30/10/2025
These are the 10 everyday mistakes I see support workers make all the time, and exactly how to avoid them:
Lack of active listening – Truly listening makes all the difference. Interrupting or “listening just to respond” can damage the client relationship.
Not setting clear boundaries – Supporting someone doesn’t mean losing yourself. Knowing how to say “no” respectfully is essential.
Being reactive instead of proactive – Waiting for problems to arise before taking action is a common pitfall.
Poor organisation and time management – Being late or forgetting appointments and tasks damages trust.
Delaying shift notes – Putting it off often leads to forgetting important details or not doing it at all. This directly affects the quality of your support.
Not tailoring your communication to the client – Everyone is different. Communicating with a young autistic person is not the same as with an elderly person with dementia.
Lack of practical empathy – Empathy isn’t just about feeling, it’s about acting based on how others feel.
Not defining your service offering – Spending years complaining about not getting clients, without ever deciding what kind of support you actually want to provide.
Not being part of support worker groups – Staying isolated stops you from sharing experiences and having reliable backups when you need them.
Promoting your services anonymously – Hiding your identity, not sharing your location, never contributing positively to the community, and only posting anonymous criticism… all of this hurts your credibility.
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