A Support Match meet & greet should feel like a conversation, not an interview. But there are questions that unlock honest answers, and questions that don't. Here are the 20 that have earned their place over years of coordinating matches.

First 5: the warm-up

Start with low-stakes. You're helping the worker relax and reading their conversational style.

  1. What made you want to become a support worker?
  2. What do you do when you're not working?
  3. Have you worked in this area before?
  4. What kind of music / shows / food do you enjoy?
  5. What's been a highlight of your week?

Next 5: the role-fit

These tell you whether they understand the actual work.

  1. What was your last NDIS role and why did it end?
  2. What kinds of participants have you worked with?
  3. What's a shift routine you've settled into well?
  4. How do you usually start with a new participant?
  5. What training do you have that you think matters most?

Next 5: the honesty test

Here's where mediocre workers start to stumble. Great ones don't.

  1. Describe a shift that didn't go well. What happened?
  2. Have you ever had a participant say they didn't want you to come back? What did you do?
  3. What's something you find challenging about this work?
  4. How do you handle a day when you're tired but still have to be warm?
  5. What would you do if a family member asked you to do something outside your role?

The tell: vague or defensive answers to questions 11–15 are almost always a red flag. Experienced workers have real stories. Good ones also know what they handled poorly and what they learned.

Last 5: the chemistry questions

These are for the participant to ask, or for you to ask on their behalf.

  1. What do you think you and [participant] might have in common?
  2. How do you like being given feedback?
  3. What do you do when you disagree with something a participant wants to do?
  4. If you could design your ideal shift, what would it look like?
  5. Is there anything you want to ask us?

The "not really" rule

If your gut says "not really" after a meet & greet, trust it. Chemistry can't be argued into existence. Better to say no now than to unpick it three months in. A good provider, ours included, will happily re-shortlist. That's the whole point of the model.

When to shortcut

You don't need all 20 in every meet. If a worker gives great, specific answers in the first 10 minutes, you can switch to participant-led conversation and observe the dynamic. The questions exist to get past surface-level politeness, not to be checked off like a clipboard.

Make it easy on yourself

Print this list. Bring it. Nobody will mind. Reading notes during a meet & greet is normal. You're making a decision about someone who'll be in your participant's life, it's fine to be organised about it.

This article is general information, not personal advice. Every NDIS plan is different, talk to your LAC, plan manager or support coordinator for guidance specific to your situation.

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