Sarah Knows Support Workers

What does good support actually look like from a family’s point of view?

In this episode, Sarah sits down with author, speaker, radio host and mum Julie Fisher to talk about raising her son Darcy, who has Down syndrome, and everything her family has learned along the way.

Julie shares the reality of receiving Darcy’s diagnosis, navigating medical challenges, raising three boys, finding the right support workers and providers, and why understanding the whole family matters when you’re supporting someone with disability.

They also chat about inclusion, community attitudes, NDIS changes, Julie’s books, her advocacy work and the simple message that has become a huge part of everything she does:

Give people the chance, and you’ll see them shine.

A warm, funny and very real conversation about disability, family, choice and what great support can look like.

Mark retired.

It lasted two weeks.

Then he bought a farm, got a tractor, collected around 40 chickens and somehow ended up back building technology. 😂

In this episode, I sit down with Mark, founder of Kismet, to ask a pretty important question:

Why do we keep making healthcare and NDIS supports harder to access than they need to be?

We talk about removing pointless admin, making healthcare more affordable, giving people more flexible ways to access services and why “that’s how we’ve always done it” is not a good enough answer.

Mark also shares his journey from the Army to early childhood education, software, farming and eventually Kismet.

We also discuss the good happening within the NDIS and why the people creating real change deserve more attention.

And yes, the Emu War somehow makes an appearance. Don’t ask. 😂

Download the Kismet app to explore services, find provider matches and keep your NDIS information together:

Apple App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/au/app/kismet/id6443745099

Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=healthcare.kismet.app

You can also check out Kismet online:
https://www.kismet.healthcare/

The 2026 Kismet Awards for Health + Disability Services are also coming up, celebrating the people, providers, products and programs making a positive difference across disability, healthcare and support services.

Learn more about the Awards:
https://www.kismet.healthcare/awards/info/about

Sexuality doesn’t disappear when someone has a disability—but access to clear, respectful education often does.

In this episode, Sarah sits down with sexuality and relationships educator Melanie Guiney, someone she first learned from more than 15 years ago.

Together, they unpack the conversations support workers are often expected to handle—but are rarely trained for—including:

• Consent and the importance of being able to say no
• Privacy, dignity and public versus private behaviour
• Healthy relationships, body safety and warning signs
• Answering awkward questions without creating shame
• Supporting people who communicate differently
• Knowing when it’s time to bring in a specialist

This conversation is honest, practical and sometimes confronting—but it’s one our sector needs to have.

Because people with disability deserve more than protection. They deserve choice, privacy, dignity, relationships, pleasure and accessible education.

If you’re a support worker, team leader, parent, carer or allied health professional, this is an episode to save and share.

Find Melanie at:
https://thriverehab.com.au
[email protected]

Content note: This episode discusses sexual assault, abuse, consent and trauma.

What does strong leadership really look like in disability support?

In this episode, Sarah chats with Kelvin Kamara from Hopewell Community Care about his journey from support worker and house supervisor to helping grow a family-run NDIS provider alongside his wife.

Kelvin shares the honest reality of starting fresh, building industry relationships, supporting people with complex health and behaviours, and learning that experience alone doesn’t automatically bring referrals.

They also discuss leadership, workplace culture, the lessons Kelvin has carried between the disability sector and the Army Reserve, and why quality support should always come before business growth.

Connect with Kelvin through LinkedIn or visit Hopewell Community Care online.

What if NDIS providers and support workers could spend less time completing admin—and more time supporting participants?

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, Sarah chats with Bhavin Patel, founder of Koala One, an AI-powered platform created by an experienced NDIS provider.

They discuss how Koala One can help with:

• Writing case notes
• Managing NDIS budgets
• Rostering and worker matching
• Tracking compliance gaps
• Managing staff, vehicles and properties
• Reducing everyday administration
• Bringing important information into one system
• Supporting independent workers, growing teams and larger providers

Bhavin also shares how Koala One began as a university project and grew into a real platform used by NDIS businesses—including his own.

Less time buried in admin. More time delivering quality support. 🙌

👉 Explore Koala One: https://koalaone.com

🎧 Subscribe to Sarah Knows Support Workers for honest conversations about support work, disability services and the Australian NDIS.

#KoalaOne #NDIS #NDISProviders #SupportWorkers #DisabilitySupport #SupportCoordination #NDISSoftware #NDISCompliance #ArtificialIntelligence #CaseNotes

NDIS compliance does not have to mean messy spreadsheets, scattered documents and a last-minute panic before your audit.

In this episode, Sarah sits down with Adam Stefano, psychologist and co-founder of Cenaris, to unpack how his experience in mental health, healthcare leadership and compliance inspired him to build a smarter way for providers to stay audit-ready.

Adam explains how Cenaris helps registered and aspiring NDIS providers organise their evidence, map documents against the NDIS Practice Standards, identify gaps and receive practical guidance on what to improve. The platform can support everyone from solo providers starting their registration journey through to larger organisations.

Sarah and Adam also chat about:

✨ Why compliance should improve care—not just tick boxes
✨ The risks of relying on generic policy packs
✨ How AI can support providers without replacing human judgment
✨ Keeping sensitive healthcare information safe in Australia
✨ Building an affordable platform while working full-time
✨ Adam’s hopes for Cenaris and the future of quality care

Cenaris is currently offering a 30-day trial with no credit card required, so you can explore the platform before deciding whether it is right for your business.

👉 Ready to become audit-ready without the chaos? Register and start exploring Cenaris at cenaris.com.au.

What happens when lived experience, youth work, case management and a belief in doing support differently all come together?

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, Sarah sits down with Luke Wilson, founder of Paylos, for an honest conversation about the journey from working in residential care and case management to building one of Victoria’s most recognised youth and disability support organisations.

Luke shares how his own lived experience shaped the work he does today, why every young person deserves someone in their corner, and how Paylos grew from a grassroots idea into an organisation supporting hundreds of young people.

They talk about:

• Building Paylos from the ground up
• NDIS support workers and what great support really looks like
• Youth work, mentoring and positive role models
• Trauma-informed and strength-based support without all the jargon
• Why community access is about much more than “going out for a coffee”
• The importance of early intervention
• Why waiting until someone reaches crisis costs everyone more
• The moment Luke nearly walked away from Paylos
• Growing a purpose-led disability and youth services organisation
• Co-design, lived experience and bringing young people’s voices into the room
• The future of Paylos and creating pathways into employment

This is a conversation about NDIS support, youth work, early intervention, community inclusion, lived experience and the power of having someone genuinely in your corner.

🎙️ Sarah Knows Support Workers
Real conversations about support work, the NDIS, disability services and the people doing things differently.

#NDIS #SupportWorkers #YouthWork #EarlyIntervention #DisabilitySupport #Paylos #CommunityAccess #TraumaInformedCare #NDISProvider #LivedExperience

Thinking of going from solo support worker to running your own business?

This episode is for the support workers who are amazing on shift but are starting to ask, “Could I actually turn this into something bigger?”

We’re talking about the jump from doing the work to building something that can actually grow. Clients, boundaries, systems, pricing, confidence, admin, and the part no one likes to say out loud… you cannot just wing it forever.

Because being good at support work is one thing.
Building a business around it is a whole different beast.

In this episode, we chat about:

How to know if you’re ready to go solo
Why local support work still matters
The difference between being busy and being profitable
What support workers need to think about before scaling
Why systems save your sanity
How to stop treating your business like a side quest

This is real talk for support workers who want more freedom, more impact, and less chaos.

No fancy business fluff. Just the stuff you actually need to think about before you make the leap.

🎧 Listen now and send this to a support worker who keeps saying, “I reckon I could do this myself.”

Most people think buying an NDIS business is just a matter of snapping up a shiny registration online—big mistake. Sarah dives into why that "easy buy" is a dangerous illusion and how rushing in without proper checks can threaten your reputation, your finances, and most importantly, the people you support.This isn’t a quick flip like selling burgers or clothes—you're stepping into a complex world where trust, compliance, and participant safety are everything. Sarah shares the real risks of buying a "clean skin" registration, explaining why registration isn’t a shortcut but a license to deliver safe, quality care. She breaks down the critical questions you must ask before signing any dotted line: What exactly are you buying? Who are the people involved? Are the participants aware and protected? And crucially, do you understand the responsibilities that come with each registration group?You’ll discover: how to spot red flags like poor audits, staff issues, or murky systems that spell disaster down the road. Sarah unpacks the legal, financial, and ethical landmines lurking behind careless purchases—and why the sector is demanding higher standards. Plus, her top tips for vetting providers, interrogating sales promises, and embracing the true responsibilities of a quality provider.Why does it matter? Because buying blindly could mean risking people’s lives for a quick profit, and that’s a gamble nobody should take. The shift toward accountability and compliance isn’t just bureaucratic red tape—it’s a safeguard for vulnerable lives. If you’re considering buying an NDIS business, or just want to understand the risks of jumping in unprepared, this episode is your crash course in doing it right.Ready to avoid the costly pitfalls and actually do right by your future participants? Tune in. Sarah’s no-nonsense advice could save you—and the people you serve—a whole lot of trouble.

The new NDIS Annual Pricing Review is 186 pages long… and respectfully, most support workers do not have time to read it front to back unless they have lost a bet.

In this solo episode, Sarah breaks down the key pages support workers, independent support workers and sole traders should read — in order — to understand what the NDIS is proposing, why it matters and what could change before January 2027.

We cover:

• Pages 6–14 for the executive summary
• Pages 32–36 for the reasoning behind registered vs unregistered provider pricing
• Pages 37–59 to understand how support worker rates are built
• Pages 136–154 for community participation, travel, cancellations and the proposed 10% reduction for some unregistered providers
• Pages 176–178 for the Disability Support Worker Cost Model

This is not a new invoicing rate card. It is the NDIA’s Annual Pricing Review and its recommendations for future pricing.

If you invoice NDIS participants, work independently, run a small support-worker business, or deliver community access and participation supports, this episode is your easy-English starting point.

Go read it. Understand it. Do not let January 2027 sneak up on you wearing a fake moustache.