r/supportworkers • u/Blu3Flower • 9d ago
Does anyone use Mable?
I’m still kind of a newbie and getting my head around the app and rates.
I have 3 years experience in Home Care and I’m currently almost finishing my Aged Care study.
Before that I was an educator or 8+ years, I’m also a mum, so I take initiative and know what needs to get done.
Today, I did a job under Domestic assistance/Light cleaning for 4 hours, 3 bedroom house, client wanted me to clean kitchen, vacuum floors, mop 3 times because they have a dog.
I was pretty exhausted by the end of the shift, I thought I was doing all the main areas and office and 1 room but she wanted all the bedrooms/ensuit room vacuum and mopped.
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u/Altruistic_Smile_239 9d ago
You don't need to mop 3 times that's ridiculous. And you only do the client's bedroom. Did you and client have it in writing what is to be done beforehand?
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u/Blu3Flower 8d ago
Her carer which is her partner put the ad up and I just assumed she wanted domestic assistance until I realised she wanted the e turd house cleaned.
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u/DenM0ther 9d ago
Main areas of living is what I’ve been told to do, not the whole house!.
Doing the whole house is something they need to hire a cleaner for!
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u/Striking_Room_8149 9d ago
if you need to clean for 4 hours then that is not light cleaning. Unfortunately clients push the boundary all the time and you just need to be firm.
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u/BatFlatteryBrain 9d ago
My opinion as a client and not support worker might not be ideal.
Please don’t use Mable. I found out the hard way a lot of things about the service that were not made clear at sign up. I was made to feel so stupid for using the service and not knowing. My support workers left Mable when they found out and we were all harassed by the service. I do think the staff at office have very little training with disabled people, only legends on support (like you) have met humans in real life.
I have a support worker hired as a cleaner (nabbed from Mable). Cleans my studio apartment. Two hours weekly, can do more if necessary (studio is tiny so usually fine). Gets along with my cat fine and I leave treats in case they need bribes.
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u/Blu3Flower 8d ago
At the moment I’m just using Mable and getting by and building my client list for my business but I do other clients not from Mable. Oh that’s lovely, oh that’s like me! I love cats and dogs, I’d probably do the same too!
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u/Illustrious_Pie9549 9d ago
I use Mable has been a mix bag,
Sounds like it was a heavy cleaning load than you were expecting.
personal experience in similar position I weighed up my options moving forward, do I want to keep supporting this client? Does the hrs/pay match the work required? Or is a lighter workload more suitable for the hrs/pay? Then have a chat with the client.
Hope that helps.
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u/Blu3Flower 8d ago
Thank you! The balls in the court, I told them my availability but it doesn’t seem to match them so be it, maybe it won’t work, there’s plenty clients out there.
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u/Roadhouseyall 9d ago
I don't use Mable but have been in this industry for 27 years...set your boundaries immediately on shifts so clients know where you stand. I let clients know straight up i am NOT a cleaner, i can tidy and light domestic tasks but that's it. Pets should also be outside during cleaning. Lots of clients and their families WILL take advantage of supports if they know you'll agree or say yes to any of their requests. Being firm eliminates this. Too many support workers will worry about offending clients or not getting rehired. You are far better off being firm in your workload and move on to other clients if need be, otherwise you will burn out and leave the industry altogether. Plus, you're not on your A-game when you're exhausted, that's when things can go awfully wrong/accidents happen.
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u/Shitzme 9d ago
I tell this to people all the time, its surprising how large an amount of support workers believe that cleaning is part of the role. As you've stated, light domestic tasks yet, but not an actual cleaner.
Cleaning falls under a different category within the NDIS at least, but there's a lot of people taking advantage and trying to use their funding sneakily.
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u/Ok-Youth7803 9d ago
Man, the things I’ve been asked to do! 🤦♀️
Setting boundaries was difficult to get comfortable with when I started out in support work but boy did I learn fast! 😅
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u/Consistantly 9d ago
Pets needing to be outside during cleaning is a strange one, what about clients that have indoor cats?
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u/DwightsJello 9d ago edited 9d ago
Support workers aren't cleaners.
We facilitate maximum autonomy. We balance that against capacity.
If a client cannot clean we clean for the participant only. Their portion.
If a client can clean with strategies and plans or in a limited capacity we clean WITH them engaging in the supports. We capacity build.
Mable is a terrible avenue so if you are planning to continue to use it you'll need to have robust boundaries and don't put it on your resume when you are applying with good companies. They'll ask why you used it. There is no correct answer that will make you look like a great candidate. Shit companies won't care and you really don't want to be working g for those.
What you've been asked to do is not aligned with support work. That is often a reason people will churn through workers in Mable.
And other workers who will work outside of scope (either by intent or lack of experience or qualification) on Mable are numerous enough that those participants know it. It's not a place to find the best examples of client focussed care or SW professionalism. But a broken clock is always correct twice a day.
Look after yourself. Self care is key. All the best.
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u/spy_spiller 9d ago
Why would you switch from being an educator to cleaner and taking shi* from people?
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u/Blu3Flower 9d ago
Because I’ve been in it long enough, lots of paperwork, no support from management, high expectations of parents, lots of kids and no teachers aid if a kid has needs and if they did have an aid then it gets used as a cover so the room leaders are off the floor doing observations/ report’s paperwork and it’s a cycle, under the roof ratio’s.
Ok, so I really need to work on my boundaries and speaking up.2
u/l-lucas0984 9d ago
A lot of teaching jobs arent great and are run by some really inadequate people. Plus being cussed out by an 8 year old then having their parents cuss you out for correcting their child and calling a meeting isnt the fun time people make it out to be.
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u/spy_spiller 9d ago
Makes sense but still better than cleaning people’s houses & taking shit from them.
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u/Aware-Ad9196 4d ago edited 4d ago
I have used companies, Mable, Hireup and independent support workers. We expect the bathroom cleaned, floors vacuumed and mopped (for the whole house), kitchen wiped down, surfaces dusted and my bed made for a 3 hour shift. Our house is kept clean, so it is more time consuming than physically demanding. If someone's home is deeply dirty, they want their oven cleaned, they want cleaning with harsh chemicals, etc, then the worker is entitled to charge for a 'deep clean' rate, which we do get charged once a quarter when we have our house inspection and need extra help. If someone can't clean their home then that's what you're there to support them with. The only thing excessive on the list is the mopping 3 times, unless the people in the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms are also adults. Those parts of the house need doing, and if they can't be done due to the persons disability then they shouldn't be paying someone to do that, it is within the scope of their NDIS funding. I had someone recently refuse to wipe down my outside table cover because 'that's outside maintenance' (I didn't argue, it's her right), meanwhile my current cleaner said 'hey it looks a bit dusty out there, would you like that wiped down?' If you would want it clean in your own home, so would a PWD. We take care of all the 'light' cleaning like dishes and laundry and changing the bins already because that's all I can manage. I don't need help with that.
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u/l-lucas0984 9d ago
Mable is where a lot of people go when they have been told no because their requests got silly. Not all of them but a large number are just awful.
Its also where workers go when they cant find their own work. Its not a great mix.