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Real Matches

Match stories from real participants

Names, photos and some details changed for privacy. Outcomes are real. These are the matches that showed us what good looks like, and why we built the service the way we did.

A Support Match participant celebrating a good day

"Every match story starts with one honest conversation."

Four anonymised participant stories below.

NP
Noah, 14
Sydney · Autism · 6 hrs/wk

"The first worker lasted a month, the second three weeks. I'd nearly given up. Support Match actually listened when I said Noah needs a male mentor who's into footy, not just anyone who's available. 8 months in, they're still together."

, Noah's mum

8
months stable
3
rematches avoided
1
meet & greet
AR
Adelle, 62
Melbourne · MS · Personal care

"I needed a same-gender worker who could do hoist transfers and who spoke Greek. My coordinator said she'd never find one. Support Match had three shortlisted in four days. The one I chose is still with me nine months later."

, Adelle

4
days to shortlist
3
workers shortlisted
9
months and counting
JK
James, 28
Brisbane · Psychosocial · Recovery coach client

"My recovery coach sent the referral. Within a week I had a worker who's into gaming, who's patient when I have bad days, and who doesn't treat me like a client. That's rare. This is the first worker I haven't dreaded seeing."

, James

7
days end-to-end
0
workers rejected
first shift happened
MF
Maya & family
Perth · CALD · Complex care

"We needed a worker who spoke Arabic, understood halal food, could do personal care for a young female with non-verbal communication, and who could drive. Other providers told us it was impossible. Support Match found her in 10 days. She's become part of our family."

, Maya's sister

10
days (complex case)
1
shortlist needed
long-term match

All participants have consented to their story being shared anonymously. Names, locations and some details have been changed. We'll add more stories as participants are comfortable sharing.

The same three things

Every successful match we've made has the same components, and they're the things most providers skip.

Real briefing

We ask the questions that matter: personality, interests, culture, communication style. Not just hours and postcode.

Specific sourcing

We don't send the next available worker. We source against the brief, even when it takes an extra few days.

The meet & greet

Chemistry is the whole point. Every match starts with a no-obligation conversation before anything is signed.

Make your match story next

Tell us about the participant. We'll shortlist workers who fit, then you decide.

Patterns from successful matches

Across hundreds of matches, a few things consistently make a difference.

Specific briefs beat vague ones. "Friendly and reliable" doesn't help us. "Male, mid-30s, into NRL, patient with stammer, drives" is gold.
Personality matters more than proximity. A worker an extra 20 minutes away who genuinely clicks will outlast the one down the street who doesn't.
Meet & greets work. 94% of participants stay with the worker they picked after a meet & greet, versus 58% when matched without one.
Starting small helps. 2,3 hours a week builds trust faster than jumping straight to 20 hours. Most of our longest matches started that way.
Communication smooths everything. A short group message thread between participant, family, and worker keeps small issues from becoming big ones.