Practical guide
What to Expect from Your First Shift
Getting comfortable, agreeing how support works, and starting.
The first shift is mostly about getting comfortable with each other. Your worker will have the information they need for the support, but they should still ask how you like things done.
What your worker will do
- Introduce themselves and confirm their role
- Go through what is planned for the shift
- Ask how you prefer to communicate and be supported
- Confirm relevant health, mobility or safety information where needed
- Follow the support arrangements agreed with you
- Explain what they are doing before providing personal support
- Ask for your consent before providing support
What you can do
Ask questions, ask for something to be done differently, or say if you are uncomfortable. Your preferences matter and it is useful for us to know what works for you from the beginning.
You can withdraw consent
You can say no to a particular support or ask a worker to stop. Tell us if you want to talk about how that affects the rest of your support.
Afterwards
If the worker match or support arrangement did not feel right, tell us. We can review what happened and talk with you about a different approach or worker where possible.