What does a Support Services Manager do?

An Interview with our amazing Support Services Manager Stephanie Crawford

We learn about what a Support Service Manager does and the inspirational role of being a Support Worker/Mentor for our clients.

At the heart of every thriving community are people who care - those who dedicate their time, energy and compassion to helping others reach their full potential. A Support Service Manager and Support Worker/Mentor embody this spirit of service and empowerment. We chat with our inspirational Support Services Manager and Support Worker/Mentor Stephanie Crawford who makes a great difference on the frontline.

Tell us about yourself?

I have been fortunate enough to be working within the care and disability sector for the last 10 years. It is my passion to support and advocate for others and their families in any way I can. I am a very passionate and driven person who enjoys seeing others succeed.

What does Resilient Health Group mean to you?

To me, Resilient Health Group means showing up with integrity, empathy, and purpose. It’s about collaboration be-tween staff, families, and the wider community, to make a genuine differ-ence. It’s a reminder that the work we do has impact every day, and that resil-ience isn’t just what we teach, it’s what we live.

What are your strategies for recruiting and retaining skilled support workers, especially given industry challenges?

During the recruitment process we like to communicate the required qualifications that are needed for the role. We also offer in house training specific to the clients needs to be able to support them. Offering additional training at no cost to the staff and having regular check ins and communication with our staff is a great step in being able to maintain them.

How do you assess and address issues within your team to ensure high-quality service delivery?

We do rely on the feedback and communication within our team to be able to identify any issues. If the issue is impacting the quality of service, we provide we escalate this promptly in hopes there is no negative outcomes for our participants.

How do you ensure your support workers are equipped to handle diverse client needs and preferences, including cultural considerations?

Before we send any of our workers to a new participant, we have a conversation about any anticipated behaviour or issues that may arise. This gives the Support Workers the opportunity to know what they are walking into and how to best handle the situation if any arise. We will then also send a support worker profile to our clients to also ensure they are a good fit for them, allowing them choice and control. At Resilient Health Group we are happy to work with all cultural considerations.

How does your team handle situations where a client refuses help or experiences an aggressive outburst?

We experience challenges within this industry everyday. It is important to firstly respect the client, their space and wishes as long as it is not an immediate harm to them. We work together and along side our clients to difuse escalated situations. We escalate all concerning behaviours to the appropriate supports in their teams to discuss how to best manage this moving forward.

What do you enjoy most about the Support Worker role?

It is important to me that I am able to advocate for others and ensure they are receiving a high quality of care that they deserve. I find it very rewarding when our supports are making a positive change and impact to peoples lives.

What does a great support worker-client relationship mean to you?

If we have a great relationship with our clients and communicate well, to me this means we are supporting them with high standards and are making a positive change and impact to better their position with working towards their NDIS goals.

How do you assess a client's individual needs and goals?

Our first point is to look at their NDIS goals to see what they are. Whilst working closely with our clients we learn a lot about them, what they need and any challenges they face. This helps us work alongside them to achieve these goals and change and or update needs as required.

What key qualities do you believe are essential for a successful support worker, and how do you foster them?

It is important that our support workers are honest, reliable, and empathetic to people’s situations. We foster this by in return being honest, reliable and empathetic to our staff and their situations. We understand we need to lead by example and it is important to us that staff feel safe and supported within our team.