What community activities can I do with a support worker in Melbourne?
In Melbourne, a support worker can help you get to markets, libraries, parks, sport and cultural events, and take part with as much or as little help as you need.
The city has something for most interests. You might wander through Queen Victoria Market on a weekday morning, read in the State Library Victoria, or walk the paths of the Royal Botanic Gardens. Sport fans can head to the MCG or Marvel Stadium, and St Kilda's foreshore is popular on warm days.
Closer to home, your worker can help you join:
- neighbourhood houses and community centres running classes and social groups
- local council libraries with book clubs and craft sessions
- suburban footy, netball or bowls clubs
- cultural festivals in places like Footscray, Box Hill and Dandenong
Your goals guide the plan. Learn more about community participation support.
How do support workers help you travel around Melbourne?
Melbourne support workers travel with you on trams, trains and buses using a myki card, or drive you to appointments and activities if transport is part of your support.
Trams are a big part of life in Melbourne. Low-floor trams and level-access stops are on many routes, and travel inside the CBD free tram zone costs nothing. Your worker can check which stops suit you, plan around crowded times and help you top up and tap on.
If you hold a Victorian Companion Card, your worker may get free entry at participating venues and events. Some transport services also recognise it, so ask before you travel.
If you want to travel on your own, a worker can practise a regular route with you, such as getting to work or a day program, then gradually step back. See our travel and transport support.
Can I find a culturally matched support worker in Melbourne?
Yes. Melbourne has large multicultural communities, and Enrichment Care matches participants with workers based on language, culture, personality, interests and care needs.
Our carers come from more than 30 cultural and minority backgrounds, including Burmese-, Chinese- and Korean-speaking workers. For some people, speaking their first language at home makes everyday care far less stressful. For others, it matters more that a worker understands their food, faith or family customs.
We also support people with complex needs, mental health conditions and histories of criminal convictions. Workers are matched with the experience your situation calls for. You can read about our approach to psychosocial disability support.
Our office is in Sydney, so in Victoria we recruit workers locally and match them to participants near where they live. That keeps travel times short and makes regular shifts easier to keep.
How do I get started with Enrichment Care in Melbourne?
Call us on 1300 543 123 or use our find your support worker form, and we will ask about your goals, routine and what you want in a worker.
From there, we look for workers who live near your suburb and suit your needs. We send you their profiles so you can choose who to meet. Coverage depends on finding the right worker close to you, so we will tell you honestly how long that might take.
Your meet and greet takes place at home or somewhere you feel comfortable. Family, carers and support coordinators are welcome. If the match feels right, we agree on a service agreement and a start date.
If you are moving from another provider, we can help with notice periods and paperwork so there is no gap in your supports.
