What Is an Individual Support Worker?

What is an individual support worker?

An individual support worker supports a person to live as independently as they choose. The title is used across disability, aged care and community services, and the NDIS Commission counts anyone engaged to deliver NDIS supports as a worker, whether employee, contractor or volunteer (NDIS Commission).

• Setting: you may work in the person’s home, out in the community or in a residential house, and the Certificate III reflects all three.
• Supervision: you follow the person’s support plan and a supervisor’s delegation rather than making clinical decisions on your own.
• Occupation group: the Australian Bureau of Statistics lists Aged or Disabled Carer (423111) at Skill Level 4, which means a Certificate II or III or at least one year of relevant experience, with some roles at Skill Level 3 (ABS ANZSCO).
• Related titles: you will also see disability support worker, care worker and personal care assistant used for very similar jobs.

If you want the day-to-day picture, read what a support worker does.

Individual support worker job description

A typical job description lists the duties below, and each provider adjusts them to the participants it supports.

• Support showering, dressing, toileting and grooming in a way that protects the person’s privacy, dignity and choice about how things are done.
• Prepare meals, help with eating where needed and follow any mealtime plan written by the person’s health professionals.
• Do light cleaning, laundry and shopping so the person can stay comfortable and independent at home.
• Take the person to appointments, social outings, work or study and support them to join in at their own pace.
• Write accurate shift notes and report incidents, changes in health or safety concerns to your supervisor straight away.
• Follow the person’s behaviour support plan, health plans and the NDIS Code of Conduct on every shift.

Individual support worker roles and responsibilities

Duties tell you what to do; responsibilities describe the standard you are held to while doing it.

We are always looking for reliable, caring support workers in Sydney and Melbourne. Send us your details, qualifications and availability.

What qualifications does an individual support worker need?

Requirements vary between employers, so ask each one what they need.

1. 1Check the qualification. CHC33021 has 15 units (9 core and 6 elective) and needs at least 120 hours of work placement (training.gov.au).
2. 2Ask about screening. Check with each employer whether the role needs an NDIS worker screening check before your first shift.
3. 3Ask about first aid and CPR. Check whether the employer wants a current first aid or CPR statement of attainment.
4. 4Apply with your documents ready. Our guide on how to become an NDIS support worker sets out the full process.

Individual support worker salary and pay rate

There is no single salary, because pay depends on your award stream, level, employment type and when you work. The rates below apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026, so check the Fair Work pay guide for the rate that applies to you now.

These figures come from the Fair Work SCHADS pay guide. Level 3 pay point 2 is $34.92 an hour for full-time and part-time employees.

• From December 2026, a full-time or part-time home care employee at level 2 pay point 1 earns $49.79 an hour on Saturday, $66.38 on Sunday and $82.98 on a public holiday.
• From December 2026, a casual at the same level earns $58.08 an hour on Saturday, $74.68 on Sunday and $91.27 on a public holiday.
• From December 2026, social and community services employees at level 2 pay point 1 are listed at $36.22 an hour, and level 3 pay point 1 at $40.49 an hour.

The pay guide states that the Equal Remuneration Order final rate applies to social and community services employees, so the award’s base clause rates alone understate their minimum pay. The Annual Wage Review 2026 decision increased modern award minimum wage rates by 4.75 per cent, so check the Fair Work pay guide for when each award rate applies.

Bigger changes are coming. The Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review 2026 decision records that the Priority Awards Review outcome for disability home care workers covered by the SCHADS Award is a 23 per cent increase in the minimum award rate for a Certificate III-qualified worker, with various increases for other classifications, to be implemented by 1 October 2027.

Casual loading and minimum shift rules

Two award clauses directly affect your weekly income.

• Under clause 10.4 of the SCHADS Award, casual employees receive a 25% loading on top of the minimum hourly rate for their classification.
• Under clause 10.5, part-time and casual employees doing disability services work are paid for at least 2 hours per shift.
• Other social and community services employees have a 3-hour minimum, so confirm which stream your contract places you in.
• Ask your employer in writing for your classification, level and pay point before you accept an offer.

Related roles and where to go next

Individual support skills carry across to several specialist roles, each with different settings and pay conversations.

• Residential support worker: shift-based work in supported accommodation, including overnight shifts.
• Behavioural support worker: helps people follow a behaviour support plan written by a specialist practitioner.
• Community support worker: focuses on social participation, outings and building everyday skills.
• Family support worker: a separate role with a different focus, so compare what each job involves before you apply.
• Mental health support worker salary: shows how pay compares for recovery-focused roles.
• If you are on the other side, see how to get a support worker, and what to wear as a support worker before your first shift.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Accepting a job without asking which award stream and classification level applies, because the hourly rate changes with both.
• Assuming the casual loading is optional or already included in an advertised rate without checking your payslip.
• Taking on tasks outside your training or delegation, such as medication or complex health care.
• Skipping shift notes, which are your record of what happened and protect you and the participant.
• Letting your screening check, first aid or CPR lapse and finding out when you are taken off the roster.

We are always looking for reliable, caring support workers in Sydney and Melbourne. Send us your details, qualifications and availability.

Your next step

If you want to put these skills to work, TQN Care is always looking for caring, reliable people. Our NDIS support workers help people across Sydney, Melbourne and surrounding areas (NSW & VIC) with personal care, community access and help at home, and we support new workers to build their experience. Get in touch with your availability and qualifications and we will talk through the roles that suit you.