Support Workers and Support Coordinators: What’s the Difference?
Support Workers and Support Coordinators can both play important roles in a participant’s life, but they provide very different types of assistance.
A Support Worker generally helps a participant with everyday activities and works directly alongside them. A Support Coordinator helps the participant understand their NDIS plan, connect with services and organise their broader support network.
Understanding the difference can make it easier to know who to contact when you need help.
What Does a Support Worker Do?
A Support Worker provides practical, person-to-person assistance based on the participant’s individual needs and goals.
Depending on the participant and the services agreed upon, this may include:
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Assistance with everyday routines
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Support to attend appointments
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Help with household activities
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Transport or assistance using public transport
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Participation in social and community activities
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Developing practical life skills
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Supporting greater confidence and independence
A Support Worker may spend several hours with a participant during a shift and often becomes familiar with their routines, communication preferences and interests.
Their role is to assist the participant—not to take control of their life. Good support should encourage choice, dignity and independence wherever possible.
What Does a Support Coordinator Do?
A Support Coordinator focuses on helping a participant understand and implement their NDIS plan.
Their work may include:
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Explaining the participant’s approved supports
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Helping identify suitable service providers
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Connecting services and informal supports
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Reviewing service agreements
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Helping address gaps or problems in service delivery
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Building the participant’s confidence in managing their supports
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Preparing information for plan reassessments
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Helping respond when circumstances change
A Support Coordinator will not usually deliver daily personal or household assistance. Instead, they help organise the larger network of services around the participant.
“A Support Worker helps deliver everyday support, while a Support Coordinator helps organise and strengthen the overall support network.”
How Do the Two Roles Work Together?
Although the roles are different, Support Workers and Support Coordinators may work together—with the participant’s consent—to help the person pursue their goals.
For example, a participant may have a goal of becoming more confident using public transport.
The Support Coordinator might help identify an appropriate provider and organise the service. The Support Worker could then provide practical assistance as the participant learns to plan routes, purchase tickets and complete journeys more independently.
The participant remains at the centre of the process and decides what information may be shared between the people supporting them.
Who Should You Contact?
The right person to contact depends on the type of assistance you need.
You might contact your Support Worker or service provider when you want to:
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Discuss an upcoming support shift
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Change a regular activity
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Explain how you prefer to be supported
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Raise a concern about day-to-day service delivery
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Work on a practical skill or routine
You might contact your Support Coordinator when you want to:
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Better understand your NDIS plan
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Find or compare providers
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Address a gap in your broader support arrangements
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Coordinate several different services
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Prepare for a plan reassessment
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Respond to a significant change in your circumstances
If you are unsure, either person should help direct you to the appropriate contact.
Are Both Supports Automatically Included in an NDIS Plan?
No. The supports funded in each NDIS plan are based on the individual participant’s circumstances, needs and goals.
Funding for Support Coordination is not automatically included in every plan. The amount and type of assistance available will depend on what has been approved in the participant’s current plan.
It is important to check your approved supports before engaging a provider. Your NDIS contact or Plan Manager may also help you understand how particular services can be funded.
Choosing the Right People to Support You
Whether you are choosing a Support Worker or a Support Coordinator, look for someone who:
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Listens to you
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Respects your choices
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Communicates clearly
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Understands their professional role
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Maintains appropriate boundaries
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Is honest about what they can and cannot provide
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Supports you to become more confident and independent
Qualifications and experience matter, but trust, consistency and communication are also important.
How Solss Sparkles Can Help?
At Solss Sparkles, we recognise that effective support begins with understanding the individual.
Our team works with participants to provide practical assistance shaped around their goals, routines and preferences. Where multiple services are involved, we value clear communication and collaboration while respecting the participant’s privacy, consent and right to make decisions.
Contact Solss Sparkles to discuss your support needs or complete our referral form to begin the conversation.
