Introduction

Hireup is committed to supporting individuals with disability and their families to access appropriate and flexible support. Hireup follows all relevant guidelines and regulations in relation to collecting, reviewing and sharing information about an individual's support needs.

Hireup recognises that Clients and their families are experts in their individual high intensity or specialised support needs. Central to this understanding is the principle of championing choice and control for Clients to make informed decisions about their support. Whilst Hireup is not responsible for the assessment or development of a Client’s specialised support plan, we support Clients to engage with suitable health professionals and to be involved in the planning and management of their support, as well as any individual training arrangements. 

The requirement of providing specific care plans (specialised support plans) to Hireup depends on the Client’s desire, their support needs, their circumstances and potential risk. Individual support plans must be developed and endorsed by a relevant and registered healthcare professional. 

This statement sets out Hireup's approach to providing support to a Client who has high intensity or specialised support needs. 

Individual specialised support plans will be uploaded to the Hireup platform and shared via a secure link with support workers who have accepted a booking with a Client. If a Client opts out of having their individual support plans shared with support workers on the Hireup platform, they must confirm to Hireup in writing that arrangements are in place for individual support plans to be provided to workers and can be accessed during a booking.

Specialised support plan requirements 

Individual specialised support plans must be developed and endorsed by a registered and relevant healthcare professional. These plans must outline the Client’s support procedure including routine, regime and any equipment used, as well as known risks, troubleshooting and emergency procedures. These plans must be reviewed within the timeframe listed by the healthcare professional on the plan. Where no review date has been listed, individual support plans must be reviewed according to the timeframe given on Hireup’s relevant policy.

Pre-approval collection

High intensity supports

Clients with high intensity support requirements (as defined by the NDIS) should provide copies of all relevant individual support plans to Hireup before they are approved to make bookings:

• Complex bowel care: bowel care plan and medication authority form (as required)
• Enteral feeding support: enteral (tube) feeding support plan
• Dysphagia support: mealtime management plan or oral eating & drinking care plan
• Urinary catheter support: catheter care plan
• Epilepsy or seizure support: epilepsy management plan and emergency medication plan (as required)
• Subcutaneous injection support: diabetes management plan and medication authority form
• In conjunction with a review by Hireup’s Quality & Practice Excellence Team, the following high intensity support plans may also be required:
  • Ventilator support plan
  • Tracheostomy support plan
  • Complex wound care plan

Non-high intensity specialised supports

Clients with specialised support requirements (non-high intensity) should provide copies of relevant individual support plans to Hireup within 4 weeks of account approval:

• Manual handling: manual handling plan or transfer plan
• Allergies, anaphylaxis and/or asthma: action plans
• Epilepsy or seizure support: epilepsy management plan
• Diabetes support: diabetes management plan
• Medication support: medication authority form

Clients without individual support plans

Clients who do not have written high intensity support plans in place may be approved to make bookings for up to 4 weeks from account approval in some circumstances:

• Where a Client is connected with a relevant healthcare professional and has an appointment scheduled or timeframes in place for the development and completion of required individual support plans.
• Where there is risk to a Client’s health, safety or wellbeing if support is not provided.
• Where a Hireup support worker will not be responsible for providing specialised support during a booking (such as informal support being present to provide) whilst the individual support plans are in development.
• On a case by case basis, Hireup’s Quality & Practice Excellence Team may approve Clients to make bookings without a clear timeframe for the development of required individual high intensity support plans. 

There must be detailed information within a Client’s Hireup support plan that clearly outlines the high intensity or specialised support requirements, procedures, troubleshooting and emergency management. 

Delays in developing individual specialised support plans must be communicated to Hireup. There may be restrictions placed on a Client’s account (including future bookings) if required support plans are not shared, or delays are not communicated, within the 4 week timeframe. 

Where Clients are not connected with a relevant healthcare professional, Hireup will support the development of individual high intensity support plans. This could include referring to Hireup’s NDIS Pathfinder Team for plan review support or referring Clients to relevant health professionals to develop required support plans and providing assistance with this process.

Clients with expired or expiring individual support plans 

Clients may provide an individual support plan where the expiry of the plan has been less than 3 months. This plan may be approved for a period of up to 3 months, and Clients should communicate any delays in having the plan updated and endorsed by a relevant, registered healthcare professional. 

Where an individual support plan has been expired for longer than 3 months, a GP or other relevant healthcare professional must review the plan and confirm it remains up to date. It is preferred that the health professional will list a review date. 

Post-approval support plan review 

Clients have an ongoing responsibility to ensure their individual support plans remain up to date and relevant. Once a plan has been reviewed and endorsed by a relevant health professional, Clients should provide a copy of this updated plan to Hireup. 

Clients must communicate any delays in the review of individual support plans to Hireup in a timely manner. 

Hireup will support Clients with individual specialised support plan reviews. This could include Hireup communicating directly with a Client’s healthcare professional (if consented to), referring to Hireup’s NDIS Pathfinder Team if additional funding is needed, or supporting with a referral to a relevant health professional.