A New Support Worker Is Coming: A Simple Preferences Checklist

When a new support worker is starting, the most useful thing you can do is write down what matters to you before they arrive, not explain it all on the spot during an unfamiliar first shift. A short preferences sheet means you are not repeating yourself, and the worker is not guessing.

This is not about paperwork for its own sake. It is about giving a new person just enough to get the first few shifts right, so trust can build from there.

1. Daily routine and timing

• What time things usually happen, such as meals, medication reminders or rest breaks
• Any part of the routine that should never be rushed
• What a typical shift looks like from start to finish, in order

2. How you like to be spoken to

• Your preferred name, and how you like to be greeted
• Pronouns, if relevant to you
• Whether you prefer direct instructions, gentle suggestions, or to be asked rather than told
• Topics you are happy to chat about, and ones you would rather avoid

3. Personal care and dignity preferences

• What support you want with personal care, and what you prefer to do yourself
• Any wording you prefer when support is offered
• Whether you want privacy during certain tasks, even if support is nearby

4. Your home and environment

• Where things are kept, such as keys, equipment or cleaning supplies
• House rules, such as shoes off, pets, or where visitors wait
• Parking or access instructions for someone arriving for the first time

5. Interests and what helps on a hard day

• Hobbies, shows, music or activities you enjoy during a shift
• Something that helps if you are feeling anxious, tired or overwhelmed
• Anything that has helped a new worker settle in quickly in the past

6. Safety and who to contact

• Emergency contact name and phone number
• Any situation where the worker should call someone straight away
• Where health or medical information is kept, separate from this preferences sheet

7. What to do if something changes

• Who to tell if the worker is running late or the shift needs to change
• How you prefer to be told about a roster change
• Whether a family member or support coordinator should be copied in on updates

Here is a fictional, anonymous example to show how this can look in practice. Imagine a participant called, for this example only, J, who prefers mornings for support, likes to be asked rather than told when it is time to get ready, and keeps a short note on the fridge listing favourite music and a reminder that the dog is friendly but excitable at the door. None of that is dramatic, but it saves the first shift from starting with confusion.

You do not need special software or a formal template to do this. A page in a notebook, a shared document, or a printed sheet left somewhere obvious all work. What matters is that it is current, easy to find, and written in your own words rather than someone else's assumptions about what you need.

If your support is coordinated through a provider, some of these details, like your preferred name, contact information and arrival notes, may already sit in their own records and get repeated to staff before a shift. That is worth asking about, but it does not replace a short personal sheet that reflects how you actually want to be supported, in your own words.