or two or more years of hands-on experience

For workers who only provide social or domestic support, things like cleaning, cooking, or shopping, we doesn’t demand formal qualifications. But that doesn’t mean anyone can just jump in. There are still approval steps and checks before someone gets listed. And let’s not forget, self-managing participants may choose to set their own standards anyway. One person might accept a worker with no qualifications but plenty of experience. One may demand certificates and references.

This flexibility is part of the NDIS approach; it provides choice and control but it also requires you to think carefully about what is important to you. For official details, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is a good resource.

Registration and Certification – Different States, Different Rules

Australia doesn’t apply one blanket rule across every state and territory. Right now, only Victoria has taken the step of creating a formal registration scheme for disability support workers. From July 2021, the Victorian Disability Worker Regulation Scheme allows workers to voluntarily register themselves. It’s not compulsory, but it can show families and participants that the worker is serious about their profession.

The scheme helps set a baseline of quality and safety, but since it’s voluntary, not every worker in Victoria chooses to sign up. Outside Victoria, no other state or territory has this registration. That leaves it up to providers, platforms, and individuals to decide what qualifications or experience they’re comfortable with.

You can read more about Victoria’s system on the Victorian Disability Worker Commission.

NDIS Worker Screening – A Must for Safety

Another big part of the puzzle is the NDIS Worker Screening Check. This isn’t about qualifications at all. It’s about safety. The check looks into a worker’s background and assesses if they are suitable to work with people with disability. It is already compulsory for employees of registered providers, and it’s also becoming the norm for platforms like Support Network.

Over time, this screening will fully replace police checks. Workers who are cleared through the screening are listed with that clearance on their profile, which gives families more peace of mind. If you’re self-managing your NDIS plan, you can absolutely require that any paid support person you hire has this check in place. It’s a safeguard that helps reduce risks of neglect, exploitation, or abuse.

To learn more, the official NDIS Worker Screening page explains how the process works.

Aged Care Support Worker – What Qualifications Matter

In aged care, the requirements are slightly different but overlap in many ways. Personal care workers usually need at least one of these qualifications:

• Certificate III or IV in Individual Support
• Certificate III or IV in Aged Care
• Certificate III or IV in Disability
• Certificate III or IV in Home and Community Care
• Nursing studies or a degree in Allied Health
• Or two years of experience in similar roles

When the role involves nursing services, the standards are higher. Nurses need to:

• Be a Registered Nurse
• Have at least one year of nursing experience
• Hold an active AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) registration
• Make sure their AHPRA registration allows the services they’re delivering

So if a nurse provides support, it’s not just about holding a degree. They must be within the boundaries of what their registration allows. AHPRA is strict about that. For clarity, the AHPRA official site has full details.

Beyond Paperwork – What Really Counts

This is the part many families and participants care about most: the personal qualities of the worker. A certificate proves someone has studied. It doesn’t prove they’ll show up on time, treat you with respect, or be patient on a tough day. Support work is deeply personal, it’s about trust, empathy, and reliability as much as technical skills.

Think about it: if you want help in your garden, you’d prefer someone who enjoys gardening themselves. If you want someone to help manage your home, you need a person who has actually lived that experience, budgeting, paying bills, cleaning, cooking, making beds, keeping everything running smoothly. These aren’t things you learn from a textbook.

Of course, there are cases where specialised training is vital. For example, supporting someone with safe eating practices or helping with medication requires specific training and experience. But in many cases, lived experience, personality, and attitude make the biggest difference.

Why the Screening and Selection Process Matters

This is why the recruitment process is so important. Simply asking, “Do you have a certificate?” isn’t enough. Families should interview workers in a way that gets to know them as people. Ask about real-life scenarios, how they handled situations, what their values are. Ask them why they do this work and what kind of people they’ve supported before. That’s where you discover whether someone is the right match.

Certificates and degrees should be seen as one part of the picture, not the whole picture. The bigger goal is to find someone who is safe, capable, and genuinely aligned with the life you want to live.

How Support Network Helps

At Support Network, we’ve seen both sides, workers with lots of qualifications who weren’t the right fit, and others with fewer formal certificates who turned out to be excellent support partners. We are all about balance. Safety checks, qualifications, and training are critical, but we also consider experience, personality, and those human traits that make support meaningful.

We think that people want more than a worker with a list of qualifications. They need someone who will provide reliability, care and respect in their everyday lives.

Should you need advice on how to select the right support worker, you are welcome to contact us at 1300 971 631.