Coercive control in disability support: how to spot it and respond safely

Coercive control does real, lasting harm, and it hides in plain sight. That's exactly why solid, in-depth training matters for everyone working in the disability sector.

As a support worker, one of the most important things you can do is help people notice what they can't stop or control on their own. Coercive control often creeps in through the small, everyday stuff: who holds the money, who a person can see, where they can go, how their care gets decided. Any single action might look minor on its own, or even caring, but string them together over weeks and months and they quietly chip away at a person's freedom and sense of safety. 

Much of it is non-physical, which is a big part of why it slips under the radar. And for people with disability who rely on others for support, the risk runs higher, so catching it early counts for a lot.

That's why etrainu has teamed up with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice to give disability support workers free access to a short course on spotting coercive control and responding safely. Here's what it covers and why it deserves a spot in every support worker's toolkit.

The forms coercive control can take

No single sign proves coercive control is happening. It shows up as a pattern, often across several areas of a person's life at once. These are the main forms to watch for:

• Emotional and psychological
• Monitoring and surveillance
• Sexual and reproductive
• Isolation
• Financial
• Threats and intimidation
• Cultural and identity control
• Controlling daily life
• Physical and medical
• Using services to control

And trust your gut. If something feels off, that feeling is worth listening to.

Why training to identify coercive control is important

Since 1 July 2024, coercive control has been a criminal offence in NSW in current or former intimate partner relationships. It does not currently cover control by a support worker, carer or family member, though the government is reviewing the law from 2026.

Even where it applies, coercive control is hard to prove. It builds through patterns, not single incidents, and much of it leaves no trace. That is why training matters. When your team can spot the signs early and respond well, participants are kept safe long before legal proof comes into it.

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Want to know how to respond to coercive control safely? 

It often hides inside the everyday care people rely on, which makes it easy to miss. This free course, built with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, shows you how to recognise the signs and respond in a way that keeps people safe. 

Enrol for free today!

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Want more courses to upskill your team?

Disability Essentials is etrainu's online training library for disability and NDIS support teams. Every course is mapped to the NDIS Practice Standards and built by people who know the sector, so your staff stay compliant and the people you support get safe, high-quality care.

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