Please apply by emailing:
Male Support Worker and Practical Skills Mentor
Location: Rankin Park, Newcastle NSW
Hours: Consistent five-hour daytime shifts, five or six days per week
Positions available: One or two workers
About the Role
We are seeking one or two reliable male support workers to provide consistent, practical and capacity‐building support to a neurodivergent adult living in Rankin Park. The participant enjoys practical, hands‐on activities and is most engaged when involved in designing, building, repairing and completing meaningful projects. His interests include:
3D printing
CAD and design
Electronics
Repairs and maintenance
Construction and building projects
Handyman activities
Tools and practical problem‐solving
Technology and maker‐style projects
This role combines disability support with practical mentoring. The worker will act as a positive male role model and support the participant to develop greater independence, structure, confidence, practical skills and work readiness. This is not a passive supervision role. The successful worker will be expected to actively engage, teach, coach, encourage and participate alongside the participant.
Hours and Availability
The participant requires consistent five‐hour daytime shifts, five or six days per week. Possible shift times include:
9.00am to 2.00pm
9.30am to 2.30pm
*****am to 3.00pm
The precise start and finish time may be negotiated according to worker availability and the participant's agreed routine. Once shifts have been established, workers must be able to maintain a consistent and predictable schedule. The available hours may be shared between one or two suitable workers.
Key Responsibilities
Establish and maintain consistent daily routines
Plan and complete practical projects
Break larger tasks into manageable steps
Develop technical, trade and work‐related skills




Build confidence completing tasks independently
Develop organisation, planning and task‐completion skills
Attend and participate in work‐style activities
Prepare meals and develop healthy eating habits
Maintain hydration and healthy daily routines
Organise tools, materials and project areas
Use tools, equipment and personal protective equipment safely
Identify and follow safe work practices
Develop budgeting and purchasing skills for projects and materials
Complete administrative tasks connected with projects or paid work
Record work completed, skills developed and progress made
Build independence rather than becoming reliant on workers completing tasks for him
The worker will be expected to provide guidance and structure while supporting the participant to remain involved in decisions and complete as much of each task as possible himself.
Essential Experience and Approach
Applicants should have experience supporting people with:
Autism and other neurodivergent presentations
A PDA profile, also described as persistent drive for autonomy or pathological demand avoidance
Executive functioning difficulties
Psychosocial disability
Anxiety, emotional dysregulation or periods of overwhelm
Difficulties engaging with direct demands, rigid routines or controlling approaches
Workers must understand that behaviour can communicate stress, anxiety, unmet needs, loss of control or difficulty processing demands. The successful applicant must be able to use a:
Neuro‐affirming approach




Trauma‐informed approach
Low‐arousal and low‐demands approach
Strengths‐based and capacity‐building approach
Calm, respectful and non‐confrontational communication style
Ideal Candidate
The ideal applicant will be:
Male
Energetic and actively engaged
Proactive and able to show initiative
Reliable, punctual and consistent
Patient, calm and emotionally regulated
Comfortable providing clear structure and guidance
Able to encourage participation without becoming forceful or controlling
Able to recognise and respond appropriately to signs of anxiety, overwhelm or disengagement
Confident redirecting attention back to agreed activities respectfully
Able to follow through with plans and unfinished tasks
Interested in practical, technical or hands‐on activities
Able to maintain clear and appropriate skilled boundaries
Able to work collaboratively with family members and the broader support team
Willing to provide brief records of activities, progress and outcomes following each shift
Desirable Practical Experience and Interests
Applicants with experience, qualifications or personal interests in any of the following areas are strongly encouraged to apply:
Building and construction
Carpentry
Handyman or maintenance work
Engineering
Electronics
3D printing
CAD or design
Technical projects
Mechanical repairs
Property maintenance
Trade‐related work
Maker spaces or workshops
Disability, mental health or community support
Formal trade qualifications are not essential. Practical competence, reliability, initiative and the ability to teach skills respectfully are highly valued.
Support Approach
The successful applicant must understand how to provide structure without creating unnecessary pressure, confrontation or power struggles.

📌 Disability Support Worker (Newcastle)
🏢 Rashi Joshi
📍 Newcastle