Hireup’s Support Worker Work Health & Safety Workgroup

Hireup is committed to ensuring the provision of safe workplaces and preventing injury and illness to Support Workers as far as reasonably practicable and with a strong commitment to continuous improvement. To help us achieve this aim, Hireup has organised for 12 active  Support Workers from right across Australia, with a range of support work experiences to attend bi-monthly online meetings.

These meetings  include communication and consultation with Hireup’s Support Office on matters such as policies, procedures, guidelines, WHS initiatives, identifying hazards & assessing risks, managing and resolving WHS complaints and concerns and WHS topics. 

If you have any feedback or would like to propose a safety & wellbeing topic for the Support Worker WHS Workgroup to discuss, please complete this contact form. 

Please find the Support Worker Work Health & Safety workgroup meeting minutes below: 

Hireup WHS Objective

Hireup is committed to the health and safety of all people in our community and ensures that everyone has a clear and consistent understanding of all their WHS obligations.

Purpose of the Support Worker Workgroup

The purpose of the Support Worker WHS Workgroup is to provide Hireup and its workers with opportunities for consultation and participation in decision making about work health and safety matters. This workgroup provides a forum where work health and safety matters can be raised and discussed freely and respectfully. 

Support Worker WHS Workgroup Meeting Minutes

Meeting held: 20 November 2025 - online

Attendees:  

• Support Workers:  Sarah B, Susanne W, Deborah D, Laura H, Megan L, Gabrielle C, Jodie S, Uma D, Chinyere O
• Hireup Management Representatives: Sonya M (WHS Advisor), Lydia M (Trust & Safety Manager)
• Guests: Peter W ( CEO), Amy H (Hireup PLUS Service Manage), Jane V (Hireup PLUS Service Manage) Eliza (Senior Product Manager), Jen (Senior Product Designer)
• Apologies:  Libbii N, Deborah , Diane B, Jodie S, Kaytlin P, Isabella S (Injury Management Advisor)

Minutes:

CEO and Safety at Hireup!

• Our new CEO Peter Willis introduced himself and discussed the importance of Safety at Hireup
• Pete shared the evolution of Hireup’s safety systems over time and commitment to ongoing improvement. Pete shared Hireup’s plans to deliver better approaches to identifying risks at work, new, better training modules to keep support workers skills growing and better tools to find and retain clients. 
• Pete shared that we all do our best work when we are safe, respected, and feel we belong.

Hireup Plus 

• Hireup PLUS is an individualised service unique to Hireup, designed to simplify managing both NDIS support and daily life. 
  • PLUS takes pressure off clients, informal supports and Support Coordinators by introducing a dedicated Support Team Lead, backed by Hireup in a permanent part-time role to ensure ongoing partnership and consistency.
  • Support Team Leads provide both direct face-to-face support and behind-the-scenes administrative support so everything stays connected, both on and off Hireup.
• The Working group gave their thoughts about the benefits of having a Support Team Lead
  •  Streamlining communication; it will be easier speaking with someone who has all the background information. This will offer a central communication point  
  • Ongoing relationships with Clients and colleagues will facilitate better support  
  • Hireup welcomes expressions of interest from Support Workers wishing to become a Support Team Lead. 

Project Checkmate

• New feedback question asked of Support Workers and Clients on the website “How did your Booking go?” ->Very Well/ Somewhat Well/ Not Well”.
  • This question will soon also be asked through the Hireup App as well. 
• The Support Worker work group gave feedback that  the question is really good as it will help if support workers aren’t comfortable communicating, and it only takes a few seconds for important safety information to be passed on to Hireup. A group member also shared that they thought it’s a good prompt to reflect on safety at work after being in a support team for a long period of time. 
• Feedback was given around if Support Workers would expect a phone call after picking ‘not well’ or ‘somewhat well’ . Discussed if it’s a one off then a call wouldn’t be necessary but patterns of concerns are important to identify.   

Open Discussion

• Discussion about exposure to pathogens at work and reporting 
  • WHS Support Worker members shared their experience of reporting getting COVID at work and the support offered by Hireup when this occurred. 

Next Meeting: 17th February 2026 

Meeting held: 14 August 2025 - online

Attendees:  

• Support Workers:  Sarah B, Susanne W, Deborah D, Laura H, Diane B, Kaytlin P, Megan L, Gabrielle C, Jodie S
• Hireup Management Representatives: Isabella S (Injury Management Advisor), Lydia (Trust & Safety Manager)
• Guests: Jen (Mental Health Advisor), Loren (Business Development Manager- National Engagement), Jonathan (Head of Enterprise Risk and Service Operations), Flavia (Relationship Manager Behaviour Support),  Toee (Relationship Manager), Alejandra (Relationship Manager Behaviour Support). 
• Apologies:  Uma D, Libbii N, Chinyere O

Minutes:

Grey Fleet Form:

• The form has been re-designed to ensure practicality and utility 
•  Request for working group members to try the new form and provide feedback

Complex Support at Hireup

• Overview  and explanation of Complex Supports provided by Hireup Support Workers
  • Specialised Support
  • Behaviour Support 
  • High Intensity Supports  
• Guidance given on managing risk when providing Complex Supports
• Discussion regarding the working group’s experience providing complex supports 
• Overview of Reporting avenues to Hireup 

Mental Health Supports

• Information provided on Mental Health and Psychosocial Disability
  • People with a Psychosocial disability formed the fourth largest primary disability group among NDIS participants (62,011 participants or 10%), after Autism (35%) Intellectual disability (16%) and Developmental delay (11%).
• NDIS: Responsible for ongoing, non-clinical supports that focus on a person's functional abilities and long-term recovery.
• Health System (e.g., Medicare, state health services): Responsible for clinical services such as diagnosis, treatment, medication management, and hospital care.
• Discussion with Workgroup around manage suicide ideation, complex crisis support and understanding of self-harm 
• Discussion around crisis plans, Wellness plans and Mental Health Recovery 

Next Meeting:  November 2025

Meeting held: 12 June 2025 - online

Attendees: Lydia M, Sonya M 

Support Workers:  Sarah B, Susanne W, Deborah D, Laura H, Diane B, Uma D, Chinyere O, Kaytlin P, Megan L 

Hireup Management Representatives: Lydia (Trust & Safety Manager), Sonya (WHS Advisor)

Guests: Isabella S (Injury Management Advisor), Matthew M(L&D Manager) 

Apologies:  Gabrielle C, Jodie S, Libbi N

Minutes:

Introductions: 

• New member introductions

Review of Actions 

• Statement of Sexual Activity and Speak up policy (has been sent out in the Support Worker newsletter) 

What's new in Support Worker learning? 

• Currently 30+ modules on Hireup Academy 
• Offering subsidised qualifications in partner with ETEA 
• Discussion about what would support workers like to see in learning

Managing Relationships and Boundaries 

• What do work-life boundaries look like? 
  • Set consistent weekly workdays.
  • Limit personal conversations with clients.
  • Communicate unavailability in advance (suggested using a weekly planner to outline dates of work) 
  • Challenge of declining work with a small team.
• How do you communicate with your client? How do you discuss communication boundaries with your clients? 
  • Have communicated with clients that an immediate response is not guaranteed 
  • Organised contact via clients AM or parents
  • Large portion of the group agreed that contact with client is via text message 
  • Ceasing work with clients when a boundary is crossed 
• Discussing safety with client 
  • Having conversations with clients about safe working practices. Have to persistent in communication 
  • Trying to have conversations as a friend who cares, trying to prompt the client to think of the consequences
  • Direct communication with clients 
  • Advice to new support workers: build rapport with clients,  check list before going to a meet and greet
• Hireup Holiday and Travel check list 
  • Discussion of expectations, and planning how the time will be spent 

Other Matters: 

Next Meeting:  August 2025

Support Worker WHS Workgroup Meeting Minutes

Meeting held: 10th April 2025 - online

Attendees: Deborah, Jodie, Laura, Lydia, Sonya, Isabella, Angie, Madeline

Support Workers:  Deborah, Laura, Jodie (apologies from 20 minutes) 

Hireup Management Representatives: Lydia (Trust & Safety Manager), Sonya (WHS Advisor)

Guests: Isabella (Injury Management Advisor) Angie (Senior Designer - Service Design) Madeline (Principal Designer - Community Experience),

Apologies:  Matthew, Emily, Libbii, Chinyere, Reece, Kelly, Jono

Minutes: 

Introductions: 

• WHS Workgroup Support Worker members, Hireup Management Reps, & Hireup guests introduce themselves to the group.

Review of Actions 

• Discussion about new Grey Fleet form:
• Statement of Sexual Activity and Speak up policy:
  • Sent out via the Support Worker newsletter

Risk Assessment discussion: 

• Discussion about preparation for a first shift; what is expected and/or needed to feel comfortable
• Discussion about the right to to complete a risk assessment

Other Matters: 

• Moving remaining agenda items until June 2025

Next Meeting:  June 2025

Support Worker WHS Workgroup Meeting Minutes

Meeting held: 13th February 2025 - online

Attendees:  Laura, Megan, Jodie, Deborah, Libbii, Chinyere, Lydia, Sonya, Jono, David, Celeste, Mark

Support Workers:  Laura, Megan, Jodie, Deborah, Libbii, Chinyere

Hireup Management Representatives: Lydia (Trust & Safety Manager), Sonya (WHS Advisor)

Guests: David (Manager of Operational Risk and Resilience), Jono (Head of Enterprise Risk and Service Operations), Mark (National Lead - Behaviour Support) & Celeste (Head of Provider Operations)

Apologies:  Matthew, Emily, Claudia, Thi Hong, Reece

Minutes: 

Introductions: 

• WHS Workgroup Support Worker members, Hireup Management Reps, & Hireup guests introduce themselves to the group.

Review of Actions - WHS Training: 

• Discussion for Support Worker workgroup to complete WHS training by end of February 2025.

Risk Assessment: 

• Presentation on managing risk at Hireup. 
• Discussion on some of the common WHS risks that Support Workers may be exposed to during their work with Hireup.
• Discussion on Support Workers writing up a safety plan.

Policy Update - Statement ofSexual Activity:

• Presentation on the Statement on Sexual Activity Support including proposed change.
• Statement open for feedback.

Incident Reporting - Speak up Policy

• Overview of incident reporting & speak up policy including raising anonymous complaints/concerns.

Client Support Plans:

• Overview of Hireup’s behaviour support team including the role of Relationship Management,and engaging with practitioner/clinician around behaviour support plans. 
• Discussion around the role of support worker training in plan by clinician and monitoring for safety and concerns raised by support workers
• Overview of Hireup Provider model and key roles within Support Office team including strategy to make it easier for Provider Clients to provide support plan information.  

Other Matters: 

• A demonstration with the support worker WHS workgroup members of the risk assessment.

Next Meeting:  April 10, 2025

Support Worker WHS Workgroup Meeting Minutes

Meeting held: 14th November 2024 - online

Attendees:  Laura, Matthew, Jodie, Deborah, Libbii, Chinyere, Lydia, Sonya, Matt, Maddy, Bella, Lydia

Support Workers:  Laura, Matthew, Jodie, Deborah, Libbii, Chinyere

Hireup Management Representatives: Lydia (Trust & Safety Manager), Sonya (WHS Advisor)

Guests: Lydia (National Worker Compliance Lead), Matt (Learning & Development Manager), Maddy (Principal Designer-Community Experience), & Bella (Injury Management Consultant)

Apologies:  Megan, Emily, Claudia, Thi Hong, Reece

Minutes: 

Introductions: 

• WHS Workgroup Support Worker members, Hireup Management Reps, & Hireup guests introduce themselves to the group

WHS Training: 

• Discussion on 1 hour online WHS training for Workgroup members to be completed within a month

Transport Bookings on Hireup: 

• Discussion on Transport Policy including how to access in Help Centre

• Discussion on requirements for Support Workers providing transport using their own vehicle including what insurance is required and what would happen if there is an incident/accident

Communication of safety information to Support Workers:

• Discussion around current channels for communicating health & safety information with the group confirming the monthly Support Worker Newsletter works well. 
• The merits of other channels including pop-ups through the App were discussed. 
•  

Possible Work, Health & Safety / Employee Assistance Program trial discussed

• An app-based tool was considered favourable for workers in both metro & regional areas
• Group to trial app and provide feedback

Other Matters: 

• General discussion around opportunities related to support plans and job ads

Next Meeting:  February 13, 2025