How you could help stop Support Worker burnout

Burnout is an all-too-common phrase amongst those who work in the disability sector, in a space that can be so rewarding, the work can also be incredibly challenging.

Throw in an ever-expanding group of people accessing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and you’ve got a recipe for potential Support Worker (SW) burnout. And when your role is all about providing care and support to others, it’s vital to make sure you’re taking care of yourself as well.

Understanding what burnout is and how to see the warning signs in yourself, and others, is incredibly important.

With this in mind we thought we’d bring together some information about why burn out happens, what to look out for, and what self-care techniques Support Workers can use to help.

Please also be aware that the below is general information and may not apply to your specific personal circumstances, if you’re having a difficult time, please seek assistance and advice from a health professional.

What is Support Worker burnout?

Burnout can manifest itself in many ways, both mental and physical, and there are many definitions as well, Merriam-Webster for example, defines burnout as ‘exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration’.

The common thread across many of these definitions is the exhaustion of our personal resources through a prolonged period of stress, and for Support Workers their daily work can certainly leave them vulnerable to these forces.

Why does Support Worker burnout happen?

Support Workers may experience burnout for a range of reasons, here are just some.

The endless complexity of working with the NDIS and the cumulative effect of these daily challenges.
Not being able to say ‘no’. This could be to a person in your care, taking on extra work, or always covering shifts, even at the expense of other tasks.
Isolation. Human contact is so important, we all need someone to talk to, bounce ideas off and ask for advice, not having a support network can be tough.
A heavy workload can obviously have a big impact on the development of burn out, and with the need for Support Coordination services greater than ever, the risk is also greater.
Non-work-related factors are a big one, we all have stresses outside of work and these all contribute to our overall sense of health and wellbeing.
Poor time management can have a significant impact, a lack of forethought and planning can leave a Support Worker with no ‘down-time’ like annual leave or regular breaks.
Lack of clinical supervision. Many Support Workers do not have someone that they can empathise and debrief with following tricky situations they may come across.
Wearing many hats. Some Support Workers have mixed roles, like being a Team Leader with a caseload or a Support Worker that organises the intake and admin side of the service. This balance can be difficult to manage.

It’s important to know that the above burnout factors can affect anyone, regardless of experience or tenure as a Support Worker and you must always monitor the balance of these influences in your day-to-day activities.

What are the warning signs of potential Support Worker burnout?

There are certain signs that may help us identify if we aren’t going as well as we could be, these ‘warning signs’ are based around our behaviours and mood. You might be avoiding people, drinking more or having a bit more coffee or chocolate to stimulate our energy. You could be having difficulty making decisions, poor concentration, or it might be making little errors that you wouldn't normally make. Maybe there’s increased levels of anxiety, frustration or increased levels of demotivation, perhaps just not having the same ‘get-up-and-go' that you usually had.

Signs that you may be struggling

A sense of mental and physical fatigue.
Feelings of isolation.
Compassion fatigue or lack of empathy.
Physical symptoms such as headaches, aches and pains, feeling sick in the stomach or an increase in colds and flus.

How to manage and avoid Support Worker burnout

Remember that everybody has their turn to need help.

Almost everyone will experience some sort of mental hardship or struggle throughout their lives, so it’s important to know that no one is alone in facing these issues.

Let’s now explore some self-care and resilience building activities that both Support Workers and Support Provider Businesses can use to bolster their overall wellbeing and help avoid burn out. When in doubt of course, please seek assistance and advice from a health professional.

Tips for individual Support Workers

Recognise stress: acknowledge that stress is normal and know your early signs of stress, remember that you are in control of your response.
Regulate stress: develop ways to relax and calm yourself on cue e.g. relaxation exercises such as meditation and deep breathing, positive thinking.
Release daily trauma through exercise: a walk after dinner, handstands, yoga, hiking – whatever you’re into – but do something that uses physical energy if you can.
Maintain basic health: prioritise healthy lifestyle routines such as exercise, good nutrition, sleep and recreation.
No unfinished business: give yourself a timeframe for when you need case notes completed and stick to them! This will stop additional tasks dragging out and becoming a larger burden than they need to be.
Recognise those little wins: you must celebrate positive moments when they arrive, no matter how small, share those wins with the team and celebrate the achievements of others as well. A dedicated team chat is perfect for this!
Limit your drivetime: where possible, keep your SW work in as tight a geographic area as you can – endless driving can really amp up our stress levels.
Set your boundaries: this may be your first year as an SW or your 20th, there’s always time to identify, name, and share your professional boundaries and set expectations so that clients know what to expect, where to turn, and when. Why not put those parameters in your signature? “I am available from X am to X pm workdays and will return your message within X business days”.
Beware vicarious trauma: SWs are often meeting people when they’re in the middle a huge life change or crisis, vicarious trauma is a biproduct of being exposed to these experiences as part of someone's occupation. Make sure you learn about vicarious trauma, how to manage it, and how to support others dealing with it.
Know when to stop: There are occasions when you will need to stop working with a client because the relationship is just not working, and nobody is happy. Learn to see the signs and to let go.

Tips for teams and groups

Create strong team connections: SWs are a remote workforce so you’re probably already using online chat. Make sure it’s kept active, keep up the chatter and make sure to dedicate some channels to fun, positive feedback and supportive banter.
Help your SWs identify their strengths: as time passes, work to identify and support each SWs strength or passion with disability. This could be housing, or behaviour support, whatever it is, develop that passion. Likewise, if there are things your SW is not passionate about, limit those where you can.
Provide development: identify future goals and work with SWs to develop a plan to help them grow into leadership with training, marketing or whatever they need. A fresh direction or new development can be a great way to refresh someone and help avoid burn out.
Pair up: why not put a junior and senior SW for every participant or pair up workers based on interest or specialty, such as a newer SW with one with a particular skill set in housing or mental health.
Create your NDIS champions: nominate a few of the team to be the “escalators” with NDIS when things become difficult. These escalators can develop strong relationships with people in the agency to prioritise urgent and important needs.
Acknowledge hardship: when a participant or nominee dies, acknowledge this and honour that person and their SW’s grief in your next team meeting.

Benefits For You, Your Business and Your Clients

When we are feeling good mentally, we can start to enjoy the flow-on effects of that feeling in our work life. When people are aware and looking out for their mental health, little errors get sorted out, you're able to be more organised, able to meet the demands of clients and the business more easily. A positive wellbeing helps you be more focused and productive, not just feeling well and feeling happy.

So, when you're feeling well, you're better able to communicate, you're able to be more patient, more focused, listen better, and that's a flow-on effect to your clients, your family members and friends as well.

What we can do to help

With a great range of ‘burnout reducing’ online tools, such as the Plan Partners Dashboard, we’re here to bring ease and convenience to both you and your customers.

We can work with you and your customers over the course of their plan supporting them to understand and make the most of their NDIS funds, and you’ll enjoy access to helpful tools, info and resources that make both your lives easier.

Get in touch with our team today to find out more about our services on 1300 333 700.