Being able to employ the people you want to support you, rather than accepting an arrangement that someone else thinks is suitable is one of the great advantages of self-direction.  However, the thought of being responsible for the recruitment and management of people can be daunting, it is important to remember that self-direction does not mean doing everything on your own.

Under Your Life Your Choice in Queensland you can still direct your own support without taking on the full legal and financial responsibilities of being an employer.  You can work with a Host Provider and ask them to take all or some of the responsibility for employment or you can choose to be responsible for the areas you are comfortable with, for example, interviewing and training staff. 

The articles in this section provide an outline of what is involved in engaging people and working well with them. 

Getting Started: Documenting Roles - Before engaging people to work for you it is important to think clearly about the support you require, the paid roles you need filled, the skills or attributes needed by anyone you engage and your expectations of people in the role.

Recruitment Process - Includes Advertising, Interviewing and Selecting, Checking Referees, Checking Work Visa, Criminal History Screening and Appointing People to the Role.Having an established recruitment process will help you  to source, shortlist and engage suitable people more effectively, can save you time interviewing unsuitable applicants and save time in subsequent recruitment. 

Induction and Training -These offer opportunities for establishing your expectations for the role and for people to feel secure in their work

Establishing and Maintaining a Working Relationship - The working relationship you have with the people who work for you starts at the interview and continues with  induction and training.  These initial interactions set the tone for the relationship.

Letting Staff Go - At times it may become apparent that a staff member is not a 'good fit' for you or the team and you will need to part ways.

Managing the Paperwork - Having an easy to use system for managing paperwork can save you time in the long run.

Useful Contacts and Resources for Engaging and Recruiting - General resources to help when engaging and recruiting people to work for you. Resources specific to each topic are included as links in topic articles. 

This information has been developed in conjunction with Leeann Milne from You Select Recruitment.  Leeann has been assisting people with disability and families directing their own support in Queensland with their recruitment on a fee for service basis since 2011.