NDIS Guides

What Does a Disability Support Worker Do? A Plain English NDIS Guide

Name: 1 Care Connect
Address: Rosehill, NSW, 2142, AU
Telephone: 1300 264 942

November 9, 2026

What does a disability support worker do? In short, a support worker helps a person with disability with everyday life, at home and out in the community, in line with their goals and their NDIS plan. This guide explains the kinds of help the NDIS describes, the rules every worker must follow and the checks behind them. It also covers the choices you keep along the way.

Quick summary

The NDIS describes four kinds of help: household support, personal care, daily activities and community support.
What a support worker does with you depends on your goals, your needs and the supports in your plan.
Every NDIS worker, whether their provider is registered or not, must follow the NDIS Code of Conduct.
An NDIS worker screening check is a national assessment of whether a person is suitable to work with people with disability.
You choose who supports you, what kind of support you receive and when.
If something is wrong, you can raise it with your provider or the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

What does a disability support worker do day to day?

The NDIS describes a support worker as someone who works with people with disability. Support workers can work for a company or for themselves, and they can be registered or unregistered. In the NDIS’s words, they help you develop your skills and work towards your goals.

The NDIS groups the help into four areas:

Household support: help at home, and building the skills to do things yourself, such as preparing and cooking meals, cleaning the house or running errands.
Personal care: support when it is needed, which may include general hygiene, dressing or helping you take your medication.
Daily activities: help with daily chores, including shopping or transport, such as going on an outing or to a medical appointment.
Community support: help to attend social events or join activities, such as a farmers’ market or a social craft group.

However, no two support arrangements look the same. The NDIS says who you work with, what you do together and how often all depend on three things: your goals, what you need and the NDIS supports in your plan. Likewise, the level of personal care depends on your needs.

The NDIS also puts weight on skills, not only tasks. It says support workers can help build your skills and independence to do things for yourself, depending on your goals. You can read the full description on the NDIS page what is a support worker.

How support workers fit into your NDIS plan

You can use your NDIS funding to pay for support workers. The NDIS links this to their role: they help you build skills and work towards your goals. The care you receive then depends on your goals and on what your funding covers.

One support category that covers everyday help is assistance with daily life. The NDIS describes it as supports to assist or supervise you with your personal tasks during day-to-day life, so you can live as independently as possible. These supports can be provided in a range of places, including your own home. Our guide to NDIS assistance with daily life explains this category in more detail.

In addition, the NDIS lists daily personal activities as one of its 37 categories of NDIS supports. It covers supervision or assistance with personal daily living tasks. Examples include eating and drinking, dressing, toileting, showering and other personal hygiene, and moving and positioning.

At 1 Care Connect, our support workers deliver our in home care in Western Sydney, and our nursing team oversees every in home care plan.

The NDIS Code of Conduct: the rules every worker follows

Every support worker works under the NDIS Code of Conduct. According to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, the Code must be followed by registered and unregistered NDIS providers, their key personnel and their workers. Under the Code, people who deliver NDIS supports must:

act with respect for your rights to freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making
respect your privacy
provide supports in a safe and competent manner, with care and skill
act with integrity, honesty and transparency
promptly raise and act on concerns about the quality and safety of supports
take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse
take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct
not charge higher prices for goods for NDIS participants without a reasonable justification.

The Commission also says providers must make participants feel safe and comfortable to discuss issues. They must not threaten you for raising a concern or complaint.

What the Code means during a visit

The Commission’s guidance for workers turns the Code into everyday behaviour. Several examples will feel familiar to anyone who gets support at home. For instance, workers should:

work directly with you wherever possible, and ask who, if anyone, you want involved in decisions
explain and ask permission before anything that involves physical touch or your personal space
give you a private, comfortable space to shower and dress
help on time with things like toilet breaks, so you are not left embarrassed
keep accurate, respectful records, written at the time or as soon as possible afterwards
never work while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
be honest about their qualifications and the limits of their skills.

Gifts have a clear line too. Workers may give or accept gifts of minor value, such as a card or a box of chocolates. On the other hand, you should never be required or expected to give anything to influence your support.

Worker screening and training

An NDIS worker screening check is a national check. According to the NDIS Commission, a state or territory worker screening unit decides whether a worker is cleared or excluded from working in certain roles with people with disability. A check is valid for up to 5 years.

Who needs one depends on the provider and the role. Workers in risk-assessed or key personnel roles with a registered provider must have one. The Commission’s page for participants also says workers for a registered NDIS provider will already have a current clearance.

If you self-manage or plan-manage your funding, you can also use unregistered providers, and there is no rule that a worker needs a clearance before supporting you. Even so, you have the right to only accept workers with a current clearance, and the Commission recommends it. The NDIS gives the same advice: it is a good idea to make sure your support workers have completed an NDIS worker screening check.

Training matters as well. The Commission’s worker orientation module explains what workers need to do under the Code. It is mandatory for staff of registered NDIS providers.

The choices you keep

Support is something you direct. The NDIS says you can choose who you work with, what kind of support you receive and when it is delivered. It also suggests making a service agreement with your support worker, so it is clear what you and your provider have agreed to. Our guide to NDIS in home support walks through the first visits and the early weeks.

Registered providers that deliver higher-risk supports have a further duty under the NDIS Practice Standards. They make reasonable efforts to involve you in selecting your workers, including the preferred gender of workers who provide personal care.

If something does not feel right, talk to your provider first. You can also contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544 if you do not like how your provider is treating you, or you do not feel safe. The NDIS sets this out on its page about your responsibilities. In an emergency, call triple zero (000).

Thinking about becoming a support worker?

Many people ask this question because they are weighing up the job itself. The same rules apply to you. The Code of Conduct covers every NDIS worker, and a risk-assessed or key personnel role with a registered provider needs a worker screening check. Every application nominates an employer, who then verifies that the worker will be working in their organisation.

Workers on temporary visas follow the same path. They need a visa that allows them to work within the NDIS, and they must meet the same requirements as all other NDIS workers, such as worker screening. If you would like to work with us, see our page on disability support worker jobs.

Frequently asked questions

Can a support worker help me take my medication?

The NDIS says personal care from a support worker may include helping you take your medication. The level of help depends on your needs, so talk it through with your provider before support starts.

Can a support worker take me to a medical appointment?

Yes, it can be part of daily activities support. The NDIS gives going to a medical appointment as an example, along with shopping, transport and outings that build your confidence in the community.

Can I choose my own support worker?

Yes. The NDIS says you can choose who you work with, what kind of support you receive and when. Registered providers also make reasonable efforts to involve you in selecting your workers.

Do disability support workers need qualifications?

The Commission’s guidance says workers should have any qualifications required for their role. They should also keep their skills up to date, for example through training and supervision from their employer, and be honest about the limits of their skills.

Do all support workers need a worker screening check?

Not all of them. Workers in risk-assessed or key personnel roles with a registered provider must have one. With self-managed or plan-managed funding, a worker may not have one, but you have the right to only accept workers with a current clearance.

Can I give my support worker a gift?

A small thank you is usually fine, but check your provider’s gift policy. The Commission’s guidance says workers may accept gifts of minor value, such as a card or a box of chocolates. Nobody should require or expect you to give anything to influence your support.

What can I do if I am unhappy with my support worker?

Start by talking to your provider, and bring someone you trust if that helps. If you do not feel safe, or you think something is wrong, contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544.

How 1 Care Connect can help

1 Care Connect is a registered NDIS provider with a nurse led team. Our nursing team oversees every in home care plan, and each plan is delivered by a consistent, carefully matched support worker, so you see familiar faces. Through regular check-ins, we make sure your support stays the right fit as your needs change.

We provide in home care in Blacktown, Fairfield, Parramatta, Liverpool, Penrith, Mount Druitt, Merrylands and Auburn, with staff in each area. If you live in Parramatta, our page on NDIS home care in Parramatta explains how support works there. To talk about the support you need, call 1300 264 942, email contact@1careconnect.com.au or send us an enquiry.