Getting a Support Person or Job Coach

Before you get a support person or job coach, you need to have an assessment done. This will identify the level of support you need. You can request this assessment when you apply for Job or Training Support Funds. You can also email us at support_funds@msd.govt.nz or call us on 0800 551 001.

Choosing a support person or job coach

It's your choice who you would like to be your support person or job coach. They can be someone you know, or a person found through an agency. When you hire a job coach you should talk to your employer before making your choice. This will help you find someone suitable to help with your job.

Once you have chosen someone you should discuss with them:

• the tasks they will do
• their hours and pay rate
• signing an agreement between you as confirmation.

It's up to you to manage your relationship with your support person or job coach. This includes making sure the support you get meets your needs.

What a support person does

A support person is someone you who will help you at work or during training. This could include a:

• reader/writer
• New Zealand Sign-language interpreter
• driver.

You may be able to get funding for more than one support person if they're doing different tasks, e.g. a driver and a New Zealand Sign-language interpreter. You can't get funding for 100% of your working hours.

If your support person is driving you, they must have a full New Zealand drivers licence.

Your employer or training provider may be a Contracted Supported Employment provider with us. If they are, they may already provide some of the support you would get from a support person. When you apply we'll work with you to understand if you need any extra support on top of this, and if we can cover it.

What a job coach does

A job coach is someone who gives you short-term coaching to help you if:

• you start a new job
• your job description changes
• your job requires new or different skills
• your disability changes, which affects your ability to do your normal job.

You can get help to pay for a job coach for up to 6 weeks.

You can't get help to pay for a job coach if:

• your employer already provides employment coaching for you
• you're getting help to pay for training through Skills for Industry.

When you apply you'll need to tell us how many hours you'll need the job coach for, and what tasks they'll need to do.

What you need to do

You must record and send us the information we need to make sure your support person or job coach gets paid. This information includes:

• a supplier registration form
• timesheets and invoices.

This must be done by you and your support person or job coach.

Supplier registration

Your support person or job coach needs to register as a supplier with us.

To do this they must print and fill in a Retailer/Supplier/Payee Details PDF form:

Once they've completed the form, they need to scan or take a photo of it and email this to support_funds@msd.govt.nz

Timesheets and invoices

Your support person or job coach must give you a timesheet and invoice every 2 weeks. This shows the hours they have worked. Make sure the invoice is not more than the number of hours we have agreed to fund.

You both need to agree to and sign the timesheet. Email the signed timesheet and your invoice to us at support_funds@msd.govt.nz. We will use these to pay the support person or job coach their approved hours on your behalf.

There's more information about invoices on Inland Revenue's website:

Other things you need to do

You and your support person or job coach also need to take care of your other obligations. These includes things like income tax, GST, ACC levies and other legal matters.