Understanding Boundaries

Understanding the chain of communication and where we fit into the bigger picture of a client’s NDIS funded circle of support

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS):
is run by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). It exists to provide funding to eligible individuals that are living with a significant disability, for using on services and support that relates to their disability and to assist the participant in achieving their goals.

Local Area Coordinator (LAC):
LACs are the main point of contact between the NDIS and the participant. They help to develop, manage and review NDIS plans, and inform participants about support available in their community. LACs have a very large caseload of participants that they coordinate.

Support Coordinator (SC):
Some NDIS plans include funding for a Support Coordinator. SCs help to interpret what the plan means and how to use funding appropriately to achieve the participant’s goals. They also assist with organising and accessing NDIS approved supports and services.

The amount of contact a participant has with their SC will depend on the amount of funding allocated to support coordination. (note: every participant has an LAC but not all participants have a Support Coordinator).

NDIS Participant/Client:
At the centre is the participant, our client. They have an NDIS plan which outlines their approved short and long term goals, the funding they have been allocated to achieve these goals, and the services they are approved to spend this funding on.

Participants have choice and control over who they work with and how they receive support. They do not have to use any provider that they do not feel satisfied or comfortable with.

NDIS Funded Service Providers:
This is the category Creativ Minds falls under. Creativ Minds management work alongside the Allied Health Team, which may consist of Developmental Educators, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Physiotherapists etc.

A participant’s Support Coordinator may set up service team meetings to ensure that our services are all mutually beneficial and working towards the same goals, and to discuss ways for us to implement Allied Health reports and recommendations into our support.

Support Workers and Mentors (you!)
It is the role of your management team to communicate with the other members in the participant’s circle of support. Support Workers and Mentors must adhere to the chain of communication and not be in direct contact with other service providers, coordinators or carers/family members.

Working as a Mentor and Support Worker is an incredibly rewarding role where you have a positive and practical impact on the lives of NDIS participants. The nature of this role means that you are with them in some of their most vulnerable moments, in their homes and safe spaces, amongst their families, and have access to private and confidential information.

Working in this intimate capacity can sometimes blur the lines between what is and isn’t appropriate in this professional relationship dynamic. That’s why it’s vital to set professional boundaries.

What are professional boundaries

Boundaries exist to benefit both you and the client and are key to maintaining professional relationships. Whether you’re beginning a new relationship with a client or have pre-existing relationships, boundaries outline the limits, parameters and rules of this relationship. Not only do we have to maintain professional boundaries, but we also need to set boundaries with clients sometimes too.

Boundaries can be difficult to implement and adhere to when you’ve worked with a client for a long time as there can be a tendency to become comfortable and over-familiar. Additionally, challenging or unique situations can arise which make boundaries more difficult to maintain. It may be helpful to regularly step back and think objectively about your professional relationships and make adjustments to those dynamics as needed.

Mentors and Support Workers are empathic humans; we care and are concerned about the well-being of others, but we must avoid emotional enmeshment (the blurring of boundaries) and practice healthy distancing from our work. Things that may seem harmless in the short term can have unhelpful long-term consequences.

You can have just as much of a positive impact with clear and firm boundaries in place, even more so, as this builds a mutually respectful relationship. Having boundaries with clients also means that they will learn to respect the boundaries of others, and most importantly, teaches them how to assert their own boundaries with the people in their lives, which increases their independence, autonomy and agency.

Unclear boundaries can lead to:

• Overreliance, dependence or unrealistic expectations
• Clients becoming attached or favouring particular workers
• Distress and grief for clients if workers leave or change
• Further difficulty setting limits and boundaries
• Stress, burnout and the inability to ‘switch off’
• Resentment due to your own needs and limits not being respected

• Worrying about clients when you are not with them, during your time off or while on personal leave
• Worrying that they cannot cope without you
• Visiting or assisting outside of allocated shift times
• Further difficulty setting limits and boundaries
• Inviting them to your home, introducing them to your friends/family or following each other on social media
• Getting too involved in issues or feeling like you need to ‘rescue’ them from situations

• We are here to support and assist within the scope of the participant’s NDIS goals.
• We are not an emergency contact or here to give assistance and advice outside of our area of expertise (e.g. financial, medical, health, relationship advice).
• We are here to assist clients in building and strengthening their social and family relationships and connection to community networks.
• We are not their friend or family. A close bond and trusted worker/client relationship can feel like friendship, particularly for those who are socially isolated, but at the end of the day you are paid to provide a service and it is vital that the relationship remains professional.
• We are here to share knowledge, build skills and to provide learning opportunities to expand their independence.
• We are not here to take over, to do everything for them, or help to a point of overreliance. Doing too much, although it may increase someone’s quality of life temporarily, takes away their agency and independence rather than building it.
• We are here to promote autonomy, increase independence and keep them in the driver’s seat of their own lives at all times.
• We are not here to make decisions on their behalf based on what we perceive to be for their own good. We must act in line with what the participant wants and thinks is best for themselves, not what we think is best for them.

• Adhere to allocated shift times and avoid finishing late.
  Arriving on time for your shifts is an essential act of respect towards your clients and their time. Even if they appear not to mind if you’re a few minutes late, it is important as a company that we are on time for our commitments. Sometimes things happen outside of our control which can cause us to run late, but this should not be a regular occurrence.
  
  Similarly, we may be out in the community with clients and finish later than the allocated shift time. If this is the case, please inform your team leader and record your clock out time and the reason in your shift notes. This eats away at the client’s funding over time, so it is best to be avoided as much as practical.
  
  If you find that you are unable to finish your shifts on time, please discuss this with your team leader. It may be that the tasks you are aiming to accomplish are unrealistic in the given timeframe. If you tend to get caught up in tasks or conversation at the end of your shift, try setting an alarm for 5-10 minutes before your shift ends as a reminder to wrap things up.


• Be mindful not to overshare and to keep your personal life private and separate from your work.
  Connection is an important aspect of what we do as support workers and mentors. We often connect and bond through our shared lived experiences. We may use our experiences and perspective to motivate, inspire and connect with those we're working with. This is a wonderful thing. However, ensure that it is directly useful to the client, and that you are sharing the lesson rather than the struggle.
  
  Be sure not to project your own experiences, trauma or views onto the client (political, religious, lifestyle etc) and do not share personal information about yourself, other clients or staff.
  
  It is our job to create psychological safe spaces for our clients. They are not here to be our emotional support. They do not need to know about our daily stressors, as this may evoke anxiety in our clients. We need to be aware that many of the people we support have experienced trauma and what we say may affect them in ways that we do not intend.


• Work within the parameters of their NDIS goals, your role and agreed upon duties.
  Doing too much and making ourselves indispensable in someone’s life can have negative impacts on clients if their funding is cut and they no longer have our support. NDIS funding renewal is never guaranteed, which is part of the reason it is so important that participants do not become over-reliant on us.
  
  You might find yourself in situations where someone’s needs or requests fall outside of your role. If you are sent for specific support or mentoring in a particular area, but you’re asked to do duties that seem to fall outside the scope of what we offer, speak to your team leader about whether it is appropriate.
  
  We are here to support the individual and this can vary from day to day and client to client. There are some extra things that may be okay to do in certain once-off circumstances, but for the most part, our support needs to align with their NDIS goals.
  
  Your responsibilities may evolve as the needs of the client change. This can make it unclear what is and isn’t appropriate when supporting clients. It can also make it difficult to know how to respond to particular requests. This is the dynamic nature of working with people; the role of a mentor and support worker is diverse and you will often find grey areas. If anything comes up that you’re unsure about, please contact your team leader to discuss it.


• Do not communicate with clients outside of shift times.
  Discouraging communication outside of shift times protects your personal time which is incredibly important for your own well-being. This also reduces the likelihood of overreliance and dependency, which promotes our client’s independence.
  Ultimately, it is up to you whether you exchange contact details with the clients you work with, however you are not required to do so and we advise against it.
  
  In some cases, it may be most practical to exchange phone numbers, especially while out in the community during a shift together. However, if a participant or their family contacts you outside of your shift hours, we strongly advise you not to respond, especially if the matter can be discussed during shift time.
  
  Remind participants and their carers that any requests or cancelations need to be communicated to your team leader directly. It is crucial that management are kept informed of any changes to ensure everyone’s safety and that accurate reporting is done.


• If you need to cancel a shift or you are running late:
  Please contact your team leader. Avoid contacting the client directly unless previously agreed upon with them and your manager has been notified of this arrangement.


• If a client contacts you to cancel a shift or change a shift time:
  Please direct them to contact your team leader instead. It may take a couple of reminders to change this pattern of communication, but consistency in our approach will build positive habits.


• Communicating with other staff members:
  Where there is a shared client, please do not contact other staff members regarding the client or covering shifts. These communications and arrangements must occur via management. Although we are part of a team and work collaboratively, it is not appropriate to tell other staff members what they should do during their shifts with a shared client. Any suggestions can be discussed with your team leader.


• Communicating with other service providers:
  It is our job to advocate for our clients and their rights, but we cannot speak on their behalf. You can support them with writing emails and accessing information, but you must not do it on their behalf. All communication must come from them, from their own phone numbers and email addresses.


• Mentors and support workers are not to be in direct contact with family, support coordinators, other NDIS representatives or members of the care team.
  You may occasionally be contacted by one of these parties; this is not the correct protocol. Please inform them to direct all communication to management and it will be addressed accordingly.
  
  It’s important that communication with these parties is kept between the management team for safety and legal reasons, as well as for our own record keeping and management. When staff communicate directly with family and other members of the support team it can cause important information to be missed and a misalignment in knowledge when it comes to report writing. It also ensures that you can do your job without being involved in matters that are beyond what you are being paid for.

• Say yes but make a limit clear e.g. “Sure, but I have to leave by...” “Sure, but I am unable to assist with...”
• Say no but offer another option e.g. “I can’t stay that late, but how about...” “I’m not able to do that, but how about...”
• Pause before responding. “I’m not sure yet, can I get back to you by..?” “That sounds great, I’ll just check with my team leader and get back to you.”
• Boundary, and communicate the reason “I would love to, but unfortunately that falls outside of what I am allowed to do in my role...”