Living in a regional or remote community has many rewards. But for people with disability, finding the right support can sometimes be more challenging than in larger cities. The limited number of service providers, smaller workforces, and longer travel distances can make it difficult to access consistent, high-quality care.
That’s where Living My Way’s Employ Your Own Support Worker service can make a real difference. This model gives you the flexibility, control, and confidence to choose and employ the right person to support you, right where you live.
It’s a service that works particularly well in regional areas, offering both practical and personal benefits for participants and their local communities.
1. Finding the right person in a small workforce
In many regional areas, the pool of available disability Support Workers can be limited. Traditional providers may struggle to fill shifts or match workers with specific skills, especially at short notice.
By employing your own disability Support Worker, you open up a much wider range of options. You can:
- Employ someone you already know and trust, perhaps a friend, neighbour, or member of your community
- Recruit people with the right personality, skills and values, not just those on a provider’s roster
- Build flexibility into your support schedule, so it truly fits your lifestyle
This freedom helps you find a disability Support Worker who’s the right fit for you; someone who understands your routines, preferences, and goals.
2. Building long-term, meaningful relationships
One of the greatest benefits of employing your own disability Support Worker is the opportunity to develop a consistent, long-term relationship.
In regional areas, where communities are smaller and more connected, this consistency is even more valuable. Over time, your disability Support Worker gets to know you deeply. Not just your daily routines, but your personality, interests, and aspirations.
This familiarity builds:
- Trust and comfort: knowing you’re supported by someone reliable and familiar
- Better quality care: your disability Support Worker understands your communication style, needs, and preferences
- Stability: fewer changes or disruptions to your routine
When your disability Support Worker becomes part of your regular rhythm, care feels less transactional and more like a true partnership.
3. Local knowledge and networks
Regional life often depends on knowing where to go and who to speak to, whether it’s local health professionals, community groups, or transport services.
When your disability Support Worker is from your own community, they bring that local knowledge and connection with them. They may know:
- The best local allied health providers or community centres
- Local recreation opportunities and inclusive events
- Other support networks or disability support services that can help you reach your goals
This insight can make your NDIS plan work harder for you, by connecting you with resources and opportunities that might not be obvious on paper.
4. Strengthening regional communities
Employing your own disability Support Worker isn’t just beneficial for you as the iCare or NDIS participant. It also creates new employment opportunities for local people.
In smaller towns, meaningful employment can be harder to come by, especially in roles that align with a person’s skills and interests. By hiring someone locally, you’re:
- Creating new job opportunities in your community
- Supporting local economic growth
- Encouraging skilled and compassionate people to stay in regional areas
It’s a model that gives back, empowering both you as the person receiving support, and the person who is providing it.
5. Flexibility, choice and control
The Employ Your Own Support Worker model puts you firmly in the driver’s seat. You decide who supports you, when they work, what support they provide and how they support you.
Living My Way takes care of most of the behind-the-scenes administration, including payroll, Workers’ Compensation Insurance, and onboarding, so that you can focus on building a positive, effective working relationship.
This approach aligns perfectly with the NDIS principles of choice and control. It empowers you to shape your supports in a way that fits your life, your location, and your goals.
6. Cost-effective and personalised
Because you’re directly employing your disability Support Worker, your budget can often go further. There are fewer overhead costs, and you can tailor the role to suit your needs, from personal care to community access, household support, or transport.
This personalised approach ensures your funding is used where it makes the biggest impact.
7. Support from Living My Way
Choosing and managing your own disability Support Worker might sound daunting, but you’re not on your own. Living My Way provides guidance every step of the way.
Our service can help you with:
- Recruitment and onboarding
- Employment contracts
- Payroll and superannuation
- Human resources support
- Workplace health and safety compliance
That means you get all the benefits of choice and flexibility, with the reassurance of a professional disability support service behind you.
A Support Worker model that works for regional Australia
Regional communities thrive on connection, trust, and local know-how. The Employ Your Own Support Worker model taps into those strengths, helping you find support that’s personal, consistent, and community-based.
It’s about more than just filling a roster. It’s about building relationships, fostering inclusion, and empowering both participants and local workers.
When you employ your own Support Worker, you’re not just creating a support arrangement. You’re creating a partnership that grows with you.
Want to learn more?
If you live in Central West NSW or another regional or remote area in Australia and are interested in finding out how the Employ Your Own Support Worker Service could work for you, 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 the contact us form on our website.