In this powerful episode, I sit down with Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas — founder of Supporting Communities Australia and self-declared “Youth Mentor Queen.”

Yosmerys shares her journey from disability support worker to CEO, and how her background in criminology and youth work shaped her trauma-informed mentoring model, Elevate Youth Lab.

We talk about:

• Youth mentoring in the NDIS
• Supporting young people with disability and trauma backgrounds
• Capacity building and confidence
• Female leadership in the disability sector
• Transitioning from support worker to business owner
• Building strong support worker teams
• Mental health and community support

Yosmerys opens up about the challenges of leadership, the lessons she learned in major organisations, and why everything she does is intentional.

Her goal? To reach 300,000 young people in 50 years.

This conversation is for:
Support workers, NDIS providers, youth workers, founders, female leaders, and anyone passionate about building strong communities.

If you believe choice, trauma-informed care, and real empowerment matter in the disability sector — this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen on Spotify
📺 Watch on YouTube
🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders in disability support

In this episode I sit down with Michelle Flynn, Growth & Marketing Manager at aryse (https://aryse.com.au/) — a service doing great things in the disability space.

Michelle unpacks what ethical, effective marketing really means in an industry where trust and connection matter more than slick ads. We get honest about:

✨ Why emotional, values-based messaging will always beat hype
✨ The difference between posting content for the sake of it vs content with purpose
✨ How your team’s behaviour out in the community is your most powerful marketing tool
✨ Balancing creative ambition with clear strategy and outcomes
✨ How to scale, delegate and lead without losing your brand’s heart
✨ The importance of real stories that humanise your service
✨ And the marketing mistake that involved 2,000 mousepads with the wrong name 😅

If you’re a provider, business leader, support worker, marketer or anyone wanting to grow in the NDIS sector with integrity — this one will give you practical takeaways, grounded insights, and a fresh way to think about promotion in a space that’s not always “sexy,” but absolutely essential.

Find aryse + connect with Michelle on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and keep learning.

Running a SIL service and feel like you’re constantly juggling rosters, funding, staff needs, and compliance… and still wondering if you’re getting it right?

You’re not alone — and you’re not failing.

In this episode, Sarah chats with Josh Pix from Resolv, a team that works alongside SIL providers across Australia to fix one of the biggest hidden problems in the sector: rostering and claiming that doesn’t actually match participant funding.

We talk about:
• Why SIL rostering is one of the hardest jobs in the NDIS
• How “being nice” and adding extra hours can quietly cost providers thousands
• The real impact of incorrect rostering on participants and staff
• Why leadership in disability looks different (and starts with kindness)
• What a SIL “health check” actually looks at
• Why even experienced providers get this wrong — and why that’s okay

Josh shares insights from working with hundreds of providers and explains why this isn’t about working harder — it’s about having the right systems and support in place.

If you’ve ever cried over a roster, worried about funding gaps, or felt like SIL is an impossible puzzle… this episode will make you feel seen — and give you a clearer path forward.

🎧 Perfect for SIL providers, service managers, team leaders, and anyone responsible for rostering or compliance in the NDIS space.

I’m not great at elevator pitches — and honestly, I don’t want to be.

I’m better at listening.
Listening to why you do what you do.
How you got here.
And what actually matters to you.

In this episode, I share the real story behind Support Worker Store — how it accidentally turned three years old, how it started while I was pregnant with my third child, and how it evolved from funny support-worker mugs into something much bigger.

We talk about:
✨ Playing too small (and realising it)
✨ Building a brand while pivoting… a lot
✨ The podcast journey (70+ episodes in — wild)
✨ Why matching matters in disability support
✨ The origin story of Swifty Matchy (yes, inspired by reality TV 👀)
✨ And why “that’s not what I ordered” is something too many NDIS participants feel

This isn’t a polished pitch.
It’s the honest, messy, values-driven version.

If you work in the NDIS, care about quality support, or just love a good origin story — this one’s for you.

👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments
👍 Like if this resonated
🔔 Subscribe for more real conversations from inside the sector

— Sarah

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, I sit down with Joel Scott, who started his career as a support worker and is now a Chief Operations Officer (COO) in disability housing.

We talk honestly about what it’s really like to grow a career in the disability sector — from starting young, learning on the job, and working in group homes, to leading big teams and making big decisions.

Joel shares why being a support worker first makes you a better leader, why titles don’t matter as much as people, and how good leadership always puts the person first.

We also talk about:

• Life before the NDIS and moving from institutions to homes

• What real quality care looks like in everyday life

• Why communication matters more than paperwork

• Supporting people with complex communication

• How to balance care and business

• Why homes should feel like home

• What good leadership in disability actually means

• Why support workers are the backbone of this sector

If you’re a support worker, team leader, coordinator, or business owner in disability, this episode is full of real talk, real stories, and real lessons from the frontline.

🎙️ This is for anyone who wants to grow in disability — without losing why they started.

What happens when people inside the NDIS get fed up with broken systems… and decide to build something better?

In this episode, I’m joined by Ammar Kazi and Valentina Aushana, the founders of Australian Therapy Hub (ATH) — an all-in-one platform designed to make therapy simpler, fairer, and more human for NDIS participants, therapists, and families.

We unpack:

• Why the current allied health systems weren’t cutting it

• How admin, travel, and paperwork were eating into actual care

• What happens when participants get real choice and control

• How ATH reduces burnout for therapists

• Why simplicity, clarity, and privacy were non-negotiables

• And how tech can support care without replacing human connection

This isn’t another “tech for tech’s sake” story.
It’s about getting funding back where it belongs — into care, not wasted admin.

ATH is now live, growing, and refining in real time — and 2026 is shaping up to be a big year.

If you’re a:

• NDIS participant or family

• Therapist or allied health professional

• Support coordinator

• Or someone who cares about better systems in care

👉 This episode is for you.

🔗 Learn more:https://austherapyhub.com.au/
📲 Follow: Australian Therapy Hub on Instagram & Facebook

We’re back for 2026 — and kicking off with a powerful conversation.

In this episode of Sarah Knows Support Workers, Sarah sits down with James Bennett, Director of Evergreen Disability Care, to talk about what it really takes to build a disability business with integrity, long-term vision, and heart.

James shares his journey from the corporate world into disability, shaped by lived experience as a parent and years on the ground. This is an honest conversation about leadership, supporting staff properly, and keeping the people we serve at the centre of every decision.

• Why James started Evergreen Disability Care

• Leadership without ego

• Supporting support workers so they stay and thrive

• Capacity building that leads to real independence

• Long-term thinking in the NDIS

• Burnout, boundaries, and balance

• Why integrity and communication still matter

This episode is for support workers, leaders, business owners, and anyone thinking about starting or growing an NDIS service in 2026.

🎧 No shortcuts. No fluff. Just real talk.

In this episode:

What do you learn after 17 years in the disability sector?

In this episode, Sarah Heriot reflects on her journey through support work — from the early days to the major shifts in advocacy, choice, and independent living we see today.

Sarah shares real, lived lessons from working directly with people with disability, watching the sector evolve, and learning what truly creates better outcomes. This is an honest conversation about what’s changed, what’s improved, and what support workers need to hold onto as the sector keeps moving forward.

This episode is for NDIS support workers, independent support workers, providers, and anyone working in disability support who wants perspective, clarity, and grounding from someone who’s been there.

• How support work has changed over the past 17 years

• Why advocacy and real choice matter more than ever

• The shift toward personalised support and independent living

• What listening to the people we support actually looks like

• Why empowerment leads to stronger outcomes

• The importance of continuous learning in support work

The disability sector will keep evolving — but the heart of good support has always stayed the same.

👇 Subscribe for honest, experience-led conversations about support work, the NDIS, and building a sustainable career in care.

In this video, we talk about: