Sarah Knows Support Workers

What was it really like growing up with a rare disability in Australia during the 1990s?

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, I sit down with Samantha Prior (Sam), who was one of the first people in Australia diagnosed with the ultra-rare condition MPS VI, also known as Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome.

And trust me, Sam has some stories to tell!

From growing up with a disability and dealing with school bullying to dating, nightclubs, relationships and finding her independence, Sam shares the good, the bad and the moments that shaped her life.

We talk about:

• 💬 Growing up disabled in the 90s and fighting for inclusion.

• ❤️ Dating, relationships and the stigma around disability.

• 🚨 A frightening nightclub experience involving a stranger.

• 🏠 Moving out, accessing the NDIS and finding a home that truly suits her.

• 💪 Why being called "inspiring" isn't always a compliment.

• ✨ Why people with disabilities deserve the freedom to make their own choices, take risks and live their lives.

Sam also shares why parents and support workers need to stop wrapping people with disabilities in cotton wool.

This episode is full of humour, honesty, some wild stories and important conversations about disability, dignity, independence and choice.

Because having a disability doesn't mean missing out on life.

🎙️ Listen to Sarah Knows Support Workers and join the conversation.

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⚠️ Content Warning: This episode includes personal discussions about suicide, suicide attempts, self-harm, mental illness and experiences of hearing voices. Please take care while listening.

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, I sit down with Kym McMinn, founder of T&K Support Services, for a deeply personal conversation about family, mental health, advocacy and hope.

Following my conversation with her son, Lachy, we hear the story from a mother's perspective.

Kym opens up about her family's experience navigating the mental health system, the challenges they faced, and how those experiences shaped her approach to supporting others.

We talk about the importance of recognising when someone is struggling, the challenges of accessing mental health services, the impact on families, and why listening without judgement can make such a difference.

Kym also shares how her experiences helped shape T&K Support Services, her passion for mental health education, the Hearing Voices support group and her belief in putting identity before diagnosis.

This is a conversation about more than the difficult moments. It's about learning, community, finding your voice and the importance of having people who will stand beside you.

Thank you, Kym, for trusting me with such a personal part of your family's story.

If this episode brings up difficult feelings, support is available in Australia:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14

• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000.

You don't have to navigate difficult times alone.

Identity before diagnosis. A message that sits at the heart of Lachlan's story.

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, Sarah is joined by Lachlan for an open and meaningful conversation about lived experience, mental health, the NDIS and the importance of seeing the person beyond their diagnosis.

Lachlan shares his personal experiences of receiving mental health support, navigating the NDIS as a participant and how those experiences have helped shape his approach to working in the disability sector today.

One particularly meaningful part of Lachlan's journey is reconnecting with Prue, a nurse who supported him during his time in psychiatric care. Years later, they found themselves working as colleagues and recently shared the stage at a mental health conference, bringing together two perspectives on the same experience.

Throughout the conversation, Lachlan offers valuable insights into what meaningful support can look like, including the importance of listening, creating safe spaces, respecting individual experiences and understanding that sometimes simply being present can make a difference.

We also explore the work being done through T&K Support Services, the value of peer connection through the Hearing Voices group, and Lachlan's passion for using music as a way to connect with and support others.

Beyond his professional work, Lachlan shares what matters most to him, including his family, becoming a father and his hopes of one day establishing Second Chances Studio, a recording space where people can explore their creativity and express themselves through music.

This episode highlights the value of lived experience in shaping better services, challenging assumptions and creating a more person-centred approach to mental health and disability support.

Lachlan's story is his own, and we're grateful to him for choosing to share his experiences, perspectives and aspirations with our community.

Whether you're a support worker, NDIS participant, provider, family member or someone interested in understanding different lived experiences, we hope this conversation encourages reflection on how we listen, connect and support one another.

🎧 Follow Sarah Knows Support Workers for real conversations and diverse perspectives from across the disability and NDIS sector.

Content note: This episode includes discussions about mental health, psychiatric hospitalisation, hearing voices, substance use and homelessness.

#SarahKnowsSupportWorkers #LivedExperience #IdentityBeforeDiagnosis #MentalHealth

Christmas is coming… and if you work in NDIS rostering, you know the chaos can start well before December! 🎄😂

Annual leave, public holidays, staff shortages, changing participant routines and those dreaded last-minute cancellations. Sound familiar?

In this solo episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, I'm sharing what I'd be doing RIGHT NOW to prepare an NDIS roster for Christmas, New Year's and January.

Drawing on my own experience in disability rostering, we're talking about staff availability, annual leave planning, participant choice, keeping your CRM accurate, checking SCHADS Award conditions and making sure you've got a backup plan when things go sideways.

Because good rostering isn't just about filling shifts. It's about communication, preparation and making sure the people we support receive consistent, quality care.

My biggest tip? The work you do in October can save you a whole lot of headaches in December!

🎧 Whether you're a support worker, roster coordinator, team leader or NDIS provider, this episode is for you.

💬 Tell me: What's the biggest Christmas rostering disaster you've ever experienced?

Because I reckon we've all got a story! 😂

#NDIS #SupportWorkers #NDISRostering #DisabilitySupport #SCHADSAward #SarahKnowsSupportWorkers

What happens when you’ve reported concerns, followed the right processes, raised complaints… and nothing changes?

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, I’m joined again by Belinda Toohey for a very real conversation about whistleblowing in the disability sector.

Belinda shares lived experiences from her career, including situations where people with disability were allegedly prevented from leaving services they no longer wanted, concerns around NDIS funding and providers, and what it can take to keep pushing when someone’s rights or safety are at risk.

We also talk about what support workers can actually do when something doesn’t feel right — starting with knowing your policies, procedures and Code of Conduct, documenting concerns, speaking up, and knowing when concerns may need to be escalated to regulators, police or other appropriate authorities.

Most importantly, this episode is about the people we support.

Because support workers are often the eyes and ears on the ground. And sometimes doing the right thing means being willing to say:

“No. This isn’t okay.”

Belinda’s advice is pretty simple: do the right thing, trust your gut, find people with integrity, and don’t stay silent just because speaking up feels uncomfortable. Pasted text

⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses alleged abuse, exploitation, restrictive practices, sexual exploitation and other distressing situations involving people with disability.

🎧 Sarah Knows Support Workers
Real conversations about support work, the NDIS, disability and all the messy stuff in between.

Being kind matters. But kindness alone doesn’t make you a great support worker.

In this episode, I’m talking about the difference between being a lovely person and actually being good at the job.

We’re talking about reliability, case notes, communication, boundaries, professional judgement, independence, knowing when to speak up, and actually understanding what the person you support wants from their life.

Because you can be fun. You can be caring. You can remember the coffee order. You can be the favourite support worker.

But if you’re always late, never write useful notes, blur boundaries, or make someone more dependent on you… we need to have a chat. 😂

The sweet spot?
Be kind and professional.
Be fun and reliable.
Be caring and know your role.

That’s what makes a bloody good support worker.

Choice and control sounds simple… until a participant makes a choice that might put them at risk.

So where does dignity of risk end and duty of care begin?

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, Sarah gets into the real-life situations support workers actually face.

What if someone wants to wear shorts when it’s freezing outside?

What if a participant with diabetes wants takeaway and a giant sugary drink?

What happens when someone refuses their medication?

Or stops eating?

Do you step in? Do you respect the choice? Do you escalate it? And when could “helping” actually cross the line into controlling someone?

We’re talking about:

• Choice and control

• Dignity of risk

• Duty of care

• Medication refusal

• Health and safety concerns

• Restrictive practices

• Staying within your role

• When to document and escalate

• What to do when you genuinely don’t know what to do

Because good support isn’t about letting someone do whatever they want and ignoring risk.

And it’s definitely not about controlling someone because you think you know what’s best.

It’s about finding the balance between rights, choice, safety and your responsibilities as a support worker.

Sarah also shares five questions you can ask yourself when you’re unsure, plus where support workers can go for further guidance, including the NDIS Code of Conduct, the Working Together Guide for Workers and the Quality, Safety and You worker orientation module.

🎧 If you work in disability support, this is one worth saving.

Follow Sarah Knows Support Workers on Spotify and leave a review if these episodes help you on shift.

In this special episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, the microphone is flipped.

James Loveday takes over as host and interviews Sarah about SwiftyMatchy—the support worker finding app created to help NDIS and aged care participants find support workers who genuinely align with them.

Sarah shares how years of hearing “that’s not the support worker I wanted” inspired the idea, why better matching matters, and how video profiles can give participants more confidence, choice and control before someone arrives at their door.

They also chat about:

• The real cost of poor support worker matching
• Why personality, availability, interests and location matter
• How SwiftyMatchy supports participants, families and support coordinators
• The opportunities for independent support workers and providers
• Sarah’s bigger vision for choice, control and self-advocacy

The right support shouldn’t be left to chance. It should click.

Sign up for SwiftyMatchy and be one of the first to join:

swiftymatchy.com

What actually makes a great support worker?

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, I chat with Taieri from CORA Workforce about why being kind and having good intentions is only the beginning.

Taieri started as a support worker before moving through team leadership, management and support coordination. Along the way, she kept seeing the same problem — good people were being put into complex support roles without always being given the skills, confidence or training they needed.

We talk about:

💥 The difference between being a good person and a skilled support worker
💥 Why support workers need more than basic compliance training
💥 Professional boundaries — being friendly, not friends
💥 Why independent support work also means running a business
💥 Training for the actual person you're supporting, not just ticking boxes
💥 Why support workers need to understand the “why” behind what they do
💥 The gaps Taieri saw that led her to create CORA Workforce
💥 How better training can improve support for participants AND protect workers
💥 Why an informed support worker can make a massive difference

Taieri also explains how CORA Workforce uses practical, scenario-based learning designed specifically for frontline disability support workers, including more than 90 courses and training pathways for individual workers and providers.

🎓 Want to check out the training?

If you're an independent support worker wanting to build your skills, or you're an NDIS provider wanting better training and capability across your team, check out CORA Workforce:

👉 coraworkforce.com.au

You can explore the courses, individual support worker options and provider plans, or request a demo directly through the website.

Because participants deserve great support — and support workers deserve the training to actually deliver it. 💚

When Lily Grubb’s son Liam was diagnosed with Level 3 autism, was non-speaking and had global developmental delay, her entire world changed.

But what frustrated Lily most wasn’t the diagnosis.

It was watching people see the disability before they saw her child.
In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, Lily shares how she went from a 10-year career in HR to retraining, entering the therapy world and eventually building LGO Therapy Group.

We talk about:

• Why early intervention can matter so much
• What parents should look for when choosing therapists
• Why being labelled a “difficult parent” isn’t always a bad thing
• Following the child instead of forcing them into a framework
• Why connection matters before qualifications
• Building a predominantly neurodivergent workforce
• What great support workers actually do
• Why simply “supervising” someone isn’t good support
• Celebrating progress — even when it feels tiny
• And the incredible story behind the Little Grubbs Orchard Foundation

Lily also shares why the foundation was created: to help children and families access therapy and supports they may otherwise struggle to afford.

The Foundation says its mission is to financially support people who don’t have adequate access to therapy supports, including costs the NDIS may not otherwise cover.

🌱 Learn more about LGO Therapy Group or enquire about their services:
LGO Therapy Group

💚 Learn more about the Little Grubbs Orchard Foundation or make a donation:
Little Grubbs Orchard Foundation

The Foundation states that 100% of online donations go towards educating children with special needs, and donations over $2 are tax deductible.

🎧 Follow Sarah Knows Support Workers for more real conversations about disability, the NDIS, support work and the people doing things differently.