Independent Support Worker or Agency? What NDIS Participants Should Know

Support workers are at the centre of most NDIS plans. They are the people who help with daily life, getting out into the community, and building skills. When it comes to finding one, you have two broad options: go through an agency or registered provider, or engage an independent support worker directly.

Both can work well. Which suits you depends on how your plan is managed, how much organising you want to take on, and how much continuity matters to you.

What does a support worker do?

A support worker helps you with the things your plan funds and your goals call for. Depending on your plan, that can include:

• personal care, such as showering, dressing and grooming
• household tasks, such as cooking, cleaning and shopping
• getting to appointments, work, study or social activities
• taking part in community, sport and recreation
• building everyday skills, such as budgeting, cooking or using public transport
• following a support or therapy program set by an allied health professional

Support workers don't provide clinical care that needs a nurse or therapist, and they don't manage your plan. Their role is practical, day-to-day support.

Option 1: An agency or registered provider

Here you engage an organisation, and it rosters a worker (or a small team) to support you.

What you get:

• The organisation recruits, screens, trains and insures its workers
• Cover is arranged when your regular worker is sick or on leave
• Complaints and incidents go through the provider's formal processes
• If the provider is registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, it has been audited against the NDIS Practice Standards

The trade-offs:

• Less say over exactly who supports you, and rosters can change
• Staff turnover can mean new faces more often than you would like
• Some agencies have waitlists, particularly in regional areas

If your plan is agency-managed (NDIA-managed), you can only use registered providers, so this is the route open to you.

Option 2: An independent support worker

An independent support worker is self-employed, usually as a sole trader with an ABN. You engage them directly or through an online platform that connects participants and workers.

What you get:

• You choose the person, and often agree hours and approach directly with them
• It can be easier to keep the same worker over the long term
• Rates may differ from an agency's, because there is less overhead

The trade-offs:

• You (or your plan manager) need to check things an agency would normally handle: insurance, an NDIS Worker Screening Check, and relevant qualifications
• There is usually no automatic replacement if your worker is sick or leaves
• If something goes wrong, there is no larger organisation to escalate to

Independent support workers are usually unregistered, so they are generally open to you only if your plan is plan-managed or self-managed.

What to check before you engage a support worker

Whichever route you choose, these checks are worth doing:

1. Worker screening. Ask for the worker's NDIS Worker Screening Check details. Most people who work closely with NDIS participants need one.
2. Insurance. An independent worker should hold public liability insurance at a minimum. Ask to see it.
3. Experience and fit. Ask about their experience with needs like yours, and arrange a meet-and-greet before you commit.
4. A written service agreement. Agree on hours, rates, cancellation terms and how you will end the arrangement if you need to.
5. Pricing. Registered providers must stay within the NDIS price limits. If you are plan-managed, check with your plan manager what they can pay before you agree a rate.
6. Backup. Ask what happens when they are unavailable, and have a plan B.

Which is right for you?

An agency or registered provider may suit you if:

• your plan is agency-managed
• you want cover arranged for you when your worker is away
• you would rather not handle screening and insurance checks yourself
• your support needs are complex or high-risk

An independent worker may suit you if:

• your plan is plan-managed or self-managed
• having the same person over time matters a lot to you
• you are comfortable doing the checks above and organising backup

Many participants use a mix: a registered provider for core personal care, and an independent worker for community activities.

Finding a provider near you

If you decide a provider is the right route, CareLocate lets you search providers registered with the NDIS Commission by suburb and support category, and see which have told us they are currently taking new clients. Before signing anything, it is also worth checking the provider's registration number with the Commission.