Written by the Good Company Disability Services team, NDIS mentoring providers in Perth and Melbourne. Reviewed October 2026.
An NDIS mentor and a support worker can both spend time with you, but they work towards different things. A support worker usually helps you get things done, sometimes doing tasks with you or for you. An NDIS mentor helps you learn to do more of those things yourself, so you need less help over time. Mentoring is a capacity building support. Its job is to build your skills, confidence and independence, not just to fill support hours.
This guide explains the difference in plain language, how each one is usually funded, and how to tell which one suits your goals.
What is an NDIS mentor?
An NDIS mentor is a trained worker who helps you build the skills and confidence to do more things your own way. A mentor might help you learn to cook a few meals, catch the train to TAFE, prepare for a job interview, manage your money or feel more comfortable in social situations.
The key word is build. A good mentor plans each session around one of your goals, practises the skill with you, and steps back a little more each time. They also help you notice your progress, so you can see how far you have come.
At Good Company, our mentors are employed disability support workers who are trained to work in a mentoring way. We use the word “mentor” because it describes how we work: alongside you, with the goal of you doing more for yourself.
What is a support worker?
A support worker helps you with daily activities so you can live the life you want. Depending on the provider, that can include personal care (like showering or dressing), domestic help, transport, or going with you to activities in the community.
Support workers are a vital part of the NDIS, and many people need hands-on help every day. That help might be ongoing because of the type of disability someone has. There is nothing wrong with that. The difference is that support work focuses on getting the task done, while mentoring focuses on you learning the task.
NDIS mentor vs support worker: the key differences
| NDIS mentor | Support worker | |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Build your skills and independence so you need less help over time | Help you get daily tasks and activities done |
| How they help | Teach, practise, coach, then step back | Do tasks with you or for you |
| Typical activities | Life skills, travel training, social confidence, job readiness, study, goal setting | Personal care, domestic help, transport, community access |
| Usual NDIS budget | Often capacity building, for example Increased Social and Community Participation or Improved Daily Living | Often core supports, for example Assistance with Daily Life |
| What success looks like | You can do something on your own that you couldn’t before | Your daily needs are met safely and reliably |
| Session plan | Linked to a goal in your NDIS plan, with progress noted each time | Linked to your routine and daily needs |
How is NDIS mentoring funded?
Mentoring is usually funded from your capacity building supports, because its purpose is to build your skills. The NDIS support catalogue includes support for life transition planning, mentoring, peer support and individual skill development. Some participants also use their core budget for mentoring-style support in the community, for example under social and community participation.
What you can use depends on what is in your plan and how your plan is managed. If you are not sure, ask your plan manager or support coordinator, or get in touch with us and we can help you work it out.
Which one do you need?
Many people use both. Here are some simple ways to think about it:
- Choose a mentor if you want to learn something new, become more independent, get ready for work or study, or build confidence with people.
- Choose a support worker if you need regular hands-on help with personal care, household tasks or getting around safely.
- Use both if you need daily help with some things but want to build skills in other areas. A mentor can be the person you add to your team alongside your other providers.
A useful question to ask any provider is: “In six months, what will I be able to do that I can’t do now?” A mentoring provider should be able to answer that clearly.
Who does mentoring suit best?
Mentoring tends to suit people who don’t need much physical help but want support with the social, emotional and planning side of life. For example:
- Young adults leaving school and working out study, work or a small business
- Autistic adults and people with ADHD who want support with routines, planning and social situations
- People with psychosocial disability building confidence and connection at their own pace
- Anyone who feels anxious in new situations and wants a steady, trusted person to practise with
How Good Company can help
Good Company is a mentoring specialist. We don’t provide personal care. Instead we focus on helping people build life skills, confidence and independence through one-to-one mentoring in Perth and Melbourne, including the Mornington Peninsula, with remote support in other states.
- NDIS mentoring to build skills and independence step by step
- Employment support and SLES to get ready for work
- Social and community participation to build confidence with people
- Who we support to check whether we’re the right fit for you
Related reading
- NDIS mentoring for social anxiety and psychosocial disability
- Leaving school with disability: the school-to-work transition
Frequently asked questions
Is a mentor the same as a support worker?
Not quite. Both spend time with you, but a mentor’s main job is to help you learn and practise skills so you need less help over time. A support worker’s main job is to help you get tasks and activities done. Some workers do both, depending on the provider and your plan.
Can I have a mentor and a support worker at the same time?
Yes. Many participants have a support worker for daily help and a mentor for skill building. It helps if everyone knows your goals so they can work in the same direction.
Does the NDIS pay for a mentor?
It can. Mentoring is usually funded through capacity building supports when it relates to your disability and helps you work towards the goals in your plan. Check your plan or ask your plan manager.
How long do people usually work with a mentor?
It depends on your goals. Some people work with a mentor for a few months to get through a big change, like starting a job. Others keep working with a mentor for longer as they set new goals.
What does a mentoring session look like?
At Good Company, sessions are at least two hours and planned around one of your goals. That might mean practising a bus trip, cooking a meal, working on a job application or going to a community group together. Your mentor writes a note after each session so progress is tracked.
Sources and further reading
- NDIS: What is a support worker
- NDIS: Pricing arrangements and support catalogue
- Good Company: How we work
This article is general information only and was current at 31 October 2026. NDIS rules, and how they apply to individual plans, can change, and we can’t guarantee the article is complete or up to date. It is not advice about your plan and you should not rely on it to make decisions about your supports. Check ndis.gov.au, call the NDIS on 1800 800 110, or speak with your support coordinator or plan manager. Good Company Disability Services is an independent provider and is not affiliated with the NDIS or the NDIA.
