Disability Support Worker – Café
Full-time | SCHADS Level 2
Do you want to make a real difference to the lives of people with disabilities?
Is it important to you to work for an organization that values you and offers opportunities for growth and development?
Then look no further!
About cape
cape group (cape) is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee providing services to people with a disability and is a Registered NDIS Provider.
Nadrasca joined with Brite in April 2025 to form cape group, a newly formed brand resulting from the merger of the two NDIS registered providers with a combined 120 years in operation across the eastern and northern suburbs.
Together, we provide a range of services for people with disability, including home and living supports, social and community participation activities, youth employment assistance, supported employment, and NDIS support coordination.
At cape, we work hard to ensure that everyone we support can have their best day, every day.
This means people feel awesome, welcome, connected, excited, and ready to achieve their goals – whatever that means for them.
The Position
The Disability Support Worker – Cape Café plays a dual role in both operating a vibrant café environment and providing hands-on support to participants. In this role, you actively contribute to the day to day running of the café—assisting with food preparation, barista tasks, customer service, stock management, and maintaining a welcoming, commercially focused space. At the same time, you support participants to build practical hospitality skills through structured training, mentoring, and guided practice. The position focuses on fostering independence, encouraging personal growth, and supporting vocational goals using person centred approaches and positive behaviour support. Key responsibilities include upholding food safety and OH&S standards, modelling quality service, monitoring participant progress, maintaining accurate documentation, and promoting opportunities for community connection and engagement.
The Disability Support Worker position supports our café locations across our internal café and 2 external cafes all located in Broadmeadows. The position requires adaptability, a willingness to travel between sites, and a passion for supporting people with disability in a vibrant café environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Participant Support
• Individualised Café Support: Provide 1:1, hands-on support to a café program participant, guiding them through daily café operations including food prep, customer service, and barista tasks. Foster confidence and independence in a real-world hospitality environment.
• Vocational Goal Setting: Collaborate with the participant to identify their employment aspirations within the hospitality industry. Develop personalised learning plans that build practical café skills aligned with their goals.
• Program Delivery & Skill Building: Work with internal stakeholders to deliver structured, inclusive training sessions. These will focus on barista techniques, food handling, hygiene, point of sales systems, and customer engagement.
• Mentorship & Coaching: Model professional café behaviours and provide constructive feedback to support skill development. Encourage problem-solving, teamwork, and resilience in a fast-paced environment.
• Community Engagement: Support the participant to engage with customers and the broader community, building communication and social skills essential for hospitality roles.
• Person-Centered Practice: Ensure all support is tailored to the participant’s strengths, interests, and learning style. Empower them to take ownership of their learning and celebrate progress.
• Positive Behaviour Support: Apply Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) strategies to create a safe, respectful, and encouraging learning space, particularly for participants with behaviours of concern.
• Monitoring & Reporting: Maintain accurate records of progress, achievements, and any incidents. Provide regular updates to the Café Coordinator and contribute to program reviews and improvements.
• Compliance & Safety: Uphold food safety standards, café procedures, and organisational policies. Ensure all activities comply with relevant legislation and cape guidelines.
Operations
• Understand café related procedures including basic coffee brewing, grinding, pouring and food preparation techniques to provide café task support to participants.
• Ensure quality of service meeting all Food Act requirements
• Maintain a safe working environment meeting all requirements under the OH&S Act
• Other duties as required
Qualifications and Experience
• Cert IV in Disability Studies or cert IV Individual Support
• Passion for empowering people with disabilities and supporting their career goals.
• Experience working with individuals with disabilities, particularly in vocational training, skills development, and career pathways.
• Café and barista experience to ensure high-quality customer service and coffee preparation.
Skills and Attributes
• Ability to work effectively with small groups and tailor support to individual needs (up to a 1:3 support ratio).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for building strong relationships with participants, families, and stakeholders.
• Adaptability, strong organizational skills, and flexibility to respond to the unique needs of people with disabilities in a respectful manner.
• Hold a current full Victorian Driver’s Licence.
Why Join Us?
Our vibrant culture and collaborative team environment truly set us apart. You’ll join a warm, inclusive, and enthusiastic team united by a shared passion for enriching the lives of people with disabilities.
Be the difference in someone’s everyday lead with heart, empower with purpose, and help create a life of dignity, independence, and joy for people with disability.
What we can offer you:
• A great working environment as part of a passionate and dedicated team.
• Attractive salary including salary packaging associated with not-for-profits.
• Training and professional development.
• The opportunity to use your skills to make a real difference in people’s lives.
All applicants must hold a current NDIS Worker Screening Clearance and obtain a Working with Children Check prior to employment.
All relevant staff must provide evidence of unrestricted Australian residential and working visa.
How to Apply:
We are inclusive in our thinking and are open to candidates who may not meet all criteria, but believe they are the right fit for the position.
If you are interested in becoming an active and valued member of a dedicated and passionate team, please apply today by clicking on the Apply button.
Shortlisting and interviews will commence soon.
We welcome applications from all diverse backgrounds including individuals with disability, those that identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, LGBTQIA+, or from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
We look forward to hearing from you!
