HI there I’m Vicky a born and bred local from Mackay. I’ve just joined this forum in hope to connect with others and learn more. I love our community and helping others in need. I changed careers a few years ago started studying and got my Certificate III in Individual Support in Aged care. So have only worked 3 years within Support work. I Have just started as a ISW so trying to find my feet and hoping to learn from you all and any help would be appreciated. I have connected with NDIS pages on social media and contacted Company’s that align with them.
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Welcome to the group. You will meet a lot of lovely people here.
Thank you Lauren 
Hey Vicky 
Welcome to the platform. It’s fantastic to have you here.
Great place to learn, especially from people like @Lauren.
I’m just curious, you’ve created a participant account, yet you’re an independent support worker. Are you a participant and looking to be a support worker?
If that’s the case, let me know because you won’t be able to create a listing or a signature if you have a participant account. You’ll definitely want a listing and a signature so that people have a way to reach out to you.
HI Jake
I accidently created the wrong account i didn’t realise till after. I’m a ISW looking for work.
Whats the easiest way to correct this.
Thats okay
We’ll get it fixed up in the back end for you and then you’ll see that in your dashboard on the directory that you’ll have the ability to create a listing and a forum post signature like what Lauren has here:
I’ll let you know when its done.
Welcome
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Happy to help you.
Raelene
Thanks Raelene,
I’m trying to find work as ISW which isn’t as easy as i thought. But I’m still soldiering on keeping positive. I keep forgetting there are others in the same boat. Am glad i found this site
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Which parts are you finding most difficult?
Finding clients… I understand it does take time when you are starting off I’m just eager to get out there and working as I’m only after a few days a week as my partner and i have been given his family business so i help with the office side 2 days a week.
His folks have just retired at 60 and travelling Australia be nice to join them… hahahaha
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That part can be difficult. Especially if you are in an area either saturated with providers or low on participants. Many people don’t know the statistics before they start. There are 660,000 participants and 250,000 providers and independents across Australia. The average number of participants per provider is 2.1. Which means many have 1 or zero to compensate for all the big providers with 20-50+. Most independents start with a client that comes with them from a provider they worked for previously then struggle to expand.
Technically coordinators are your gateway to work but they are bombarded daily with hundreds of cold call emails from providers looking for work. It is hard to get on their radar.
Make sure you have done your market research so you are advertising services people in your area are actually searching for. You can advertise all day long but if the service isnt being looked for you wont be seen. You are competing with top ten google searches so your key words need to stand out.
Look for work on facebook ndis groups specific to your area.
Attend local disability engaging events and wear something that identifies you as a support worker so people can approach you. Try to strike up non work related conversations with people at the events. Getting your name out in your community is important.
You can also invest in hosting events for people with disabilities just to get to know them. It shouldnt be a sales pitch. If people like you, they will get in contact.
It is all a slow process to start with.
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Thank you so much for that really gives me a little more perspective. In Mackay it not what you know its who you know coming for someone that has lived here my whole life. I have worked in Operations at the Base Hospital here so saw and learnt a bit but also working in support work. The people i worked with are all with Homecare through the Queensland government funding and won’t go else were.
I’ve been keeping an eye on the NDIS page, i was born with a hearing disability in both ears but i dont like to use that word as i wear Hearing Aides to help with that guess it makes me more determined to work hard in life can be fustrating at times but i pull through.
Your tips are greatly appreciated
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Just a note, you can’t do services with anyone on a home care package without being registered as an aged care provider. Only self and plan managed ndis can use unregistered providers.
If aged care is the main audience there you might want to consider joining an agency called five good friends as they deal in aged care with sub contractors.
I don’t work for the Government now. Was in another occupation for a year now due to family commitments have now decided to try as ISW as our family business has its own ABN i can use for when i started getting work etc
I’ve not heard of the Company Five Good Friends…
Five good friends are similar to mable and hire up except they deal more in aged care packages in the community. They help you find clients near you who need personal care, domestic assistance and community access in exchange for a fee for using their registration.
After their fee you are normally making $49 per hour roughly under your ABN so you need to sort out your tax and super. They are a good option if there arent many ndis participants in your area. They can also just get income coming in until you do find your own ndis clients.
Nice post
I know you hosted an event of your own recently with all the amazing looking food. It looked like a big success. If you don’t mind me asking Lauren, how did you go about advertising that event to your local community and getting attendees?
The reason I ask is because:
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I feel it would be helpful to Vicky.
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The next version of the platform here is incorporating the ability to post events and have it seen by other members who reside in your local area. So, I’m curious to know what people are currently doing. My first assumption is Facebook, but facts trump assumptions. So just going to be humble right now and ask
Another strategy Vicky that I’ve been made aware of with regards to standing out in your local community and not blending into the crowd is to offer activities. If you call a support coordinator stating that you offer the same old assistance with daily living/community access support, you’ll be just another face in a sea of faces. Quickly forgotten.
However, you’ll have a better chance of standing out and being remembered if you offer a specific activity. Something ideally that you’re passionate about.
I’ve seen a company that specialises in taking people out fishing. The amount of attention they get on facebook groups is astounding (and Facebook group advertising is generally flooded with advertisements and are ultimately fruitless)… not for these guys though.
Support Coordinators are more likely to take note of an activity offered in the local area.
This is a great way to get to know people who are on the ndis. You create connections and begin getting your name out there. This can lead to referrals or possibly even where your attendees and their families bond with you and slowly begin asking what else you offer.
The intention behind hosting an event is to create connections too.
The intention behind this platform is to create connections.
You’ll see Lauren has bonded with many people on the platform and has written many helpful posts and articles. Even to people like you who are looking to get a start in the industry.
This is definitely an industry that is connection based. The usual way of advertising in other industries aren’t usually as effective in this industry. People need to feel safe with you. They want to know you. You can’t do this with a google ad… Unless you’re offering something truly unique.
When I put my daughter into daycare, it was all about word of mouth… so the way to get word of mouth going before you have clients is to use stepping stones. Things like events, activities and platforms like this.
It’s definitely a grind. But if you’re genuinely keen on doing this without a third party taking a cut of everything you make (mable and five good friends), then these are the kinds of things you need to do to get a start with making connections and standing out.
Yeah we did the disability high tea (pencilling in another one in February). We are also currently considering hosting a disco.
There are definitely ways to keep costs low and still have a fantastic time.
We did advertise on Facebook but got exactly zero attendees out of it . We also sent it to coordinators but they were suspicious because it was free 
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We told our participants first. Participants are usually friends with other participants. Invited them to invite their friends. We went to a bowling tournament at keon park for people with disabilities and advertised there. And we gave invites to a few disability specific providers like our local driving school for people with disabilities.
Figures.
Nice resilience. Can see why you’ve gotten as far as you have.
It’s very interesting seeing behind the curtain of different providers. You definitely have a knack for having fun and have lots of creativity. That’s powerful.
As you can see Vicky, there are different ways to go about it, but getting your name out there in this industry simply comes down to doing things that other people aren’t willing to do, being different, and providing value up front. Taking the time to host a free event, making the effort to go out and advertise at other disability events, writing helpful posts/articles here are all perfect examples of this.
These things all take effort up front with little immediate return, but the long term benefits and the compounding effects begin to stack up eventually.
How did you go about advertising at the bowling tournament in a way that wasn’t intrusive?
Back in the day I was a telemarketer for several years. So very interested to hear peoples approach to marketing/advertising in a way that doesn’t leave a bad taste in peoples mouths.
By the way Vicky. I hope you don’t feel like we’ve hijacked your intro thread. I felt like this info would be great for you starting out. I may turn this follow up convo into a thread of its own as it seems to be interesting.
I went as a support for one of my participants attending, volunteered to be the lane monitor for his group and just spoke to anyone who wanted to strike up a conversation. Talked about how much fun we were having here and how much I was looking forward to the high tea. It sort of sells itself. Especially being a free event.
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Very organic and natural. That’s awesome.
I have to laugh how you say that marketing isn’t your strong point. You sell yourself short in this regard.