At Hireup, we’re building a community for our Clients, which facilitates control over the support or services being sought through Hireup. We know that any successful community is built on a foundation of trust, so we’ve created this Code of Conduct (“Code”) to enable you to understand how you can participate positively in our community.
This Code sets out your responsibilities as a Client or an Account Manager on Hireup and applies whenever you’re participating in the Hireup community, engaging with all forms of services offered by Hireup or interacting with the Hireup team.
Capitalised terms within this Code have the same meaning as those in the Terms of Use unless otherwise defined in this Code.
The Hireup Principles
Everything that happens within the Hireup community is underpinned by our core principles. These principles provide us with a framework to engage with each other.
This is an evolving document—we’re constantly rethinking our approach as we learn from the community. But these principles are the heart of what we’ve learned from our Clients so far, and we’re always working to make sure they’re enforced.
Choice and Control
We believe that our Clients should have total choice and control over the support or services they received from Hireup. We’ve designed our model to ensure that you can decide who you work with, when you work together, the services or support to be provided through Hireup and how you structure those services and your support.
Recruitment
As the person in charge of your own services and supports, you are responsible for securing services from the Hireup community. In doing so you should ensure you are assessing the suitability of each Hireup User or Hireup Worker you engage with to provide your specific services or support. When building your Hireup support team (which may include 1 or more Hireup Users who provide a variety of different support or services) (“Support Team”) you should be clear with your goals and ensure that you are building a Support Team that can help you achieve them.
Direction
Prior to providing instruction and direction to your Support Team, you should consider the scope of support or services that can be provided through Hireup. Your Support Team may include a variety of services or supports, including but not limited to Home Care & Support Workers and Support Partners. You should only ask each member in your Support Team to complete work that falls within the boundaries of their job description.
You must not ask your Support Team or any individual you engage with in the Hireup community, to complete activities that they are not qualified or skilled to perform, that they are not willing to perform, that are a breach of our Policies and Procedures or that are unsafe or illegal.
You should provide your Support Team with all relevant information about your support or service requirements and you must provide each Support Team member with induction, training and direction on the services or support you need.
Management
You are responsible for providing your Support Team with a good working environment. You should build strong relationships that are mindful of professional boundaries.
You should respect the time of your Support Team by communicating clearly and in a timely manner about expected hours of work, tasks to be fulfilled, the support or services you require and provide reasonable notice for any cancellations (in accordance with our cancellation statement) or changes in tasks, support or services. You should also ensure all completed shifts or hours worked are processed on time to ensure prompt payment of your Support Team.
Dignity of Risk
We believe that someone’s quality of life is improved when there is the space to take informed and acceptable risks for themselves. This is known as “dignity of risk”. Everyone faces different risks based on factors including age, the impact their disability has on their life, the type of support they require and the environment in which this support is delivered.
Enabling Risk
We firmly believe that our Clients, and/or their families or Account Managers are the best people to make the decisions about the level of risk they are willing to take in pursuit of their goals and aspirations. This means making your own decisions about the kind of support or services you receive, when you receive it and who provides it. To make this support or service effective and safe, it’s important to understand that while you will be making these decisions, your Support Team has an obligation to find the balance between respecting your right to make these decisions and ensuring that you are both safe during the provision of all support or services. We encourage all Hireup Users to approach these decisions with open and clear communication so everyone is on the same page.
Risk Assessment
Just as you are able to make risk-based decisions, so too are the members of your Support Team. You must respect each member of your Support Team’s right to decline to provide any support or services if they do not feel safe, comfortable or qualified to do so.
Working Safely
Everyone in the Hireup community has the responsibility to ensure that quality support and services are delivered in a safe working environment.
Safe Environment
You have responsibilities to ensure that the work environment you provide is safe and appropriate for your Support Team. This includes maintaining equipment and ensuring that the environment is free of hazards that could cause injury to you or anyone in your Support Team.
Zero tolerance for abuse and neglect
Hireup has a zero tolerance policy for abuse, neglect, negligence, violence, discrimination, bullying and harassment. You should share any concerns of such behaviour with Hireup as soon as you are aware of them.
You must not assault, harass or intimidate any member of your Support Team or member of our community and you must not deliberately or negligently expose your Support Team or any member of our community to a risk of physical, psychological or other harm.
Security and Privacy
You must maintain the confidentiality and privacy of the personal information of your Support Team and any other member of the Hireup Community. This means you must not share information about the people you are working with or any other member of the Hireup community with anyone else without the consent to do so. You must keep your Hireup Account password secret and not provide anyone else access to your Hireup Account.
If you become aware of a potential or actual privacy or confidentiality breach by you, your Support Team or anyone else in the Hireup community, you must report it to Hireup immediately.
Inclusion
You should contribute positively to an environment that is free from discrimination, bullying and harassment, including on the basis of disability, race, age, sex, gender identity, religion, political or other opinion or affiliation, or criminal record.
Authenticity
You must not use the Platform or communicate with Hireup or any member of our community for a purpose which is not related to potential or actual support or services.
You must not provide any information that is incorrect, misleading or deceptive on your Hireup profile or in any communications you have with your Support Team, Hireup or any member of our community. You must not include any offensive, defamatory, derogatory or inappropriate material in your Hireup profile or in any communications you have with your Support Team, Hireup or any member of our community.
Reporting
You have a responsibility to report any issues or incidents that occur during or in relation to any support or service you receive through Hireup via our 24-hour online reporting tool, as soon as possible or at the very least within 1 day of the incident occurring.
You must work transparently and honestly with Hireup to resolve any complaints, issues or incidents. You are accountable for your performance and behaviour while engaging with Hireup, your Support Team and the Hireup community.
You should always feel comfortable to share any concerns with Hireup, whether or not an ‘incident’ has happened.
Positive Communication
Communication is one of the strongest tools we have to build strong working relationships. Words can be powerful in shaping how we think and feel about ourselves and each other.
Respectful conversations
Disability is often talked about with sweeping assumptions, which doesn't help us accurately or positively represent the variety and diversity of disability. We expect our community to engage in respectful, nuanced and open-minded conversations.
Effective communication
You will maximise your success on Hireup by engaging in open, effective and timely communication with Hireup, your Support Team and the Hireup community.
Other Responsibilities
Hireup Policies and Procedures
The Hireup principles outlined in this Code and our Policies and Procedures will help guide you and our community. As a Hireup Client, understanding and committing to your role and responsibilities as outlined in our Policies and Procedures is vital as we all work to maintain a healthy and supportive Hireup community. If you want more information on these Policies and Procedures or are unsure where to find them please get in touch with our team.