Dr Johnny Bourke is a Research Fellow at the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research at The University of Sydney and Plex researcher at the Burwood Academy. In 2022 he was awarded the Canterbury Medical Research Fund Emerging Researcher Fellowship examining positive relationships between disabled people and support workers. He conducted the project with the wonderful support of Julianne Johns and Rachelle Martin.

Johnny’s presentation will share the results from the study, which indicate that positive, sustainable support worker relationships depend on having clear communication, establishing boundaries, building trust and sustaining a sense of flow. In particular, clear communication and trust helps to manage issues such as privacy, confidentially and safety for all those involved. Doing so, ultimately allows disabled people to flourish and support workers to feel valued in their work.