Open Care Connect: Training Pathways

Welcome to Open Care Connect. You are joining a team that exists for one reason: to help people with disability live the life they choose. That is not marketing language — it is what happens on every shift, in every home, every day. As a support worker, you are at the centre of it.

Open Care Connect (trading as Open Care Community Services Pty Ltd) is a registered NDIS provider located at 32 Ranfurlie Circuit, Melton West VIC 3338. Our ABN is 22 668 873 694 and our NDIS Provider ID is 4-JU2I9UJ. You can find more information at opencareconnect.com.au.

We are a smaller provider by design. Being smaller means we know our participants, we know our team, and we can be flexible and responsive. Our participants see consistent faces, build genuine relationships, and receive support that is tailored to them. That is only possible because of the quality of our support workers.

Our Vision and Mission

Our vision is to provide quality and inclusive services that empower individuals with disabilities to thrive.

Our mission is to passionately deliver comprehensive and accessible services tailored to the unique needs of individuals with disabilities. Through collaboration, advocacy, and innovative support, we aim to empower independence and inclusion for everyone we support.

Our Six Values

These values are taken directly from OCC's Participant Handbook (V1.1, approved 01 March 2026). They are how we expect every team member to behave — not just statements on a wall.

What Your Role Involves

As a support worker at OCC, your primary responsibility is to deliver the supports outlined in each participant's support plan, in the way the participant prefers, and to the standard required by the NDIS and OCC. This includes assisting with daily personal activities, supporting community access, helping develop daily living skills, and completing accurate progress notes after every session — within 24 hours.

You are a professional. That does not mean you cannot be warm, caring, and genuinely engaged with the people you support — those qualities are essential. But it does mean maintaining professional boundaries, keeping participant information confidential, and acting in the participant's best interests at all times.

Your Staff ID

You have been assigned a unique OCC staff identifier. Use it on every progress note, incident report, and system entry you make. Every record at OCC must be traceable to the person who created it. If you ever lose access to OCC systems, contact the Operations Manager immediately.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is the framework you work within every day. Understanding how it works — what it funds, who manages it, and what it requires of you — will help you do your job better and protect both you and the people you support.

How the NDIS Works

The NDIS funds supports and services for Australians under the age of 65 who have a permanent and significant disability. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) assesses eligibility, develops individual funding plans, and manages participants' accounts. Each participant has an NDIS plan that outlines their goals and the budget available to fund specific types of support.

OCC is a registered NDIS provider. That means we have been assessed and approved by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to provide specific types of support. Participants choose OCC because they believe we can help them achieve their goals. Choosing a provider is their right — and they can change providers if they are not satisfied.

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is the national regulator for NDIS providers. It is separate from the NDIA. The Commission sets and enforces the NDIS Practice Standards, administers the Code of Conduct, manages the Worker Screening system, investigates complaints and incidents, and can take regulatory action against providers who fail their obligations. As a support worker, you are directly accountable to the Commission through the Code of Conduct.

OCC's Eight Registration Groups

OCC is registered to deliver supports in eight groups, confirmed in our NDIS Initial Scope of Audit (November 2023). You must only deliver supports within these groups and within your own training and competence.

What NDIS Plans Do Not Fund

The NDIS does not fund supports that are the responsibility of other systems — Medicare (medical treatment), education (school tuition), housing (rent and mortgage), or supports that are not related to the participant's disability. It also does not fund everyday living costs like groceries or utility bills that non-disabled people pay for themselves. If a participant asks for something that seems outside NDIS funding, check with your supervisor rather than guessing.

The NDIS Code of Conduct sets out how you must behave as an NDIS worker. It is legally binding, it applies to every shift and every interaction, and breaching it has real consequences. These consequences can include employment action by OCC, a finding by the NDIS Commission that you have engaged in worker misconduct, and a negative impact on your Worker Screening Check status.

The Seven Conduct Obligations

What Happens When the Code Is Breached

If the NDIS Commission receives a complaint or becomes aware of conduct that may breach the Code, it can investigate and take compliance action. This can include giving a compliance notice, requiring training, issuing a banning order (preventing someone from working with NDIS participants), or referring serious matters to police. OCC is required to cooperate fully with any Commission investigation and to report certain conduct matters proactively.

Before you can work with NDIS participants at OCC, you must pass the NDIS Worker Screening Check. This is a legal requirement under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Worker Screening) Act 2020 (Cth). It is not something OCC can waive or skip, no matter how experienced you are or how urgently we need support workers.

What the Check Involves

The NDIS Worker Screening Check is a national background check that assesses whether a person poses an unacceptable risk to people with disability. In Victoria, the check is conducted by the Department of Justice and Community Safety. The assessment considers: criminal history (including spent convictions in some cases); information from professional disciplinary bodies; relevant civil and family court orders; and information from child protection authorities.

The check is conducted once nationally, but it covers all Risk Assessed Roles across all NDIS providers. This means your clearance from OCC also applies if you work for another registered NDIS provider. It is valid for five years from the date of clearance.

Risk Assessed Roles at OCC

Your role as a support worker at OCC is a Risk Assessed Role under category (a) of the NDIS (Worker Screening) Act 2020 — meaning you directly deliver NDIS supports to participants. This means you must hold a clearance before you can work with participants without direct line-of-sight supervision.

The Application Process

Your employer (OCC, through the HR/Finance Manager) will initiate the screening application process. You will need to provide 100 points of identification — this typically includes a passport or birth certificate (70 points) plus a driver's licence or Medicare card (25–35 points each). Do not start this process independently — the HR/Finance Manager will guide you through it.

The screening authority aims to determine your RAR status within 20 working days of receiving a complete application. While your application is being processed, you may only work with participants under direct supervision. You cannot be left alone with a participant until clearance is received and confirmed by OCC management.

Maintaining Your Check

Your NDIS Worker Screening Check is valid for five years. OCC will track expiry dates through the HR system and notify you when your renewal is due. You must not allow your clearance to lapse. If your clearance lapses, you cannot legally continue working with NDIS participants until the renewal is processed. If your circumstances change in a way that might affect your clearance (for example, a new criminal charge), you are legally required to notify the NDIS Commission.

Starting a new role at OCC involves a structured induction journey — not just a form to sign and a password to set up. The induction process ensures that before you work with participants independently, you have the knowledge, the documentation, and the Director's formal sign-off. This is a legal requirement under our NDIS registration conditions, not an administrative preference.

Our induction process is documented in HR-TMI-001 (Mandatory Training Index). The Director of OCC must personally review and sign off your completed induction checklist before you can deliver supports to participants without direct supervision.

Your Five-Stage Induction

Supervision During and After Induction

During your first four weeks, you will have at least two documented supervision sessions — one in Week 1 and one in Weeks 2 to 4. After induction is complete, OCC supports workers through regular supervision. Casual workers receive supervision monthly (or more frequently where there is a performance concern). Supervision is a two-way conversation — you can raise questions, concerns, or feedback about your role, your participants, or your working conditions.

Your probation period runs for three months from your commencement date. During probation, your supervisor will assess your performance against the requirements of your role and the OCC values. If you have concerns about how your probation is going, raise them in supervision — do not wait for a formal review.

Mandatory training is not something to complete once and forget. It is an ongoing requirement that forms part of your professional obligation as an NDIS worker. OCC monitors mandatory training currency for all staff, and failing to keep up with training requirements is treated as a performance issue. Some training must be completed before you start working with participants. Other training must be refreshed annually.

Training You Must Complete Before Working Independently

Ongoing Annual Training

High Intensity Training (HIDPA)

If you are rostered to support a participant with complex health needs — such as management of a PEG tube, tracheostomy, complex bowel care, or subcutaneous injections — you must hold specific High Intensity Daily Personal Activities (HIDPA) training for that task. OCC will not roster you for HIDPA supports unless you have the required qualification or are working under direct clinical supervision. Do not attempt these tasks without the appropriate training, even if you feel confident. The consequences for participants can be serious.

Keeping Your Training Current

The HR/Finance Manager maintains a training register for all staff that tracks completion dates and expiry dates. You will receive a reminder from your supervisor when a renewal is due. You are also responsible for knowing your own training status. If you are ever unsure whether your training is current, ask the HR/Finance Manager before your next shift.

Person-centred support is not a philosophy you agree with in your head — it is something you do, on every shift, in every moment. It changes how you ask questions, how you listen, how you plan, how you adapt when things do not go as expected. It is the foundation of everything the NDIS is built on, and it is the standard by which your work is assessed.

The NDIS Practice Standards require that all providers deliver supports in a way that is guided by the participant's individual needs, goals, and preferences. This is assessed at audit through documentation, participant feedback, and interviews with staff.

What Person-Centred Support Looks Like

Person-centred support starts with a fundamental shift in thinking. Instead of asking 'What does this person need?' you ask: 'What does this person want to achieve, and how do they want to be supported to get there?' Those are very different questions with very different answers.

Supported Decision-Making

All adults — including adults with disability — have the right to make decisions about their own lives. Your role is to support decision-making, not to make decisions for participants. This includes decisions you might think are unwise, such as choosing to eat certain foods, to take certain risks, or to reject a particular type of support. The NDIS Code of Conduct requires you to respect these choices. Where a participant lacks capacity to make a specific decision, OCC will work with their guardian, nominee, or support coordinator to ensure decisions are made in their best interests — not by the support worker acting alone.

Cultural and Communication Sensitivity

OCC participants come from a wide range of cultural, linguistic, and community backgrounds. Person-centred support means adapting to each person's preferred communication style, cultural practices, and community connections. If you are supporting someone whose first language is not English, use simple language, check for understanding frequently, and contact the Operations Manager if you need an interpreter. Never assume a participant cannot understand — always give them the opportunity to communicate in the way that works best for them.

Your documentation is not just paperwork. It is a legal record, an accountability tool, a continuity mechanism, and evidence of the quality of care you provide. A progress note that is missing, vague, or inaccurate creates problems for the participant, for OCC, and for you personally. At audit, documentation is one of the primary things the NDIS Commission looks for.

Every support session you deliver must be documented in a progress note within 24 hours of the session ending. This is an OCC policy requirement and a reflection of the NDIS Practice Standards' requirement for contemporaneous, accurate record-keeping.

What Must Be in a Progress Note

What Makes a Good Progress Note

Support Plans

Every participant has a support plan that tells you: who they are and what matters to them; their NDIS goals; the specific supports funded and how they should be delivered; any risks or health conditions you need to know about; their preferred communication style; and emergency contacts. You must read the support plan before your first shift with a new participant and whenever it is updated. Do not rely on verbal handovers alone. If you cannot find the support plan or it seems out of date, contact the Client Services Manager before proceeding.

Reporting incidents is one of the most important things you will ever do in this role. A promptly reported incident can prevent further harm, trigger the right support, protect the participant, and protect you. An unreported incident — or one that is reported late or minimised — can have serious consequences for participants and for your ongoing employment and registration.

OCC uses the Incident Report Form (INC-IRF-001) to document all incidents. You must submit a completed form within 24 hours of any incident, regardless of how minor it seems.

What Counts as an Incident?

An incident is any event that has, or could have, an adverse impact on a participant's health, safety, wellbeing, or rights. When in doubt, report. It is always better to report something minor that turns out to be nothing than to fail to report something serious.

Reportable Incidents — What Goes to the NDIS Commission

Some incidents are classified as 'reportable incidents' under the NDIS (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018 (Cth). These must be reported to the NDIS Commission by OCC management, within 24 hours. As a support worker, your role is to report to OCC management immediately — not to report to the Commission yourself. But you must understand what a reportable incident is so you escalate appropriately.

What to Do First in an Emergency

Your priority in any emergency is the participant's safety — not paperwork. First: ensure the participant is safe. Call 000 if there is a risk to life. Then call your supervisor. Then complete the incident report form within 24 hours. Never leave a distressed or at-risk participant alone while you deal with paperwork.

Work health and safety is not just a rule OCC has to follow — it is how we protect you and the people you support. As a support worker, you deliver services in environments that OCC does not fully control: participant homes, community venues, vehicles, and public spaces. This means you need strong WHS awareness and the confidence to identify and respond to hazards wherever you find them.

Your WHS Duties

You have legal obligations under work health and safety legislation. These apply regardless of where you are working — including in a participant's home.

Hazard Identification in Participant Homes

Before and during each shift, mentally scan the environment for hazards. Common hazards in participant homes include: wet or slippery floors; cluttered pathways; unsafe furniture or bed height; aggressive or large animals; faulty equipment (wheelchairs, hoists, shower chairs); poor lighting; and presence of other household members who may behave unpredictably.

You are not expected to fix hazards yourself. You are expected to note them, avoid them where possible, and report them to your supervisor immediately so that appropriate action can be taken. If the hazard presents an immediate risk to you or the participant, you may need to pause the support session and contact your supervisor before proceeding.

Manual Handling

Musculoskeletal injuries from manual handling are one of the most common workplace injuries in the disability and aged care sector. You must complete manual handling training before supporting participants who require physical assistance. Key principles: never lift alone if the participant's weight requires two people or equipment; use prescribed equipment (hoists, slide sheets, transfer belts) correctly; adjust the environment before you start (bed height, furniture position); and always communicate with the participant about what you are going to do before you do it.

Infection Prevention

You must complete infection prevention and control training annually. Key practices: wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use alcohol-based hand sanitiser, before and after personal care; use gloves and other PPE when required; handle and dispose of waste according to OCC's procedures; and do not attend work if you are unwell. If you are supporting a participant with a known infectious condition, follow the specific infection control requirements in their support plan or seek guidance from your supervisor.

Privacy and professional boundaries are not bureaucratic concepts — they are how we protect participants, protect ourselves, and maintain trust. Participants share deeply personal information with us, invite us into their homes, and trust us with their physical care. That trust is a serious responsibility.

Privacy — What You Must Do

Social Media — A Common Risk Area

Professional Boundaries

Professional boundaries protect both you and the participants you support. They are not about being cold or distant — you can be warm, caring, and genuinely engaged while maintaining clear professional limits. Boundaries that must always be maintained include:

Mandatory Reporting — Child Safety

If you support a participant who is a child, or if a participant discloses information suggesting a child is at risk of harm, you may have mandatory reporting obligations under Victorian law. Contact your supervisor immediately if you are concerned about a child's safety — do not wait until after your shift.

As an OCC support worker, your employment conditions are governed by the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (SCHADS Award, MA000100), made under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). You are entitled to know your entitlements and how they are calculated. If you believe your pay or conditions are incorrect, you have the right to raise this with OCC — and ultimately with the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Pay and Payroll at OCC

Leave Entitlements

Penalty Rates

Under the SCHADS Award, you are entitled to penalty rates for work outside ordinary hours. The rates below are indicative — always check the current SCHADS Award at fairwork.gov.au for the rates applicable to your classification and work type, as they are updated annually on 1 July.

Cancellation Policy

You are required to provide at least 24 hours notice if you cannot attend a rostered shift. Failure to provide notice may affect your pay entitlements for that shift under the SCHADS Award provisions. If you are a casual worker, you may accept or decline shifts — but repeatedly declining without reason may affect your ongoing rostering. Speak with the Operations Manager if you have concerns about your availability or roster.

If Your Pay Is Wrong

Raise it with the HR/Finance Manager in the first instance. If it is not resolved, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman at fairwork.gov.au or call 13 13 94. You cannot be dismissed, disadvantaged, or treated differently for exercising your legal rights under the Fair Work Act 2009.