Support Workers
A support worker is a professional who helps people living with various kinds of physical and mental health conditions. Their main responsibilities include assisting with household tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, providing social support and helping clients to set and achieve goals.
Support worker duties and responsibilities
The daily activities of a support worker vary depending on the needs of their clients, but their main duties and responsibilities include:
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helping clients to develop new skills so that they can live as independently as possible
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assisting clients with exploring hobbies or new interests
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working with clients to manage risk, plan goals and implement support services
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providing assistance with household tasks, such as cleaning, doing laundry, planning meals and cooking
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some basic medical care, including dressing wounds, administering medication and performing first aid, as required
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working closely and collaboratively with clients to explore their needs, put support in place and create opportunities to enhance their wellbeing and growth
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supporting clients with finding or starting a new job
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keeping detailed records of activities performed and the client’s progress
What does a support worker do?
Support workers provide social, physical and emotional support to a wide variety of clients who require assistance, usually due to their physical or mental health conditions. These include clients who are elderly, are recovering from surgery, have a physical or intellectual disability, illness, mental health condition, addiction or have experienced abuse. Depending on the client’s needs, support workers generally provide their services in people’s homes and in the community, in specialist care facilities or in hospitals.
What qualities make a good support worker?
A good support worker has a positive and supportive attitude. They know when it’s necessary to step in and provide support and when it’s better to step back and let their clients do things for themselves. They are respectful of people with diverse life experiences and passionate about making a positive difference in people’s lives. Other important qualities to have include patience, reliability and trustworthiness.
