Work role boundaries, responsibilities and limitations

Support workers must be aware of the limits and boundaries that apply to their role and perform their work accordingly. Job role boundaries vary between different jobs and workplaces.

You can learn about the boundaries of your role by:

• undertaking orientation when commencing a new role
• reading the position description
• reading the workplace policies and procedures
• reading information about the tasks required for a particular person
• talking to your supervisor to clarify any concerns or questions.

Working beyond your boundaries can be dangerous, particularly if the tasks you perform involve risks such as manual handling, transport, medication or infection control. Support workers must therefore understand and clarify the boundaries of their work role, ensuring client and carer are clear on those tasks or roles and reminding them of the boundaries if requests are made that are outside those limits. If excessive demands are made, discuss the situation with your supervisor.