Do I need a qualification to start as an aged or disability support worker?

Not legally, but in practice almost all employers require CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support, or ask you to enrol and complete it while working. Aged care providers also have to meet Commonwealth quality standards that make qualified staff the norm.

What is the difference between a working with children check and an NDIS Worker Screening Check?

They are separate schemes assessing different risks. A working with children check covers child-related work; an NDIS Worker Screening Check covers risk-assessed roles delivering NDIS supports to people of any age. Many workers need both, and holding one does not exempt you from the other.

Is my clearance valid if I move interstate?

The NDIS Worker Screening Check is nationally portable for its five-year term. Working with children checks are not — each state and territory runs its own scheme, so a Queensland blue card will not cover you in Victoria and you must apply again in your new state.

Which award covers me?

Residential aged care work is generally covered by the Aged Care Award 2010 (MA000018), while disability, home care and community services work is generally covered by the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (MA000100). Check your contract, because some employers have an enterprise agreement instead.

Can I work while my clearance application is being processed?

It depends on the jurisdiction. Queensland's 'no card, no start' rule prohibits it for child-related work. Other schemes have different transitional rules, and NDIS providers are generally required to have a cleared or approved worker before unsupervised support begins. Ask the employer before your first shift.

Do I need a driver licence?

For home care and community access roles, almost always — you travel between clients and often transport them. Residential facility roles are less likely to require one, though it is still commonly preferred.

Is aged care work the same as disability support work?

The core personal care skills overlap heavily and CHC33021 covers both, but the funding systems, regulators and day-to-day focus differ. Aged care sits under the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission; disability support largely sits under the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

Aged and Disability Support jobs in Australia

Aged and disability support workers help older people and people with disability with personal care, daily living, mobility and community participation, either in the person's own home or in a residential aged care or supported accommodation setting. It is Australia's fastest-growing large occupation and the main entry point into the aged care and NDIS workforce.

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Vacancies

Current vacancies

No aged and disability support roles are listed on Valont right now. Licensing and local context below still apply — this page updates when a matching role is published.

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Locations

Where we cover aged and disability support

AdelaideSA AlbanyWA Albury-WodongaNSW/VIC Alice SpringsNT ArmidaleNSW BairnsdaleVIC BallaratVIC Batemans BayNSW BathurstNSW BendigoVIC Blue MountainsNSW BrisbaneQLD Broken HillNSW BroomeWA BunburyWA BundabergQLD BurnieTAS BusseltonWA CairnsQLD CanberraACT Central CoastNSW Charters TowersQLD Coffs HarbourNSW DarwinNT DevonportTAS DubboNSW EchucaVIC EmeraldQLD GeelongVIC GeraldtonWA GladstoneQLD Gold CoastQLD GoulburnNSW GriffithNSW GympieQLD Hervey BayQLD HobartTAS HorshamVIC IpswichQLD KalgoorlieWA KarrathaWA LauncestonTAS LismoreNSW LoganQLD MackayQLD MandurahWA MaryboroughQLD MelbourneVIC MeltonVIC MilduraVIC Mount GambierSA Mount IsaQLD Murray BridgeSA NewcastleNSW NowraNSW OrangeNSW PerthWA Port HedlandWA Port LincolnSA Port MacquarieNSW QueanbeyanNSW RedlandsQLD RockhamptonQLD RomaQLD SaleVIC SheppartonVIC Sunshine CoastQLD SydneyNSW TamworthNSW TareeNSW ToowoombaQLD TownsvilleQLD TraralgonVIC Wagga WaggaNSW WangarattaVIC WarrnamboolVIC WarwickQLD WhyallaSA WollongongNSW

Licensing

Licensing by state

There is no occupational licence or national registration for support workers, but the clearance picture is strict and it differs by state. Anyone working with children needs the child-related clearance issued in their state or territory, and these are separate schemes with different names, terms and portability rules. Anyone delivering NDIS supports in a risk-assessed role must hold an NDIS Worker Screening Check — the rules are national and set by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, but you apply through your own state or territory screening unit and the clearance is then portable nationally for five years. Aged care workers must also meet Commonwealth aged care police certificate and statutory declaration requirements. Most employers additionally require a current first aid certificate and a driver licence.

the Australian Capital Territory: Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registration from Access Canberra under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011. The ACT scheme covers vulnerable adults as well as children, and NDIS work is handled as a category within the WWVP registration.
New South Wales: Working With Children Check (WWCC) clearance from the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian, valid five years, with the employer legally required to verify the WWCC number online. NDIS supports require an NDIS Worker Check, which in NSW is also issued by the Office of the Children's Guardian.
the Northern Territory: Working with Children Clearance — commonly called the Ochre Card — applied for through SAFE NT. NT clearances run two years, the shortest in the country, so renew early. NDIS supports require an NDIS Worker Screening Check, also lodged via SAFE NT.
Queensland: Blue Card (working with children check) issued by Blue Card Services, part of the Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety; Queensland's 'no card, no start' rule means you cannot begin regulated child-related work before the card issues. NDIS supports require a separate NDIS Worker Screening Check through the Queensland Worker Screening Unit — the blue card and the NDIS check are different products and one does not substitute for the other.
South Australia: Working with Children Check issued by the Screening Unit of the Department of Human Services (DHS); it runs five years and is continuously monitored against new police information. NDIS supports require an NDIS Worker Check from the same DHS Screening Unit.
Tasmania: Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (RWVP) issued by Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) in the Department of Justice. Tasmania runs one registration with separate categories, so you must nominate the child-related and/or NDIS category that matches your work.
Victoria: Working with Children Clearance issued under the Worker Screening Act 2020 and administered by Working with Children Check Victoria on behalf of the Department of Justice and Community Safety. NDIS supports require a Victorian NDIS Worker Screening Check through the Victorian Worker Screening Unit.
Western Australia: Working with Children (WWC) Check assessed by the WWC Screening Unit within the Department of Communities. NDIS supports require an NDIS Worker Screening Check, also administered by the Department of Communities.

Role

What the job involves

Assist clients with personal care such as showering, dressing, grooming, toileting and continence support
Help with mobility, transfers and the safe use of hoists, wheelchairs and other assistive equipment
Prepare meals, assist with feeding and follow individual dietary and swallowing plans
Support clients to attend appointments, shop, socialise and take part in community and recreational activities
Follow an individual care plan or NDIS plan and report changes in a client's physical or mental condition
Assist with prescribed medication in line with the employer's medication policy and scope of practice
Keep accurate progress notes, incident reports and shift handover records
Apply infection control, manual handling and workplace health and safety procedures on every shift

Training

Qualifications and training

CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support — the standard entry qualification, with ageing, disability or home and community specialisation streams
CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support — for senior personal care and team leader roles in residential and home aged care
CHC43121 Certificate IV in Disability Support — for more complex disability support, behaviour support implementation and supervisory roles
CHC52021 Diploma of Community Services — a pathway into case management and coordination roles
A mandatory first aid and CPR certificate, plus employer-required manual handling and infection control training, is expected in almost every role

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Personal care and manual handling technique · Person-centred and dignity-of-risk practice · Patience, empathy and emotional resilience · Clear written progress notes and incident reporting · Infection control and workplace health and safety · Working independently in a client's home without direct supervision · Recognising and escalating changes in a client's condition · Cultural safety, including with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about aged and disability support work in Australia.

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Sources

Aged and Disability Support — occupation data · verified 2026-08-04. ABS ANZSCO 2022, Unit Group 4231 Aged and Disabled Carers (https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/classifications/anzsco-australian-and-new-zealand-standard-classification-occupations/2022/browse-classification/4/42/423/4231); training.gov.au (https://training.gov.au/training/details/CHC33021); Fair Work Ombudsman award list (https://awards.fairwork.gov.au/MA000018.html and https://awards.fairwork.gov.au/MA000100.html); Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections May 2024 – May 2034 (https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/employment-projections); NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission worker screening (https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/providers/worker-screening); Queensland Blue Card Services (https://www.qld.gov.au/law/laws-regulated-industries-and-accountability/queensland-laws-and-regulations/regulated-industries-and-licensing/blue-card); NSW Office of the Children's Guardian (https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check); Working with Children Check Victoria (https://www.vic.gov.au/working-with-children-check); WA Department of Communities (https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/working-children-check); SA DHS Screening Unit (https://dhs.sa.gov.au/how-we-help/screening-and-background-checks); Tasmania CBOS Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (https://www.cbos.tas.gov.au/topics/licensing-and-registration/work-with-vulnerable-people); ACT Access Canberra WWVP (https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/business-and-work/working-with-vulnerable-people); SAFE NT Ochre Card (https://pfes.nt.gov.au/police/community-safety/safe-nt)

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