Thinking about support work, or ready to do it better? These sessions are designed to help you find your fit, understand the disability sector, and build the skills to do the job well.

In the disability sector, the best support starts with the disabled person leading the way. However, many people entering the workforce, or already working in it, haven’t had the chance to explore what this looks like in practice. Whether you are curious about starting a career in support or want to deepen your existing practice, these four sessions cover the essentials: from understanding the Social Model of Disability to mastering professional boundaries and communication.

All events are free and suitable for anyone in Aotearoa currently working as a support worker or interested in starting their journey.

Can’t make them all? No problem.

We know life (and shifts) can be unpredictable.

• Pick and choose: You are welcome to attend the whole workshop series or just the single session that interests you most. Use the registration form below to select your sessions.
• Can’t attend live? If you’re interested but the timing doesn’t work, please register anyway! We will email the recording of the workshop to everyone who signed up so you can watch it in your own time.
• Just want future updates? If you can’t make this round but want to know when we run these again, scroll to the bottom and join our "Flying Kites" list.

May 21 | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

What is Support Work and Where Do You Fit?

Understand what support work really looks like day-to-day. We’ll unpack different roles, from personal care to community support, and help you discover a path that genuinely fits your strengths. We will also cover key frameworks like Enabling Good Lives and the Social Model of Disability.

We’ll cover:

• What support work really looks like day-to-day
• The different types of roles (from personal care to community-based support)
• How to find a role that genuinely fits you
• Key ideas like Enabling Good Lives and the social model of disability

May 28 | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Your Communication Kete

Good support lives or dies on communication. This session helps you understand behavior as communication, how to respond when things get tricky, and how to build a “kete” (basket) of tools to navigate conflict and connect with people who have diverse communication styles.

We’ll cover:

• Different ways people communicate
• Understanding behaviour as communication
• What happens under stress or overwhelm
• Navigating conflict and misunderstandings
• Building your own “communication kete” to draw from

June 4 | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Beyond the Shift: Boundaries, Trust & Growing in the Role

Support work involves critical, less visible skills. We’ll dive into setting healthy professional boundaries, maintaining confidentiality, and managing "grey areas." You’ll also learn about training pathways and how professional growth links to pay equity.

We’ll cover:

• Setting and maintaining healthy professional boundaries
• Confidentiality and handling sensitive information
• Recognising and managing grey areas or conflicts of interest
• Reflecting on your work and learning from experience
• Training pathways and how they link to pay equity

June 11 | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Getting the Job (and Getting the Right One)

Not all roles are created equal. We’ll show you where to find opportunities, what disabled people and employers are really looking for, and how to make your application stand out.

We’ll cover:

• Where support work jobs come from (and how they differ)
• What employers and disabled people are really looking for
• How to prepare: skills, experience, and practical requirements
• Applications and interviews
• How Flying Kites can support you into the right role

Event Format

Each session will begin with a 30-minute presentation from the Flying Kites team, which will be recorded and shared online the following week. 

The second half of the event will be a less formal conversation, guided by the participants but facilitated by Flying Kites, and will not recorded.