Support that fits
how your brain works.
💫 Welcome! 💫 I'm excited to have you here and keen to see if we're a good match.
I'm Jesse, a support worker working in inner and north Melbourne. I've worked in disability support work for over three years, and before that I worked for the NDIA for four years. I work with disabled adults who want supports that fit how their brain, lifestyle and interests work.
I am proudly neurodivergent, Deaf, and queer. I know what it's like to be treated differently, so I provide support to people with all types of disabilities that respects and centres who you are as a person. I specialise in supporting people who share my identities and lived experiences. You can read more about me and my approach below.
Services I offer
Each section has a brief summary - click or tap to read more detail if you want specifics before reaching out.
- Meal planning, prep and cooking. Making meals in bulk, or just one meal. From scratch or from packet, whatever works for you.
- Cleaning and tidying, including planning it out in manageable chunks.
- Laundry, dishes, bins - the ongoing stuff that piles up.
- Organising spaces - cupboards, paperwork piles, storage.
- Building routines and systems that suit how you want to live.
- Body doubling - being present while you work on things you can't start alone
- Task initiation support for things that feel impossible to begin
- Breaking overwhelming tasks into steps that feel doable
- Identifying patterns in what blocks you and working around them
- Building routines that account for your energy levels and sensory needs
- Managing overwhelm in the moment without judgment
- Helping you figure out tools, apps, or strategies that might help (without overwhelming you with options)
- NDIS plan reviews and service agreement paperwork
- Centrelink and MyGov - navigating the system together
- Bills and financial admin that's stacked up
- Drafting or responding to emails that feel too hard
- Making phone calls on your behalf or alongside you
- Medical appointments - booking, reminders, following up referrals
- Dealing with anything official that's been sitting untouched
- Transport support - accompanying you on public transport or by car
- Medical and allied health appointments
- Community activities, groups, or events you want to try
- The gym, pools, parks - physical activity you want support with
- Navigating new or unfamiliar environments before you go alone
- Sensory-heavy spaces - planning ahead, having an exit strategy, managing in the moment
- Social outings where having someone with you makes the difference
- Setting up phones, tablets, computers - getting them working for you
- AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) device setup and support
- Finding and setting up apps that help with organisation, communication, or focus
- Sorting out email, calendars, reminders - systems that stick
- Digital decluttering - photos, files, inboxes
- Troubleshooting things that aren't working
- Teaching tech in a way that makes sense to you, not just how it's "supposed" to work
- Resume writing and job applications
- Interview preparation - including managing nerves and fatigue
- Navigating workplace culture, communication, and expectations
- Understanding disability disclosure and your rights at work
- Attending uni, TAFE, or training - going with you if that helps
- Coming up with study plans that work for your brain
- Applying for reasonable adjustments or accessibility supports
- Processing and planning after jobs or placements that didn't work out
- Being a steady, consistent presence and someone reliable to check in with
- Supporting regulation when things feel like too much
- Understanding autistic and ADHD burnout and how to work with it
- Not pushing through if you're not up to what was planned
- Helping you identify what you need without having to explain yourself from scratch every time
- I'm not a replacement for mental health supports, but I can complement them
About me and my approach
I bring my lived experience as a disabled person and a queer person to my support work. I've had a lot of experience navigating the world as someone pretty different from most people, but the same in dreams and goals. I know what it's like to be limited by the way our society works.
Read below to find out more about me and how I bring my lived experience to my support work.
Each section has a brief summary - click or tap to read more detail if you want specifics before reaching out.
I am a late diagnosed ADHDer. I didn't know how much my neurodivergence was impacting me until I was diagnosed. Many of my friends and family have turned out to be neurodivergent too, so I spend most of my time around other neurodivergent folks.
This has given me a clear view into the ways that different brains are impacted by having to exist in a neurotypical world, and the struggles - emotional and practical - of getting a late diagnosis. I want to help make these challenges easier.
My hearing loss was diagnosed when I was 13. I wear hearing aids (I can hear you and we can use spoken language) and my first language is English. As an adult I started learning Auslan, which connected me to the Deaf community. I now proudly identify as Deaf.
I'm not an interpreter, but if you use Auslan as your primary or alternative way of communicating, I'm happy to use Auslan where we can.
Queer disabled people should be supported to engage with the queer community. As someone already connected to the queer community in Melbourne, I provide that support.
Being invited into a trans person's home and safe space to provide supports is a big thing. I provide my supports in a gender affirming way so that you can be yourself.
Practical information
Standard weekday daytime rate (NDIS price guide). Weekend and evening rates available - just ask.
What I don't do
Below are supports I don't provide, shared with you upfront so you can find the right person if I'm not it.
- Hands-on personal care - showering, dressing, continence support
- Clinical or health-related supports
- Overnight or residential (SIL) shifts
- Work with people under 18
Get in touch
If any of this sounds like what you're looking for, I'd love to hear from you. No pressure, no lengthy intake process - we can just have a chat to see if we're a good fit.
You can click below or email me at supportwork@jessemsmith.com.au. If you prefer phone, text or online meeting, please let me know by email and I'll provide my details to you directly.
Email Jesse