Valuing Contribution of Disability Support Workers

Press Release, 13 August 2009

Valuing the Contribution of Disability Support Workers

Careerforce strongly endorses Disability Support Worker Awareness Week.

Everyday throughout New Zealand Disability Support Workers help thousands of Kiwi’s live as independently as possible.

Careerforce CEO George Nimmo says that the role of the Disability Support Worker is incredibly diverse, and ranges from supporting someone with day-to-day tasks in their home to providing twenty-four hour care and support.

“Careerforce facilitates training for over 10,000 trainees in workplace based training each year, all of whom are involved to some degree in disability support work. Sadly much of this work goes under the radar and is not given the value it deserves. That’s why Disability Support Worker Awareness Week is so important.

“To assist Disability Support Workers Careerforce has developed a suite of National Qualifications designed to recognise existing knowledge and skills and provide career pathways for those wishing to provide more specialised care and support”, says George.

Disability sector career pathways start with the NZQA level 2 Foundation Skills qualification and lead onto level 3 qualifications in Core Competencies, Intellectual Disability and Human Services. The recently launched Disability Information Provision qualification (level 4) is designed to raise the quality of disability information provision. Our Disability Support, Assessment, Planning and Coordination qualification (level 5) is intended for people working in needs assessment and service coordination.

Other relevant qualifications for disability support workers include qualifications in Human Services, Hearing Therapy and Epilepsy Care. Qualifications for disability support workers currently in development cover Brain Injury and Team Leader (Disability).

Marian Ellis from Ngati Hine Health Trust in Whangarei is a great example of a disability support worker who is on a learning journey with Careerforce. Marian works with disabled people in their homes, providing health work services, and hasn’t looked back since completing Careerforce’s Foundation Skills qualification.

“I’ve just started the level 3 qualification now. I really enjoy doing these qualifications and they’ve boosted my confidence and self-esteem. It’s totally different working with the disabled and there is a lot to learn, but I do enjoy it and the challenges it presents. The other day I taught a 20-year-old client how to put on one sock. It may not seem like much, but it really was a huge achievement,” she says.

Disability Support Worker Awareness Week started on Monday 10 August and finishes on Sunday 16 August.

ENDS

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