Community

Having a support team enables me to live my life to the fullest. independent support workers assist me with the tasks I find really difficult so that I can focus on my strengths and abilities and have the energy to study, work and participate in the community.  How I built my support team on Mable I’ve been a Mable client for over two years. During that time, I’ve booked many independent support workers on Mable. Some have been a core part of my team and others have stepped in at short notice, often when I’ve utilised the very helpful Mable Last Minute function, when something urgent and unexpected happened and I needed support. You can read more about my method for booking support workers in my article How to find and book a new support worker — tricks and tips . How my team supports me Apart from booking a cleaner and gardener on Mable to assist with daily activities, my support workers for social, community and civic participation assist me with my self-employment goals, help

As the water trickled over the rocks and my kids explored the bush, their laughter mingling with birdsong, I sat quietly on the wooden seat, taking it all in. The peace, the joy - but also something else. My eyes welled up just as my independent support worker glanced at me. She slipped an arm around me and gave a gentle squeeze. I didn't need to explain what I was feeling but she already knew. That feeling is something that I think every parent living with a disability needs to hear and embrace. A different kind of angst Mum - and dad - guilt is almost synonymous with parenting these days. We worry we're not doing enough, not being enough; that there's never enough time, money, or energy. But when you're parenting with disability, that feeling cuts deeper. It's the sting when you can't do something for, or with, your kids. Like driving them to a birthday party, kicking a soccer ball in the backyard. It's crying quietly in the kitchen when disability and parenthood all feels too much.

Independent Thoughts digs deeper into what it really means to live on your terms, sharing insights into life for people with disability and older Australians. We invite guests with lived experience to share their perspectives in an open dialogue. From casual chats to asking some of life's biggest questions, Independent Thoughts covers it all. Independent Thoughts is an invitation to join us as we challenge the status quo, shatter stereotypes, and redefine independence – one open-hearted conversation at a time. In this episode, we meet Simone, who manages support for her dad, Con, through Mable. She speaks with host and Clinical Psychologist, Melissa Levi . Finding the right support Dogs, flowers and a veggie garden. These are three things that bring Con joy, according to his daughter, Simone. But as he got older, it became physically harder for him to stay connected to the parts of life he loved. When Con and Simone felt it was time to begin looking for help at home, it was import

Sue Austin started using a wheelchair after  an extended illness. Through the experience, she speaks of finding   a tremendous new freedom.  " I'd seen my life slip away and become restricted. It was like having an enormous new toy. I could whiz around and feel the wind in my face again. Just being out on the street was exhilarating." But even though Sue had this newfound joy and freedom, she said people's reaction completely changed towards her.  " It was as if they couldn't see me anymore, as if an invisibility cloak had descended. They seemed to see me in terms of their assumptions of what it must be like to be in a wheelchair. When I asked people their associations with the wheelchair, they used words like "limitation," "fear," "pity" and "restriction." I realised I'd internalised these responses and it had changed who I was on a core level. A part of me had become alienated from myself. I was seeing myself not from my perspective, but vividly and cont

We talked to Mable worker, Shane, who is juggling a full-time role in aged care and a young family to do what he enjoys best: spending time with clients. "I’ve worked in aged care for the past five years. I’m now in a management role so I joined Mable for some extra income and to spend more time face to face with people. I heard about Mable at a community talk and thought, “Why not give it a go?” I have a few regular clients. For some, I offer social support. Last week, I went with a client on a walk, talk and a coffee stopover and I just listened while she reminisced about her life. She got a lot of joy out of connecting. I like hearing and learning from people about their life and history. It really has shaped who I am today. I’ve developed a very meaningful relationship with these clients. It’s something that’s close to my heart. I also have younger clients whose parents and carers teach me so much about their experience of autism, their triggers and how to engage with them. I just

Tracy, who is based in Blue Mountains NSW, left her full-time job with a provider to sign up to Mable. This is her story. "I’d wanted to be a self-employed independent support worker for a long time but didn’t know how to do it. I worked with a provider for many years before I came onto the Mable platform. There were things I wanted to do with the people I supported, but felt like I was restricted by the organisation’s rules. The service provider was in charge, not the client. When I became an independent support worker through Mable, the people I supported decided to come with me. Now, the balance of power has shifted; I’m directed and guided by the person I support, negotiation is between me and them. I get to provide true person-centred support. Mable is a way to do what I always wanted to. It runs so easily. I feel supported by the people at Mable and they’re aligned with my philosophy. Most people I support live independently and are NDIS-managed , so Mable is great for them. Muc

Debra from Brisbane was a registered nurse and gave up nursing while the family lived overseas. She had difficulty re-entering the workforce so worked in retail for five years. This is her story. "When I was offered redundancy from my retail job, I thought, what skills do I have and how can I use them? It became obvious to me that I’d have to invent a job for myself, rather than waiting for a job to drop into my lap. When I worked in aged care and nursing homes, I felt there were too many constraints on what employees could do for clients. I’d been wondering whether there was a more flexible client service provider platform or model of care around. And then I found Mable. Whenever I’d thought of working for myself, I’d been concerned about all the legalities and insurances, which Mable takes care of. Signing up was very streamlined, very simple. Once I’d started I updated my clinical skills with a Cert IV in Aged Support, mainly to understand all the bureaucracy. Being independent enab

Thao, moonlights as a stand-up comedian and a Murder Mystery party host. She signed up to Mable for some extra income. Here are some tips and tricks on how to transition to becoming an independent support worker on Mable. "Before I started using the Mable platform, I was working in admin, hospitality and the arts. But this sort of work is aligned what I enjoy, meeting people and not having a routine. It’s also nice being able to help. As an independent worker, I enjoy the domestic and social support side of things. This morning I was gardening with my client and digging up potatoes for her. I once had to cook breakfast for a client who is quite famous in the food industry. Luckily, she said she liked the eggs. I have another client who wants me to teach her to play the guitar so we’ll be going out to buy one. To be a support worker, you need good social skills, patience, understanding, and not to be judgemental. You need to understand the clients and what their needs are. It doesn’t

Fiona is one of the busiest workers in the Mable community. She has developed a great network of buddies to share shifts and provide continuity to clients. This is her story. It all started when someone gave her the wrong roster... "I worked in the disability sector for 14 years before moving to Hervey Bay for a sea-change. I had the qualifications so decided to do part-time care work to supplement my income in a podiatry practice. I was excited and nervous, so thought some social and domestic support work would help me ease in. My first client was a six-foot four male who needed showering. My next client was a 94-year old amputee war veteran who also needed showering. I did nine showers that day and thought, “Today, Fiona, you’re going to sink or swim”. When I got back to the office that day they asked me whether I’d taken Joan out for tea and scones, and Mabel to the drive-through for a soft serve ice-cream. I didn’t know what they were talking about. They said, “Oh no, we gave you