Sarah Knows Support Workers

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, Sarah chats with Matt Sevier, Founder and Director of Steppr, a Positive Behaviour Support provider based in WA.

Matt shares how his own lived experience, time as a support worker, and work as a behaviour support practitioner shaped the way he sees the NDIS, PBS, families, and support teams.

We talk about what Positive Behaviour Support actually means in easy English, why behaviour support plans need to be easier to understand, why training matters, and how support workers and families often hold the most important information.

This is a must-listen for support workers, families, PBS practitioners, and NDIS providers who want behaviour support to feel less like paperwork and more like real support.

Because let’s be honest… if no one understands the plan, the plan isn’t helping anyone.

To learn more about Matt and the work he’s doing at Steppr, visit:
https://www.steppr.com.au/

NDIS providers, support worker businesses and independents, this one is for you.

In this solo episode, I’m talking about why social media in 2026 needs to be more than copied Canva posts and “we’re hiring” tiles.

Instagram and TikTok are where many support workers are scrolling.
YouTube is where you can build a trust library with deeper content.
LinkedIn is where business-to-business relationships happen with providers, support coordinators, plan managers and sector leaders.

But the big message is this: your content needs to feel real.

People want to see helpful information, real stories, clear education, reels, carousels, collaboration and proof that your organisation actually understands the people it supports.

If you want support workers to join you, families to trust you, and support coordinators to refer to you, your social media needs to do more than look pretty.

It needs to connect.

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, Sarah chats with Traidy, founder of Chosen Family, about support work, advocacy, inclusion, and what it really means to create a place where people feel safe, seen, and supported.

Traidy shares how he went from law, ministry, and community work into support work, and how one unexpected shift helped lead to the creation of Chosen Family.

This conversation dives into LGBTQIA+ inclusion, cultural care, disability support, belonging, AI, leadership, and why good support work is never just “a shift.” It is connection, trust, choice, and sometimes helping someone build a whole new life.

We also talk about the power of chosen family, why providers need to keep learning, and how support workers can make a real impact when they take the time to truly know the person in front of them.

To learn more about Chosen Family, visit:
https://www.chosen.family/

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, I chat with Umberine Williams, founder of SIL Match, about her journey through the disability sector and why she created a platform to help people find better supported living matches.

Umberine shares her background as a Local Area Coordinator, her volunteer work with the Office of the Public Advocate, and what she learned from seeing supported accommodation before and after the NDIS. We talk about the real challenges participants, families, support coordinators and providers face when trying to find the right SIL arrangement — because finding a house is one thing, but finding the right people to live with is a whole different story.

We also unpack how SIL Match works, why profiles are anonymous, how matching is based on real preferences and support needs, and why participant choice and safety need to sit at the centre of everything.

This is a great listen for support coordinators, SIL providers, participants, families, and anyone who cares about people living in homes that actually feel like home.

Find SIL Match at silmatch.org or connect with Umberine on LinkedIn.

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, I sit down with Hayley Thiele, CEO of Kindship, for a real and honest chat about NDIS changes, plan management, parenting, support workers, and what families are feeling right now.

Hayley shares her story as a mum of three, her journey into the disability sector, and how her lived experience led her into support coordination and now Kindship.

We talk about:

NDIS reforms and why families are feeling overwhelmed
What Kindship does for parents and carers
Why clear NDIS information matters
The role of plan managers
How Kindship is building community and education for families
Why support workers are still the beating heart of good care

This conversation is honest, easy to understand, and full of lived experience. No fear-mongering. No jargon soup. Just a real chat about what is happening in the NDIS and why families, providers and support workers need clear information more than ever.

Learn more about Kindship here:
https://www.kindship.com.au/supportpathways

She Was Denied an iPad at School — Now Keeley’s Cause Has Helped 691 Kids With Autism

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, Sarah chats with Sharon from Keeley’s Cause about the powerful story behind the charity changing lives through iPads, communication, and inclusive education.

Keeley struggled through school, bullying, and being denied the technology that could have supported her learning. After receiving a diagnosis of mild intellectual disability, Keeley turned her pain into purpose and told her mum she wanted to start a charity so other children would not have to go through what she did.

Today, Keeley’s Cause has provided 691 iPads to children with autism, intellectual disability, and communication needs across Australia.

Sarah and Sharon talk about:

How Keeley’s Cause started
Why iPads can be life-changing for autistic and non-verbal children
The reality for families trying to access assistive technology
Why inclusive education still has a long way to go
The emotional impact of giving children a way to communicate
The upcoming Keeley’s Cause Gala and how people can support

This is a beautiful conversation about advocacy, disability, education, family, and what happens when one young person decides to make the world a little fairer.

Support Keeley’s Cause:
Website: keeleyscause.org.au
Instagram/Facebook: Keeley’s Cause

We made it to 100 episodes of Sarah Knows Support Workers — and honestly, I don’t think I realised how big that was until now.

This podcast started with no fancy business plan, no perfect strategy, and no big production team behind it. It started because I genuinely enjoy talking to people in the NDIS, disability and aged care sector. I love hearing how people got started, what they have learned, what they are still figuring out, and how they keep showing up when things get hard.

In this solo episode, I reflect on the journey to 100 episodes and what this podcast has taught me about support workers, NDIS providers, business owners, participants, leadership, burnout, sector change and resilience.

The truth is, the NDIS sector is not easy right now. There are big changes happening. Providers are under pressure. Support workers are tired. Participants and families are trying to understand what comes next. But through all of that, there are still people doing incredible work every single day.

This episode is a celebration, but it is also a real conversation.

I talk about why the podcast has lasted this long, why curiosity matters, why support workers need more honest conversations, and why storytelling is so important in this sector. Every guest, every solo episode and every listener has helped shape this podcast into something much bigger than I expected.

If you work in the NDIS, aged care, disability support, support coordination, provider space, or frontline care, this episode is for you.

Thank you for listening, sharing, supporting and being part of the first 100 episodes.

Here’s to more real talk, more learning, more sector stories and more conversations that actually matter.

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, Sarah chats with Stevie-Lee Molina, founder and director of Pure Living Accommodation and Care, about what quality support can really look like in the NDIS.

Stevie-Lee shares her journey from support work, crisis work and child protection into building a registered NDIS business that provides SIL, respite, community access and skill-building supports around the Hunter Valley area.

This conversation covers:

✨ What makes a good SIL home feel like an actual home
✨ Why oversight, communication and routine matter
✨ Green flags families and coordinators should look for
✨ How small goals can lead to huge participant wins
✨ Why support workers need training, guidance and the right attitude
✨ The future of Pure Living, Pure Start and skill-building programs

This episode is full of real talk about participant choice, dignity, independence and building supports that actually help people grow.

To learn more about Stevie-Lee and Pure Living Accommodation and Care, visit:

purelivingaccommodationandcare.com.au

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, Sarah sits down with Em Hoskin from Your Best Support to talk about what real, person-centred NDIS support actually looks like.

Em shares how she went from support worker and support coordinator to building a registered NDIS provider during COVID, and why consistency, communication, and getting in the thick of support work still matters.

This conversation covers support coordination, psychosocial disability, participant independence, building capacity, communication styles, provider accountability, and why support workers are so much more than “just support workers.”

We also talk about the original purpose of the NDIS, helping people move forward, and why good support should build skills, confidence, and community connection — not keep people stuck.

Perfect for NDIS support workers, support coordinators, providers, participants, families, and anyone who cares about better disability support in Australia.

In this episode, we cover:
NDIS support coordination
Person-centred support
Support worker skills
Building participant independence
Psychosocial disability support
Communication and behaviour
Provider responsibility
Real stories from the disability sector

Guest: Em Hoskin, Your Best Support
Host: Sarah Heriot, Sarah Knows Support Workers

What’s really happening with the NDIS right now… and what does it actually mean for support workers, providers, and participants?

In this episode, I join Jackie for a real, unfiltered conversation about the latest NDIS changes, funding cuts, and the growing uncertainty across the sector.

We break down:
• What the recent NDIS announcements actually mean (without the fear-mongering)
• The truth about funding cuts and social & community supports
• Why support workers are leaving the sector — and what’s replacing them
• Independent vs provider models — what’s really changing
• The future of registration, audits, and compliance
• How the NDIS has shifted from community-first to system-heavy
• What “good care” should actually look like moving forward

We also talk about the real heart of the sector — the people. The wins, the challenges, and why community connection still matters more than ever.

If you’re a support worker, provider, participant, or just trying to make sense of where the NDIS is heading… this is the conversation you need to hear.

Follow Jacque Grant here