Trust: A Key Component When Selecting an NDIS Support Worker

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that every NDIS support worker is the same, but that’s not the case. They all have their own experience and expertise, as well as their own professional personalities. An NDIS support worker that’s right for one person might not be right for your needs.

There are a lot of factors that go into choosing an NDIS support worker, including their availability and the type of services they offer. One often-overlooked influential element is trust. Indeed, you could argue that without trust it’s impossible to make the most of all that working with an NDIS support worker provides.

In this post, we’re going to take a closer look at the relationship between trust and the success of your NDIS support worker journey. Keep our insights in mind, and we’re confident that you’ll select an NDIS support worker that’s right for your needs.

Trust: A Foundational Component of Any Great Relationship

Your connection with your NDIS support worker is much more than just transactional. While they may be the ‘worker’ and you the ‘client,’ the relationship extends beyond these professional parameters.

Given the type of services that NDIS support workers provide, you’ll ultimately end up having a close connection with whoever it is you end up choosing. And that connection, like all great connections, can only thrive if there’s a foundation of trust between both parties.

It’s not about being best friends. It’s about having a trusting, secure connection that allows both you and the worker to feel confident and comfortable. In the end, it’s much easier to achieve goals if everyone’s pulling in the same direction — and it’s trust that makes that possible.

How Trust Enhances Your NDIS Care

Your NDIS care will have a hugely beneficial impact on your life, but only if you select the right NDIS support worker for the job. Though it would be easier if it wasn’t the case, the fact is that not all support workers are created equal. Here at Support Network, we provide a curated database of qualified NDIS support workers, which gives you peace of mind that you can find the support worker that’s right for your needs.

Once you’ve found a support worker with whom you have a good, trusting relationship, you’ll find that virtually all elements of your NDIS care journey become easier to manage. Let’s take a look at just some of the ways that trust can enhance the care you receive.

• Open Communication

There’s not a single instance of life that does not benefit from open communication. In a care environment, it’s paramount. You’ll have expectations from your NDIS support worker, and they may well have expectations of you, too. Having a solid foundation of trust ensures that all parties feel comfortable communicating their needs.

It’s not realistic to develop a completely trusting relationship within minutes of speaking. However, you should identify some of the keys that’ll allow a trusting relationship to develop, including open communication. If your prospective NDIS support worker is willing to engage with your conversations right off the bat, then that’s a good sign that you’ll have a prosperous relationship in the future.

• Respect

Trust can be a tricky concept to identify, but you know it when you see it. One of the key characteristics of a trusting relationship is the presence of mutual respect. In other words, you’ll have a sense that your NDIS support worker has respect for you, and they’ll have a sense that you have respect for them. With that bedrock of trusting respect, great things can happen.

Some aspects of a trusting relationship can only present themselves later down the line (for instance, when something goes wrong), but respect isn’t like that. You can usually identify it from the very first meeting. If they go out of their way to treat you with respect from the first minute, then you’ll have a good chance of developing a trusting relationship.

• Teamwork

Working with an NDIS support worker can have a transformative impact on an individual's life. It makes managing day-to-day tasks much easier, allowing for space for other attributes and qualities to develop. With the essentials of life taken care of, clients can spend more time thinking about what they want to achieve — and the NDIS support worker will be there every step of the way.

Trust is a key component of teamwork. In fact, you could argue that teamwork without trust doesn’t exist. When you have a trusting relationship with your NDIS support worker, you’ll know that you’re both pulling in the same direction.

• Handling Problems

The value of trust is not tested when everything’s going fine. It’s tested when things aren’t going so well. At some point or another, you’ll run into an issue that requires the engagement of your NDIS support worker. For example, perhaps you need to change appointments last minute, or you decide that you require a different level of service from what they’ve been providing before.

Having a trusting relationship doesn’t mean that everything runs smoothly all the time. A trusting relationship means that both parties can work together to overcome whatever obstacle is in the way. By selecting an NDIS support worker that you can trust, you’ll know that they’ll work with you to find a solution no matter what happens.

• Peace of Mind

Finally, knowing that you can trust your NDIS support worker will provide peace of mind. Deciding to invite a support worker into your life can be a big decision, and when you do, you’ll want to have confidence that it will elevate your life. With trust, you’ll know that not only will you have a nice relationship with your support worker, but also that they have the experience and expertise you need to enhance your quality of life.

With a foundation of trust, you’ll just know that your support worker journey will be beneficial — and that gives you the platform you need to go into the entire process with confidence and enthusiasm.

Signs of Trust: What to Look For When Selecting an NDIS Support Worker

As we said earlier, there are plenty of NDIS support workers you can choose from. In fact, that’s one of the main advantages of NDIS — you’re able to choose the support worker that’s right for your needs.

However, that does mean that you’ll need to take your time to select the right NDIS support worker. Once you’ve identified one that has the skills and attributes you’re looking for, you’ll want to determine whether there’s a basis for a trusting relationship. Let’s take a look at some of the questions you should ask yourself following your first interactions with your potential NDIS support worker.

• Do They Listen?

That your NDIS support worker should listen to you correctly is essential. If they’re listening from the very first meeting, that’s a good sign that they’ll continue to do so for as long as the relationship lasts. On the other hand, if they don’t listen to you, then it’ll be worthwhile continuing your search.

• Do They Communicate Well?

The ability to listen will show that they care about your needs. However, for a trusting relationship to develop, they’ll also need to know how to communicate their thoughts and feelings effectively. Once your potential NDIS support worker has heard what you’ve had to say, it’ll be their opportunity to explain how they can help you.

If they’re not able to do this, then it’ll be difficult for trust to develop even if they are good at what they do. Ultimately, you need to have confidence that your NDIS support worker has the skills and know-how to enhance your life, and you can only know that if they tell you.

• Are They Understanding?

Everyone is unique and has their own wants, needs, and desires. In fact, it’s that premise that underpins all that’s great about NDIS. Rather than shoehorning people into one particular type of care, individuals can select for themselves.

You’ll get the most from your NDIS care if you work with a support worker who is understanding of your unique wants and needs. They should be mindful of your individualism and tailor their work to meet your needs. In addition, there’ll also likely be times when you need to make adjustments to the type of care you receive, or even make last-minute adjustments to your appointments. If they’re understanding, then you’ll have peace of mind in knowing that you can speak to them without negatively affecting the relationship.

• Do They Ask For Your Input?

Your NDIS support worker will have experience and expertise in delivering the type of care that you’re looking for. But they won’t have experience in delivering that type of care to you. As you go along your NDIS journey, there will be plenty of decisions that have to be made, from the small to the large. For instance, deciding what you might do when you’re out on the town. A good NDIS support worker, one that you can trust, will always ask for your input when it comes to making decisions — and not only that, but they’ll take what you have to say on board.

• Are You Working Towards the Same Goals?

You should have an undercurrent of trust that permeates all of your interactions with your NDIS support worker. You should just have faith that they’re working with your best interests at heart and that they want you to develop and achieve your goals. In essence, you’ll want to know that they care about you and where you’re going in life. Your NDIS support worker will work with you to develop achievable goals and will be your biggest supporter in your quest to achieve them.

Trusting The Skills and Capabilities of Your NDIS Support Worker

Of course, having a level of personal trust between you and your NDIS support worker is only the beginning. You’ll also want to trust that they have the skills and expertise that you should expect from an NDIS support worker. To find the one that’s right for you, check that you can trust their credentials in the following areas.

• Their Experience

Does the NDIS support worker you’re thinking of working with have experience in delivering the type of care that you’re looking for? At Support Network, our NDIS support workers outline their experience on their profiles.

• Their Background

You can check to see what qualifications your NDIS support worker has if necessary. If you’re looking for a particular type of care, a qualification can give you peace of mind that they can deliver what you’re looking for.

• Their Enthusiasm

A good NDIS support worker will be passionate about what they do. If they have enthusiasm, you can trust they’ll want you to deliver a first-rate experience to you.

• Conclusion

As we’ve seen, trust isn’t just a nice cherry on top of a support worker/client relationship. It’s a foundational component that plays a big role in the overall success of an NDIS journey. When you’re searching for an NDIS support worker, it’s important to look beyond their experience and skills, and ask yourself: is this a relationship in which trust is — or can be — present?

If you’re currently working with an NDIS support worker and don’t feel that there’s an underpinning of mutual trust, then it may be worthwhile looking for a new support worker. At Support Network, we make it as easy as possible for NDIS participants to find the support worker that’s perfect for their needs. To get started, simply click here and enter your postcode to see the availability of support workers in your local area.