Hi. I run a support service in Melbournes west. I want to be upfront and say that I am not on the NDIS register.
Some people might think that means I'm not a provider.. Let me tell you a story.
Year a mum from Sunshine called me. She moved to Australia from Vietnam a time ago. Her son has a disability. She had a support worker from a company. The worker was nice.. She didn't understand the family.
The worker kept taking the son to KFC. The mum didn't know how to say no. In her culture you don't argue with professionals. So she just watched her son eat fried chicken every week. He didn't like it. He would cry before the worker came.
When I started visiting I asked the mum what her son actually likes. She said he loves pho. He loves the restaurant near the market. He loves when people say hello in Vietnamese.
So that's what we did. Every week we went to the pho place. The lady there knows him now. He smiles when we walk in. The mum cried the time she saw him happy.
That's what I mean by sensitive support. It has nothing to do with NDIS registration. It's about listening.
Why I never signed up for NDIS registration
People ask me this a lot. Why not just register?
The truth is, it costs a lot of money. There are audits every year. There's a lot of paperwork that I would have to do. I would have to stop doing support work just to manage it all.
I'm a service. Just. A few local mums who help out. If I registered I would have to charge more.. I would have to see fewer people. I don't want that.
So I stay small. I stay affordable. I stay flexible.
The NDIS lets you use me if you are self-managed or plan-managed. That's the rule. You can choose any provider you want. Unregistered ones. The government says that's fine.
If you are agency-managed I'm sorry. I can't help. You need a registered provider for that.
What I do for families in the west
I work over Melbournes west. Footscray. Sunshine. St Albans. Werribee. Hoppers Crossing. Melton.
Every family is different. I don't copy what works for one and paste it onto another.
For a family in Werribee I send a woman worker for personal care. The family needs that. For a family in Wyndham I don't come on Friday afternoons because of prayers. For a family in Sunshine I stay for dinner sometimes because food is how they share love.
I try to find workers who speak the language. I have one worker who speaks Cantonese. Another who knows some Arabic. I'm learning Vietnamese. I'm still bad at it. Families laugh at me when I try. That's okay. Laughing together is good.
The hard parts of being unregistered
I'll be honest. It's not all easy.
Some people don't trust me because I'm not registered. I understand that. There are unregistered workers out there. People with no insurance. People who never did a police check. People who just stop showing up.
So I work harder to prove myself. I show my police check to every family. I show my insurance papers. I give them phone numbers of people I've worked with before. One mum called three of my references before she agreed to meet me. I didn't mind. I want people to feel safe.
Another hard part is that I can't help everyone. If you're agency-managed I have to say no. It hurts every time.. I can't change the rules.
How to find someone like me
If you want to find an unregistered provider in Melbournes west here's what works.
Go on Facebook. There are groups like NDIS Self Management Melbourne. Join them. Read what people say. Participants are very honest there. They'll say things like "this worker's great" or "don't use that person". You learn a lot.
Ask your support coordinator if you have one. A good coordinator knows which local workers are reliable. They might not tell you directly who to pick. They'll give you hints.
Talk to your neighbours. In suburbs like St Albans and Sunshine West word travels fast. One family tells another. That's how most of my clients find me. Someones cousin used me.. Someone from the temple heard about me.
What you should ask before you hire anyone
Don't be shy. Ask these things.
Can I see your police check? When did you get it? Do you have insurance? Can I see that too? Can you give me a phone number of someone you've worked with? What happens if you get sick? Who comes instead? How do we fix it if I'm not happy?
If they get upset or can't answer walk away. There are plenty of workers out there. Don't settle for someone who makes you feel weird.
A family I will never forget
There's one family I think about a lot. They came from Ethiopia. They live in Hoppers Crossing. Their son is in a wheelchair. The mum didn't speak English. The dad worked hours.
For two years they had no support. They couldn't find anyone who spoke their language. Anyone who understood their food. Anyone who knew their prayers.
When I started coming the mum just watched me at first. She didn't trust me. I don't blame her. I kept coming. I learned how to make their coffee the way. Very sweet. Very strong. I learned the words to say to the dad.
After six weeks the mum smiled at me. Then she started leaving me alone with her son while she went to the shops. That felt better than anything.
That family is still with me. Three years now. The son is doing well. The mum has energy. The dad doesn't look so tired anymore.
That's why I do this work. Registration doesn't matter to them. They just wanted someone who cared.
One more thing
If you live in Melbournes west – Footscray, Sunshine, St Albans, Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Melton – and you need support that respects your culture I hope you find it. Maybe from me. Maybe from someone
Just don't settle for a worker who makes you feel like a stranger in your home. You deserve better than that.
Don't be scared of unregistered providers. Just be smart. Ask questions. Check their papers. Trust your gut. If something feels wrong it probably is.
When it feels right when the worker remembers your mums name and shows up on time and laughs, at your jokes that's the good stuff. That's what support should feel like.. Not.
📍 Horizon Care Support — honest, culturally aware care in Melbourne's west. Not registered, but real.