Supporting choice through personalised disability support services
Access to personalised, flexible disability support services is essential for people who want more control, confidence and independence in their daily lives.
In October, Living My Way joined Dubbo radio to discuss how our unique Employ Your Own Support Worker model is helping people choose how their disability care services are delivered, and by whom.
As a long-standing, Member-led not-for-profit, Living My Way is committed to delivering disability support services that are genuinely shaped around the needs and preferences of each individual. The interview explored how the Employ Your Own Support Worker approach works, why it matters, and how people in Dubbo and Central West NSW can now access this model for themselves.
Below is the full transcript of the conversation, with a Living My Way team member explaining how we support people across New South Wales – including Dubbo – to build a support team they trust.
Listen to the interview here
Full Interview Transcript
Dubbo Radio Interviewer – 00:00
There’s a new, interesting service in the area that could help people living with disabilities to live a more independent life with greater control than perhaps they thought possible. And we’re going to find out all about it now. Hello to you, Swita, from Living My Way.Hi!
Living My Way – 00:10
Hi, how are you?
Dubbo Radio Interviewer – 00:11
Very good, yourself?
Living My Way – 00:13
Yeah, good. Thank you.
Dubbo Radio Interviewer – 00:13
Now, Living My Way – for those who haven’t heard of it before – give us a bit of the background on who is Living My Way?
Living My Way – 00:22
Yeah, so we are a not-for-profit organisation. We’ve actually been around for 30-plus years now, and we’ve been offering the Employ Your Own service for that time as well. So, we’ve been around for a little bit, and we support people with disability in the community.
Dubbo Radio Interviewer – 00:41
Wow, okay, so it’s been around a lot longer than I realised. And in the Dubbo region, you’ve been offering these services for a while?
Living My Way – 00:49
Yeah, we have Members – we are a Member-based organisation – all across New South Wales, and that includes your Central West and Dubbo.
Dubbo Radio Interviewer – 00:58
Now, I notice on your website something called “Employ Your Own.” What exactly is the Employ Your Own service?
Living My Way – 01:04
Great question. Our Employ Your Own Support Worker service is very unique. It ultimately empowers a participant – or their nominee – to be the employer of their own Support Workers.
Dubbo Radio Interviewer – 01:18
Okay, so what’s the benefit for this person in doing things this way? In being a Member and employing their own Support Workers?
Living My Way – 01:26
With our Employ Your Own Support Worker service, it allows the individual to build a team of Support Workers – people that you know and trust. So, it could be a mate, it could be a neighbour. Someone that you can trust could be your Support Worker, so you don’t have a stranger in your home. You also get to stay in control of who supports you and when. And we take care of most of the admin so the individual can focus on what matters most.
Dubbo Radio Interviewer – 01:56
Okay, so it’s about having that relationship and that understanding already there. That’s one of the benefits, I guess?
Living My Way – 02:03
Yeah – making those decisions about who comes into your home and being in control of your care, so it’s very personalised to the individual.
Dubbo Radio Interviewer – 02:12
What if someone’s thinking, “Well, that sounds really good, but it might be a bit complicated. How am I going to be able to do that?” How does it all work? That’s kind of the purpose of Living My Way, I guess. How do you make it work?
Living My Way – 02:24
Yeah, of course – that is our purpose. Our purpose is to make sure that an individual can be an employer while we take care of most of the admin so they can get on with life. We support with the steps in terms of being an employer, and that might include providing the employment contracts that comply with all the requirements.
We onboard the Support Workers while they (the participant) take care of their (Support Workers) induction and ensure they understand the care routine and needs.
We also then take care of all the payroll processing, including superannuation and any tax reporting. We take out and manage a workers compensation insurance policy on their behalf, so they’re protected in case of an incident.
So, we’re really making sure that we’re supporting with that background admin work so the individual can just focus on maintaining that relationship with their Support Worker.
Dubbo Radio Interviewer – 03:21
How do you actually go about it? What’s the first step? Where do you start?
Living My Way – 03:25
The first step would be to have a conversation with one of our friendly team members. If you Google “Living My Way Employ Your Own” it should come up. With just a quick Google you’ll be able to find us and give us a call to have a quick chat.
Dubbo Radio Interviewer – 03:42
And once again, it is available in the Dubbo and wider region?
Living My Way – 03:45
It is, absolutely.
Dubbo Radio Interviewer – 03:47
Thanks for your time, Swita.
Living My Way – 03:48
Thank you so much.
Dubbo Radio Interviewer – 03:50
It’s called Living My Way, and if you just do that Google, you’ll be on your way.
Expanding Disability Care Services Across Dubbo
Living My Way is proud to bring our personalised disability support services and Member-led disability care services to people living in Dubbo and the wider Central West NSW. As explained in the interview, the Employ Your Own Support Worker model gives individuals greater choice, stronger relationships with their Support Workers, and a flexible way to receive care that truly fits their life.
By combining trusted Support Workers with expert backing for most of the admin associated with being an employer, Living My Way ensures that people can stay in control while still receiving high-quality, compliant and reliable disability support services.
Ready to learn more?
If you’d like to learn more about our Employ Your Own Support Worker service, please reach out to the Living My Way team today. You can call us on (02) 8525 4000, email us via operations@lmwl.org.au or complete our online enquiry form.
We’re here to help you navigate the process, answer your questions, and support you to take the next step toward living life your way.-