Well, who’d of thought we’d hit this topic first? I’m talking about the down-and-dirty real day-to-day client/ family relationships people form with support staff, not the mushy stuff. (At least not here!)
Let’s be honest, there’s a lot of balls in the air in these relationships. Depending on the person you are, the person you’re supporting and the life you both lead, they can be very diverse working relationships to navigate.
Living with a disability as a part of everyday life in Australia means we have this wonderful opportunity to have support, thanks to the NDIS.
That’s why we started Quad Care.
Unfortunately, we (people with disability and their families) don’t typically want to need this role in our lives. Let me say that again. Nobody wants to need support.
I am a mother of three children, and hopefully, one day four. I am thankful for our NDIS supports, But I tell you, I wish to God we didn’t need it, every day.
I wish my husband could leap out of bed, I wish he could hold our children, drive us to friends’ places and take the boys and I fishing, but it’s not going to happen with his complete spinal cord injury.
This life can make us frustrated, but can also make us resilient, strong and forgiving. The good thing is, that everyone, with or without a disability has the basic need for connection, in common.
So how does the support worker navigate this space?
Well, as you would any other relationship. Relationships take time, don’t push them. Let them grow in the way the universe has planned for them. Let them be hard, let them be easy, let them grow, let yourself be challenged and let them be done when they need to be done.
The ecosystem of disability support services in Australia under the NDIS is a rapidly growing space. Within that, we have a unique ability to create relationships that change lives.
Navigate with a compass of respect, honesty, trust and dignity, is about all you can do… it’s as simple as that!
Read our article about Finding the right fit with support staff here.
Or take a look at our children’s book about the superpowers of disability here.
