Personal care is one of the most personal — and most important — supports the NDIS funds. We're talking about people who come into your home, help with your morning and evening routine, support you in the community, and, in many cases, become a regular part of your life. Getting this right matters enormously. Getting it wrong is exhausting.
What NDIS personal care covers
- Personal hygiene — showering, dressing, grooming, toileting.
- Meal preparation and assistance with eating.
- Mobility support and transfers.
- Medication prompting (nurses for actual administration where needed).
- Household tasks like laundry, cleaning, and shopping.
- Community access — getting out, social activities, appointments.
- Overnight and 24/7 support where funded.
How personal care providers work
Traditional providers
A provider organisation employs support workers, builds your roster, handles rostering and replacements, supervises staff, and bills the NDIS. You're the participant; they handle the operational side. Often the right choice for participants who want a turnkey experience and don't want to manage workers directly.
Direct-hire and marketplaces
Platforms like Hireup and Mable let you choose individual workers and book them directly. You get much more control over who supports you and often pay less per hour. The trade-off is more responsibility — you arrange cover when your usual worker is sick, you manage the relationship, and you handle any issues directly.
What good personal care looks like
- You have a small, consistent group of workers — not a different person every shift.
- Workers turn up on time and stay for the full shift.
- The provider has reliable back-up cover for sick days and leave.
- Your roster is built around your preferences, not just operational convenience.
- Workers respect your home, your privacy, and the way you like things done.
- There's a clear plan for each shift — you both know what's happening and why.
- The provider takes feedback seriously and acts on it.
- Issues are resolved quickly and without drama.
Red flags to watch for
- High staff turnover — different worker every week with no continuity.
- Late or no-show workers, especially without a phone call.
- Cancelled shifts at short notice, repeatedly.
- Workers arriving without proper briefing or knowing what they're meant to do.
- Workers who ignore your preferences or rush through tasks.
- Difficulty reaching someone in management when there's a problem.
- Pressure to accept workers you've said aren't a good fit.
- Billing that doesn't match the shifts that actually happened.
Why reviews matter for personal care
With personal care, you're not just choosing a service — you're choosing who has access to your home and your body. Independent, verified reviews from other participants give you signals you simply can't get from a provider's marketing brochure: are workers consistent? Is rostering reliable? Does the provider actually listen?
Reviews don't replace your own gut feeling after the first few shifts, but they help you avoid providers other people have already had bad experiences with — which, in personal care, is invaluable.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
Through a provider, the organisation handles recruitment, training, rostering, supervision, insurance, and replacement workers when someone's away. Hiring directly (or through a marketplace like Hireup or Mable) gives you more control over who supports you and is often cheaper, but you take on more responsibility for managing the relationship and arranging cover.
Yes. Even when going through a provider, you have the right to ask for specific workers, request changes if it's not working, and provide feedback on shifts. A good provider builds your roster around your preferences, not just their convenience.
A good provider has back-up arrangements. If a worker calls in sick, you should get a replacement worker (where possible) or at least a prompt call letting you know. Repeated no-shows or last-minute cancellations are a serious issue and a sign to look elsewhere.
Workers delivering NDIS supports must hold an NDIS Worker Screening Check, which includes a national criminal history check. They also must complete the NDIS Worker Orientation Module. Reputable providers check these before placing workers with participants and renew them when required.